The embodiments set forth techniques for enabling mobile devices to trigger an electronic Subscriber Identity Module (eSIM) provisioning process. In some embodiments, a main operating system (OS) of the mobile device communicates a provisioning command to an embedded Universal Integrated Circuit Card (eUICC) included in the mobile device. In turn, the provisioning command causes the eUICC to establish a secure channel with a provisioning server. The provisioning command can include, for example, a network address (e.g., a uniform resource locator (URL), Internet Protocol (IP) address, etc.) associated with the provisioning server, an indication of a security protocol to be used for the secure channel, and/or other information. Using this information, the eUICC establishes the secure channel with the provisioning server, whereupon the provisioning server can provision the eSIM to the eUICC over the secure channel.