Short answer: every iPhone from the XS, XS Max and XR onwards accepts an eSIM, so it can take a Tunisia eSIM. Two things can still stop it: an iPhone locked to an operator, and some models bought in mainland China, Hong Kong or Macao. Both are checked in a minute, before you buy.
iPhone models that accept a Tunisia eSIM
| Model | eSIM | Note |
|---|---|---|
| iPhone 17 and newer | Yes | Apple's requirement is an iPhone XS, XS Max, XR or later |
| iPhone 16, 15 and 14 (all versions) | Yes | Models sold in the USA have no SIM tray: eSIM only |
| iPhone 13 (all versions) | Yes | Two eSIMs can be active at once |
| iPhone 12 and 11 (all versions), iPhone SE 2020 and 2022 | Yes | One physical SIM and one eSIM |
| iPhone XS, XS Max, XR | Yes | First iPhones with eSIM |
| iPhone X, 8, 7 and older | No | No eSIM |
This is the list on our compatibility page, and it matches Apple's own requirement: an iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, iPhone XR, or later. Cellular iPads from 2018 and 2019 onwards also take an eSIM. For Android, see Tunisia eSIM on Samsung and Pixel.
Two checks before you buy
1. Is the iPhone unlocked?
Open Settings, then General, then About, and look for the Carrier Lock line. "No SIM restrictions" means the phone accepts another operator's eSIM. If the line names a lock, ask the operator that sold the phone to remove it before you travel. This matters for the refund too: under our terms, a plan is not refunded for an incompatible or operator-locked phone.
2. Where was it bought?
Apple states that in mainland China only a few recent models support eSIM, and that in Hong Kong and Macao certain iPhones have two physical SIM slots instead. If your iPhone comes from one of those markets, check on the same About screen that it shows a second IMEI for a digital SIM. Two IMEI numbers is the quick sign of an eSIM-capable iPhone.
Installing the eSIM on an iPhone
- Stay on Wi-Fi. The eSIM downloads from the Internet, so install at home or at the hotel, not on the tarmac.
- Open the email with your QR code on another screen, or print it.
- On the iPhone: Settings, then Mobile Data (or Cellular), then Add eSIM, then the option to use a QR code. Point the camera at the code.
- Give the new line a label, "Tunisia" for example, so that you recognise it later.
- If the camera cannot be used, choose the manual entry and type the SM-DP+ address and the activation code from the same email.
Menu names change a little between iOS versions. The full walk-through, with the Android path, is in how to install a Tunisia eSIM, step by step. Installing does not start the plan: ours starts at the first connection to the network in Tunisia, so installing before departure costs you nothing.
The settings to use in Tunisia
- Mobile data: choose the Tunisia line.
- Data roaming on the Tunisia line: on. A travel eSIM works in roaming by design; with this switch off there is no data. It is the first thing to check if nothing loads.
- Data roaming on your usual line: off. Your number still receives calls and texts, without using paid data.
- Allow Cellular Data Switching (Mobile Data Switching on some iPhones): off, so the iPhone never falls back on your usual line for data.
- Default voice line: your usual line.
An iPhone 13 or later can keep two eSIMs active at once, according to Apple, which helps if your usual line is already an eSIM. If the connection does not come up, the checks are in eSIM not working in Tunisia? Fixes that work.
Which plan for an iPhone
The phone does not change the plan: the choice depends on your days in Tunisia. Our plans give unlimited data on the Orange Tunisie network, with 1 GB a day at full 4G speed and then 512 kbps, from €6.50 for 1 day and €21.90 for 7 days to €84.90 for 30 days. Connection sharing is allowed, so the iPhone can share its connection with a laptop or a second phone: hotspot in Tunisia with a travel eSIM. See the plans.
Sources
Read on 8 October 2026: Apple Support, Set up eSIM on iPhone and Using Dual SIM with an eSIM; our own compatibility page and terms.
The three compatibility checks, including the *#06# code: is my phone eSIM compatible? iPhone error messages: eSIM cannot be added.