It is the GSMA technical specification for remote SIM provisioning on IoT devices, published in 2023 together with the SGP.31 architecture. A server called the eIM tells devices which profile to download, enable or delete, with no screen or user involved.

What is the difference between SGP.22 and SGP.32?

SGP.22 is for consumer devices: the user scans a QR code on a phone or watch. SGP.32 is for IoT devices without a screen. Both download profiles from an SM-DP+, but with SGP.32 the instruction comes from the eIM.

The 32-digit identifier of an eUICC chip. It identifies the chip itself, while each profile installed on it has its own ICCID.

Can my current devices use SGP.32?

Only if both the module and the eUICC support SGP.32. Support is still rolling out, so check with your module maker.

Does an IoT eSIM replace a multi-IMSI SIM?

The two work together. Multi-IMSI switches networks automatically within one profile, and SGP.32 changes the profile over the air. The same chip can do both.

IoT eSIM and SGP.32: remote profile switching for connected devices

Updated on 14 October 2026

An IoT eSIM is an eUICC chip that can hold several operator profiles and receive new ones over the air. SGP.32, the GSMA specification published in 2023, lets a server order those changes on devices that have no screen. You can switch operator on a device already in the field without sending anyone on site.

What an eUICC is

The eUICC is the chip behind the word eSIM. It is an embedded SIM that can be updated: it holds several operator profiles, and profiles can be added or removed after the device goes into service.

Every eUICC has a 32-digit identifier, the EID, which belongs to the chip. Each profile installed on it has its own ICCID, the same number you find on a regular SIM card. One device can therefore have a single EID and several ICCIDs.

The chip comes in two forms: soldered onto the circuit board (MFF2), or as a removable card that fits a standard SIM slot. Remote profile management works the same way on both.

SGP.22, SGP.02 and SGP.32: three GSMA standards

The GSMA, the association of mobile operators, has defined remote SIM provisioning in three families. Each one targets a different kind of device.

SGP.22, for consumer devices such as phones and watches. The user starts the download by scanning a QR code or from a menu on the screen.
SGP.02, for M2M. This is the older machine standard: a server pushes profiles through two platforms, the SM-DP and the SM-SR. Integrations are heavy, and the device often stays tied to the operator that runs the SM-SR.
SGP.31 and SGP.32, for IoT, published by the GSMA in 2023. SGP.31 describes the architecture and SGP.32 is the technical specification. They are designed for devices with no screen and no user, managed in large numbers.

How SGP.32 works

SGP.32 adds two components. The eIM (eSIM IoT remote manager) is a server that tells each device which profile to download, enable or delete. The IPA (IoT Profile Assistant) receives those orders and carries them out; it runs in the device or on the eUICC itself.

For the download, SGP.32 reuses the SM-DP+, the server already used for consumer eSIMs. The operator prepares the profile on its SM-DP+, the eIM sends the instruction, and the IPA fetches the profile and installs it on the chip.

Nobody has to scan a QR code. One instruction can go out to a whole fleet, including sensors and trackers that have neither a screen nor a button.

What IoT eSIM changes in the field

You can change operator or profile without touching the device. There is no site visit and no card to swap, which matters when the device is a meter in a basement or a tracker on a truck in another country.

Some countries require a local profile for devices that stay there long term. With SGP.32 you download that profile once the device is installed in the country.

A manufacturer can also build one hardware reference for several markets. The profile is chosen later, over the air, so there is a single product to build and keep in stock.

Limits to check before you deploy

Both the module in the device and the eUICC must support SGP.32. Support is still rolling out, and not every module on the market has it yet. Check the datasheet or ask the module maker before you design a product around it.

A profile switch goes over the network. The device needs a working connection when the eIM sends the order and while the new profile downloads. If the current profile has no coverage where the device is going, make the switch before it gets there.

eSIM and multi-IMSI can be combined. A multi-IMSI SIM moves between networks on its own when coverage drops, within one profile. SGP.32 replaces the profile itself, for example to move to another operator or a local offer. A multi-IMSI profile on an SGP.32 chip gives you both.

IoT eSIM with Atlas M2M

Atlas M2M supplies IoT eSIM profiles (SGP.32) downloaded over the air, along with physical cards in 2FF, 3FF and 4FF and soldered MFF2 chips. In the console, each eSIM shows its EID and the ICCID of its active profile, and you can look a device up by either one.

Pricing starts at €2 per SIM per month, with no platform fee and no commitment. To test on your own hardware, the free trial gives you 3 SIMs for 30 days with 50 MB in total.