How to get a WOM eSIM?
The WOM eSIM is requested directly from WOM, as a local operator in Colombia or Chile, and usually requires the activation process typical of any local line. If you are only passing through or will visit more than one country, an international eSIM for travelers is activated before arrival, without that paperwork.
It is important to separate two searches that are often mixed. One is for a person who lives in Colombia or Chile, or who is going to settle there for a long time, and wants a local line with their own number, plans in local currency, and in-person assistance if needed. The other is for a traveler who arrives for a few days or weeks, with a phone already purchased in their country, and only needs mobile data to use maps, social networks, and transportation apps for the duration of the trip. WOM, like any local telephone operator, is designed primarily for the first case.
If your situation is the second, you should compare before deciding. An international eSIM does not replace a local line for all purposes, but it covers exactly what someone passing through needs: mobile data on their phone, without changing their number, without going to a store, and without depending on the local process being resolved in time.
Where can I buy a WOM eSIM in Colombia?
For a local WOM line, the most direct channel is the operator's own: its website, its application, or its physical service points in the country. This is where the activation is completed, the plan is chosen, and the identity is confirmed, as with any local operator in the region.
The point that often causes doubts is what happens if you need connectivity before arriving in Colombia, or if your trip also includes other countries in the region. A local line is activated once you are physically in the country and have completed the corresponding process; it is not designed to be purchased in advance from abroad or to be used outside its national coverage. This is a reasonable limitation for a local operator, but it may not fit the logistics of a trip.
This is where the alternative of buying connectivity before leaving home comes in. With an international eSIM, you can choose the plan, pay, and receive the activation QR code from your country of origin, and activate it just as you land. If your route crosses several Latin American countries, this avoids repeating the activation process at each border.
How to buy an eSIM online? The real steps
The process, regardless of the provider, follows a similar pattern: choose the destination and the amount of data, pay online, receive the QR code or activation profile by email, install it on your phone, and activate the data line when you need it, usually upon arrival at your destination.
In practice, it is advisable to buy the eSIM before the trip, not at the arrival airport, because public Wi-Fi is unreliable precisely when you need it least: when leaving the terminal, ordering a vehicle, or locating your accommodation. Buying it in advance also allows time to check that your phone is compatible and to install the profile calmly, with stable Wi-Fi, instead of doing it with limited data or weak coverage.
An uncommented detail: if your travel plan includes processing a WOM line because you are going to stay for a long period, you don't have to choose between one thing and the other. You can use the international eSIM as a bridge connection during the first few days, while the local activation process progresses, and activate the WOM line when it is ready for permanent use. This way, you don't depend on the paperwork being resolved on the same day you land.
To install the profile on your phone, the complete step-by-step is in how to install an eSIM, and it is advisable to review it before buying, not after.
How to request a virtual eSIM? Requirements and compatible phones
To request a virtual eSIM, whether from a local operator like WOM or an international provider for travelers, the technical requirement is the same: the phone must be compatible with eSIM technology and be unlocked from the factory or operator. Most mid-range and high-end models launched from 2020 onwards are, but not all, and it's not always clear without checking.
Before buying any eSIM, a quick check is worthwhile: go to your phone settings and look for the option to add an eSIM plan, or check the list of eSIM-compatible phones. If the model does not appear or the phone is locked to a specific operator, no eSIM will work, regardless of who you buy it from.
The difference between requesting a WOM eSIM and an international eSIM lies in what comes after compatibility. WOM, as a local operator, usually requires identity verification linked to the country where it operates, as corresponds to a line with a real phone number. An international eSIM for travelers, on the other hand, is data-only: it does not include its own voice number or SMS, so the activation process is simpler, but it also doesn't serve the same purpose. It's good to be clear about this before deciding based on what you need to use during your trip.
Coverage: local line vs. international eSIM for travel
Coverage is the criterion where the difference between a local operator and an eSIM designed for travelers is most noticeable. A WOM line covers the territory where WOM operates as a local network; outside that country, it depends on roaming agreements that the operator has in force, if any, and which should be confirmed directly with WOM before crossing a border. An international eSIM for travelers, on the other hand, is designed from the outset to move: multi-destination plans cover several countries with the same profile, without reconfiguring anything when changing countries.
| Criterion | Local line (e.g., WOM) | International eSIM for travelers |
|---|---|---|
| Geographic coverage | The country where the operator operates; outside of that, it depends on roaming agreements | More than 200 destinations, with single-country or multi-destination options |
| Phone number | Yes, own local number with voice and SMS | Does not include voice number; it is a data profile |
| Activation process | Identity verification as a local operator, in the country | Online purchase, without in-person process |
| Intended for | Residents or long stays with daily life in the country | Short trips, multi-destination, or while another process is being resolved |
If your route will include more than one country in the region, comparing the actual coverage of each option before deciding avoids surprises. The guide on eSIM vs. physical SIM goes into more detail on the technical differences between both formats.
Activation: how long each option takes and what you need on hand
With an international eSIM, activation usually takes about a minute once you scan the QR code with Wi-Fi available, because the plan is already associated with the purchase you made before traveling. There's no need to go anywhere or present documentation at the moment.
With a local line like WOM, the activation time depends on the channel and the identity verification process required by any local operator, which can be resolved the same day in-store or take longer depending on the channel you use. This information can only be confirmed precisely by the operator for your specific case, so it's advisable to ask directly before relying on that line for the first day of your trip.
If your trip crosses more than one country, or if you need connectivity from the moment you land, activation time weighs as much as coverage. An eSIM that is already purchased and ready before leaving home eliminates that variable; a line that depends on a local process does not.
Support: what happens if the problem appears outside Colombia or Chile
An operator's support is, logically, designed to handle inquiries within its country of operation. If you have a problem with your WOM line while outside Colombia or Chile, the contact method and response times depend on the channels WOM has available for users abroad. This is something to check with the operator before leaving the country, especially if you will rely on that line during your trip.
With an international eSIM for travelers, support is designed for this situation from the outset: it's available 24/7 in all languages via email and WhatsApp, no matter which country you're in when you write. There is no phone support as such in either of the two usual service models for travel eSIMs, so it's worth confirming which actual channels you can write to before you need it, not when you already have a problem.
The most common issues when using an eSIM, and how to solve them without waiting for a response from anyone, are gathered in common eSIM problems.
Fair use policy on "unlimited" plans
When a data plan, whether from a local operator or a travel eSIM, is advertised as "unlimited," there is almost always a fair use policy behind it: a consumption threshold after which the speed is reduced, even if the connection is not cut off. This is a standard industry practice, not a hidden fine print, but it is advisable to read it before buying if your travel plan includes working online, uploading live video, or relying on mobile data as your primary connection.
The practical recommendation is the same for any provider: before choosing an "unlimited" plan, find where the fair use policy is published and confirm after how many gigabytes the speed changes. If this information is not visible anywhere, it is a warning sign, rather than a guarantee that it does not exist.
Validity: when each eSIM expires
With an international eSIM for travelers, there are two distinct deadlines that should not be confused: the time you have to activate it from the moment you buy it, and the duration of the plan once activated. In PuraSIM's case, you have 180 days from purchase to activate the eSIM, which gives you plenty of time to buy it in advance without it expiring before your trip. The duration of the plan itself (the days of data you contracted) only starts running when you activate the line, not when you buy it.
With a local WOM line, being a line with its own number, the validity works differently: as long as you keep the plan active or make periodic recharges, the line continues to function; if you stop recharging for a prolonged period, the operator may cancel it according to its own policies, which should be checked directly with WOM.
When a WOM eSIM is suitable, and when it is not
Being honest about this is what makes a comparison useful. A local WOM line makes clear sense if you are going to live in Colombia or Chile for a long time, if you need a local phone number for paperwork, banks, or applications that require local SMS verification, or if your data and call consumption will be that of someone settled in the country, not someone just passing through. In that scenario, an international data-only eSIM does not replace it.
An international eSIM for travelers makes sense when the trip is short or medium-term, when the itinerary crosses more than one country, when you want to have active connectivity from landing without depending on a local process, or when you simply don't need a new phone number because you already have WhatsApp and email working from your original line.
| Traveler type | Most reasonable option | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Short-stay tourist (days or a few weeks) | International eSIM | Activation in ~1 minute, no in-person process or new number |
| Multi-destination trip in the region | Multi-destination international eSIM | A single profile covers several countries without reconfiguring anything |
| Person moving to Colombia or Chile for months or years | Local line (WOM or another operator) | Needs own number, local plans, and continuous presence in the country |
| Moving but arriving before the local line is ready | International eSIM as a bridge + WOM process in parallel | Immediate connectivity while local identity verification is resolved |
If your case is one of the first two, it makes sense to directly check the available plans by destination, as detailed in the conclusion. If it's the third, a WOM line is probably the correct decision and this comparison should not convince you otherwise.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use a WOM eSIM outside Colombia or Chile?
It depends on the international roaming agreements that WOM has in force at any given time, something only the operator can confirm. This is not a limitation exclusive to WOM: most local operators in the region work the same way, with guaranteed coverage within the country and roaming as an exception, not as a rule.
Do I need to verify my identity to activate an international eSIM for travelers?
Not in the same way as with a local line. Since it is a data profile without its own voice number, the purchase and activation process for an international eSIM is simpler than activating a local line with in-country identity verification.
What phone do I need to use any eSIM, whether WOM or international?
A phone compatible with eSIM technology and unlocked from the factory or operator. Without that, no eSIM will work, regardless of the provider. It's advisable to check this before buying, as explained above.
What happens if my international eSIM runs out of data halfway through my trip?
You can buy an additional or top-up plan from the same account, without needing to install a new profile. If the problem is something else, such as the connection not appearing, 24/7 support via email and WhatsApp is available in all languages to resolve it while you continue your trip.
Can I have a WOM eSIM and an international eSIM active at the same time?
Yes, as long as the phone is dual eSIM or combines a physical SIM plus an eSIM, which is common in recent models. This is precisely what allows an international eSIM to be used as a bridge connection while the local line activation process is completed.
Does the international eSIM work for receiving bank verification codes via SMS?
No. Since it does not include its own voice or SMS number, a data-only international eSIM does not replace a local line with a phone number for that type of verification. For that, a line with a number, such as what a local operator offers, is necessary.
How long before the trip should I buy the eSIM?
With enough time to check phone compatibility and not depend on airport Wi-Fi when installing the profile. Since you have 180 days to activate it from the purchase date, there's no risk of buying it too far in advance.
Conclusion and recommendation
The question "eSIM WOM yes or no" does not have a single correct answer, and any comparison that tells you otherwise is oversimplifying. If you are going to live in Colombia or Chile for a long period and need a local number, WOM (or any equivalent local operator) is the right tool for that job. If you are traveling, whether to one country or several, and what you need is data connectivity that works from the moment you land without in-person procedures, an international eSIM for travelers solves exactly that, with 24/7 support in all languages by email and WhatsApp and 180 days to activate it from purchase.
For those who are undecided between the two because their plan combines both situations (arriving and staying), the honest answer is that there is no need to choose: the international eSIM covers the first few days while the local line procedure is being resolved. If your case is that of a trip, review the available plans by destination in the international eSIM collection, and if you want to understand the complete picture before deciding, the definitive guide to eSIM for travel brings together the rest of the criteria not included in this comparison. And if after reading all this you are still sure that what you need is a local line, that is the correct decision for your case, not a second option.
