How do Indian students get a UK SIM card when they arrive for their master's program, and which networks work best?

A free SIM card can be collected at the passport collection centre in India when you attend the biometric appointment to have your visa stamped into your passport. Asking for a SIM card at that point gives you a card with free calls and data for the first few weeks in the UK, a useful starting point before you set up a permanent plan. Once in the UK, the major networks most commonly used by international students are GiffGaff, Lebara, Lyca Mobile, and Three, all of which offer monthly rolling SIM-only plans with generous data allowances at low cost, typically £5 to £15 per month for 10 to 30GB of data depending on the plan.

• These plans are available without a UK credit history, which is important for new arrivals.
• EE, O2, and Vodafone have better network coverage in rural areas but require a more formal contract setup that is harder for new arrivals without UK banking history.
• GiffGaff is the most commonly recommended starting point for Indian students because it is simple to set up, uses O2's network infrastructure, and has a reliable prepaid top-up model that does not require any commitment.