Skip to content

How to open international roaming when going abroad

Opening international roaming involves two main steps: activating it with your mobile provider and enabling it on your phone.

Here is a step-by-step guide on how to do it, along with important cost-saving alternatives to consider.

⚠️ Before You Do Anything: Check Costs First!

Activating roaming without a plan can be extremely expensive. Default pay-as-you-go rates can be as high as $2 per megabyte (MB) and $1-$3 per minute for calls. A few minutes of map usage or social media browsing could cost you hundreds of dollars.

Always check your provider’s international plans before you travel.

Method 1: Activate Roaming with Your Mobile Carrier (The “Official” Way)

This is a two-part process. You must do both.

Part 1: Contact Your Carrier to Add a Plan

This is the most critical step. You must add an international plan or pass to your account to avoid high pay-as-you-go charges.

  • How to do it: The easiest way is through your carrier’s mobile app or website. You can also call their customer service line.
  • What to look for:
    • International Day Pass: Many carriers (like AT&T, Verizon) offer a flat daily fee (e.g., $10-$12 per day) that lets you use your domestic plan’s data, talk, and text allowances abroad. This is good for short trips.
    • Monthly International Add-On: These are better for longer trips. You might pay a set fee (e.g., $50-$100) for a specific amount of high-speed data (like 15GB) for 30 days.
    • Check if it’s included: Some premium plans (like T-Mobile’s Magenta or Three UK’s Go Roam) include free or low-cost roaming in many countries. Check if your plan already has this.
  • Special Case (Europe): If you have a SIM from an EU-member country and are traveling within the EU, the “Roam Like at Home” policy applies. This means you can use your phone’s regular plan (data, calls, texts) at no extra cost.

Part 2: Enable Roaming on Your Phone

Once you have a plan from your carrier, you must also enable the setting on your device. You can do this when you land.

  • On an iPhone:
    1. Go to Settings > Cellular (or Mobile Data).
    2. Tap on Cellular Data Options (or Mobile Data Options).
    3. Toggle Data Roaming to ON.
  • On an Android Phone:
    1. Go to Settings > Network & internet (or Connections).
    2. Tap on Mobile network (or SIMs).
    3. Select your primary SIM.
    4. Toggle Roaming to ON.

Method 2: Use an eSIM (A Cheaper, Data-Only Alternative)

An eSIM is a digital SIM card that you can install on your phone. For international travel, you can buy a temporary, data-only eSIM for the country you’re visiting. This is often much cheaper than your carrier’s roaming plan.

How it Works:

  1. Check Compatibility: Your phone must be unlocked and eSIM-compatible (most iPhones from 2018 and Google/Samsung phones from 2020 are).
  2. Purchase a Plan: Before you travel, buy a plan from a global eSIM provider like Airalo, Holafly, Saily, or Ubigi. You can do this via their app or website. You’ll get a QR code.
  3. Install the eSIM: While you still have internet (at home or at the airport), scan the QR code to install the eSIM on your phone.
  4. Activate on Arrival: When you land, go into your phone’s cellular settings, turn OFF your primary SIM (to prevent any roaming charges) and turn ON your new travel eSIM. You’ll have data immediately.
  • Pro: Much cheaper for data. You can keep your primary number active for calls/texts via Wi-Fi Calling (see below).
  • Con: It’s usually data-only. You won’t have a local phone number for regular calls (but you can use data for WhatsApp, FaceTime, or Skype calls).

Method 3: Use Wi-Fi Only (The Free Alternative)

This is the most budget-friendly option. It involves keeping your phone in Airplane Mode for your entire trip and relying only on Wi-Fi at your hotel, cafes, and public areas.

How to Make it Work for Calls & Texts:

  • Enable Wi-Fi Calling: Before you leave home, enable “Wi-Fi Calling” in your phone’s settings.
    • How it works: When you’re connected to Wi-Fi, this feature lets you make and receive calls and texts using your regular phone number, just as if you were at home.
    • Cost: Calls and texts to numbers in your home country are almost always free.
    • Warning: Calling a local number in the country you’re visiting (like a restaurant) may be billed as an expensive international call by your carrier.

Pro-Tip: To ensure you are not charged, put your phone in Airplane Mode first, and then manually turn Wi-Fi back on. This blocks all cellular connections and forces your phone to use Wi-Fi for everything.

  • Use Apps: Use apps like WhatsApp, FaceTime, Skype, or Facebook Messenger. Calls and messages from these apps to other users of the same app are completely free over Wi-Fi.

📋 Pre-Travel Checklist

  1. Check Phone: Is my phone unlocked? Is it eSIM-compatible?
  2. Contact Carrier: What are their pay-as-you-go rates? What international passes do they offer?
  3. Compare Costs: Is my carrier’s pass cheaper, or is a travel eSIM a better deal for my trip length?
  4. Enable Wi-Fi Calling: Turn this feature on in your phone’s settings before you leave, just in case.
  5. Download: Get any eSIM apps, airline apps, and offline maps (like Google Maps) while you’re at home.

Leave a Reply

error: Content is protected !!