The short answer: if your iPhone was released in 2018 or later, it supports eSIM. Apple was early to this and has been consistent since, which makes the iPhone the simplest case of any brand.
Check this phone in one tap
Let the page work out which handset you are on, or type the model. It answers straight away, and it tells you how sure it is.
iPhones that support eSIM
iPhone XR and iPhone XS, the whole of the 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16 and 17 series including every Pro, Plus and Max variant, iPhone SE from 2020 and 2022, and iPhone Air.
iPhones that do not
iPhone X, iPhone 8 and everything before them, plus the original iPhone SE from 2016. These have a physical SIM tray only.
The exception worth knowing
iPhones sold on the Chinese mainland are built without eSIM. Apple ships a dual physical SIM version there instead. If your iPhone was bought in mainland China it will not have eSIM even though the model name appears on the list above. Hong Kong and Macau models are not affected.
The opposite case applies in the United States: from the iPhone 14 onwards, American models have no SIM tray at all and are eSIM only. That is good news for travel, since an eSIM is the only option those phones have.
How to check your iPhone in under a minute
Go to Settings → General → About and scroll to the bottom. If you see a line reading Available SIM or Digital SIM with an EID number under it, eSIM is there and ready. On newer versions of iOS you can also look under Settings → Cellular: an option to add an eSIM means your phone supports it.
The check that always works
Open your phone's dialler and type *#06#. You do not need to press call. A panel appears with your device identifiers. If one of them is labelled EID, a 32-digit number, your phone has eSIM hardware. No EID means no eSIM.
This works on any phone, any brand, any region, and it is the only check that cannot be thrown off by a model name that was sold in several different versions.
One more thing before you travel
Check that your iPhone is not carrier locked. An eSIM cannot be installed on a locked handset. Go to Settings → General → About and look for Carrier Lock. It should read "No SIM restrictions". If it does not, your operator can usually unlock it on request, though it can take a few days, so it is worth checking well ahead of a trip.
What if your phone does not support eSIM?
Then a travel eSIM is not an option for that handset, and no app or update will change it: the eSIM chip is physical hardware. Your realistic choices are a local physical SIM bought on arrival, your own operator's roaming package, or using an older eSIM-capable phone as a second device. If you are close to replacing the phone anyway, every current flagship and most current mid-range models have eSIM built in.