Do you need to buy a SIM card abroad?
You need a SIM, or another data plan, if you want mobile internet away from Wi-Fi. You don't need one just to have a phone number. A number in an app, such as a Nimra line, makes and takes calls over any internet connection and stays the same in every country you visit.
They are two different things that people buy in one trip to the kiosk. A SIM is mostly internet. A number is how clients, family and offices reach you. Once you separate the two, the choice gets easier.
What each option gives you
| Local SIM | Travel data plan | Roaming on your home SIM | A number in an app, like Nimra | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mobile internet | Yes | Yes | Yes, often at a high price | No. It uses the internet you have |
| A number people can call | A new local number | Often none: many are data only | Your home number | A US or Canadian number |
| Same number in the next country | No | Not applicable | Yes | Yes |
| Getting it | A shop, often with your passport | Online | Nothing to do | In the app, in minutes |
| Commitment | Prepaid | Prepaid | Your home plan | Prepaid credit, no contract |
When a number in an app is the better buy
- You move between countries. Freelancers, traders and frequent travellers would otherwise hand out a new number every trip.
- Your clients or customers are in the US. They call a US number as a domestic call, whichever country you are in that week.
- You want international calls without a plan. You pay by the minute from prepaid credit. International calls with no contract.
- You are mostly on Wi-Fi. Hotel, office, home, campus. The line rings there like any call.
- You don't want to give out your personal number to every shop, landlord and listing in a new place.
When you still need a SIM
Plainly: Nimra is not a SIM and not an eSIM, and it has no mobile data. If you need maps in a taxi or messages on the street, buy a local SIM or a data plan. Nimra then runs on top of it: the SIM is your internet, the app is your number. Also keep a SIM for local emergency calls, which go through your phone's own dialer, and for banks and apps that only accept numbers from a mobile carrier.
The setup most people end up with
- Internet: the cheapest local SIM or data plan wherever you are, changed as often as you like.
- Your number: one line in an app that never changes, for the people and businesses that need to reach you.
- Your home number: left alone, for family and your bank.
Changing the SIM in step one never touches the number in step two, which is the point.
What a Nimra line does
- A US or Canadian number with a local area code, on the phone you already have.
- Calls in and out over Wi-Fi or mobile data, ringing even when the app is closed.
- Texts in, and voicemail written out in English or Arabic.
- Quiet hours, blocking and call forwarding, per line.
- Prepaid credit and no contract. See prices.
Common questions
Is Nimra a SIM card or an eSIM?
No. Nimra is an app that gives you a US or Canadian phone number. It has no mobile data of its own, so your phone still needs Wi-Fi or a data plan.
Can I use a number in an app instead of a local SIM?
For calls, incoming texts and voicemail, yes, wherever you have Wi-Fi. For internet on the street, in a taxi or on a train, you still need a local SIM, a travel data plan or roaming. Most travellers who want both use a data plan for internet and an app number for calls.
Does the number change when I move to another country?
No. A local SIM gives you a new number in every country. A number in an app stays the same wherever you go, so the people who have it never need an update.
Is there a contract or a commitment?
No. A Nimra line is paid from prepaid credit and renews every 30 days. Stop adding credit and it lapses.
One number for every country you work in
A US number on the phone you already have. Prepaid, no SIM, no contract.
