Best mobile phone plans with international calls

• Best international calling plan for $30 or less
• Best international calling plan for $40 or less
• Best international calling plan for $50 or less
• Optus phone plans with international calls
• Vodafone phone plans with international calls
• Telstra phone plans with international calls
• Lebara phone plans with international calls
• What to look for in an international calls plan
• How to call an international number from Australia
• FAQs

In Australia, SIM-only and prepaid mobile plans typically compete over data because standard national calls and texts are unlimited. But while unlimited calls and text within Australia are the norm, it's a different story for international calling and messaging.

Aside from expensive pay as you go (PAYG) rates, the norm is to purchase an add-on from your provider, but you can also find options with international calling baked in. And then there's the occasional and much-desired unlimited international calls plan.

We’ve rounded up some of the best mobile phone plans with international calls from our database, including our pick for the best one with unlimited calls.

The TPG 50GB Medium Plan is a great starting point for anyone looking for unlimited international calls. This prepaid plan is half price for the first six months if you’re a new customer, and there's a 50% discount for the first six months. You get 50GB of local (Australian) data, plus unlimited calls to 31 selected destinations. If any of those destinations fit your needs, it doesn't get much better than that when it comes to international calling.

Plan basics:

• International calls: unlimited calls to 31 destinations
• Intro price: $17.50 per month for six recharges
• Ongoing price: $35 per recharge, after deal ends
• Total cost over first 24 months: $735
• Data: 50GB
• Mobile network: Vodafone 5G, limited to 150Mbps

If TPGs plan doesn't suit your needs, there are plenty of other plans in our database with some kind of international inclusions. In the comparison table below, you can view the most popular plans with our readers over the last seven days that come in under $30 per month for at least the first six months.

The amaysim Unlimited 120GB Plan has a great deal right now. Normally priced at $50 per 28-day recharge, new customers get $15 off  for the 12 recharges. While that post-deal price might be higher than you'd like to pay, there's no contract here, so you can switch plans when you get close to the end of the discount period.

It comes with 120GB of Optus 5G data for use in Australia, capped at 200Mbps speeds. Either price includes unlimited data banking and unlimited calls and SMS to 42 selected international destinations:

Plan basics:

• International inclusions: unlimited standard international calls, SMS and MMS to 42 destinations
• Intro price: $35 for first 12 renewals (28-day recharges)
• Ongoing price: $50 per recharge, after deal ends
• Total cost over first 24 months: $1,055
• Data: 120GB
• Mobile network: Optus 5G, limited to 200Mbps

There plenty of eligible plans with international calls that cost between $30 and $40 in our database. Most of them are monthly SIM-only or prepaid plans, which means 12 bills per year if you stick around. We’d advise avoiding mobile plans with international calls that rely on minimal credit, particularly when that credit is shared with text allowances.

For comparison, here’s a list of popular mobile plans with international calls from our database that don’t cost more than $40 per month  for at least the first six months after signing up:

The Lebara Mobile $49.90 Extra Large Plan is packed with international inclusions for prepaid users. At home, new sign-ups pay $19 for the first month for 100GB of data, plus 100GB bonus data for the first three recharges (which includes the initial activation). There are also unlimited call minutes (and SMS) to 60 destinations, 200 standard minutes to 15 Zone 1 destinations (plus 100 bonus minutes until 11 August 2025), and 50 standard call minutes to 11 Zone 2 destinations:

Plan basics:

• International calls: unlimited calls to 60 destinations, 200 mins to Zone 1, 50 mins to Zone 2
• Intro price: $19 for first 30-day recharge
• Ongoing price: $49.90 per recharge, after deal ends
• Total cost over first 24 months: $1,216.60
• Data: 100GB (plus 100GB bonus for first three recharges)
• Mobile network: Vodafone 5G, limited to 200Mbps

There are fewer plans in our database to factor in when hunting options with international calls, priced between $40 and $50 per month. Most, have unlimited call minutes to at least 15 international destinations, though there is the occasional plan that includes global credit limits.

Optus is one of a few mobile providers we track that offers international calls for its postpaid SIM-only and prepaid plans. Not every Optus plan has international calls, but they all do at least include some international SMS allowance. There are also differences between international calling inclusions based on whether you opt for a prepaid plan (and how much you pay) or a SIM-only plan, the latter of which have identical international inclusions to each other.

Except for the cheapest one, every Optus postpaid plan comes with unlimited standard international talk and text to 35 selected destinations. There are three Optus SIM-only plans with international calls to choose from, ranging in price from $65 to $85 per month after the occasional introductory discount period. All of them come with at least 200GB for use in Australia, plus no excess data fees via a 1.5Mbps speed cap once max-speed gigabytes are exhausted.

Optus has 35 countries to call or text with the right postpaid plan, which are subject to change (and a fair-go policy applies).

Optus prepaid international calls come with every plan, except for the cheapest seven-day recharge. That cheapest Optus plan, and all other Optus prepaid plans, come with 50 standard international SMS. Here’s a breakdown of the call minutes for Optus prepaid plans:

• Optus Prepaid $35 SIM (28 days): 400 standard call minutes to 36 Zone 1 destinations and 100 minutes to 43 Zone 2 destinations.
• Optus Prepaid $45 SIM (28 days): 800 standard call minutes to 36 Zone 1 destinations and 200 minutes to 43 Zone 2 destinations.
• Optus Prepaid $55 SIM (28 days): 1,200 standard call minutes to 36 Zone 1 destinations and 400 minutes to 43 Zone 2 destinations.
• Optus Prepaid $160 SIM (186 days): 3,000 standard call minutes to 36 Zone 1 destinations and 400 minutes to 43 Zone 2 destinations.
• Optus Prepaid $230 SIM (365 days): 6,000 standard call minutes to 36 Zone 1 destinations and 800 minutes to 43 Zone 2 destinations.

Like Optus, Vodafone international calls are included with its prepaid and postpaid mobile plans. Not every Vodafone postpaid and prepaid plan comes with international calls, though. About half of Vodafone’s mobile plans include unlimited calls to 37 Zone 1 destinations and 100+ minutes to 53 Zone 2 destinations.

All Vodafone’s SIM-only plans come with unlimited texts to global numbers, but only the two priciest ones come with international calls. Whether you opt for Vodafone’s Medium or Large plan, you’ll get unlimited calls to 37 Zone 1 destinations, plus 300 call minutes to 53 Zone 2 destinations. Every Vodafone postpaid plan has at least 100GB of data for use in Australia, no excess data fees with a 2Mbps post-cap restriction, and there’s also a 30-day network satisfaction guarantee.

While every Vodafone prepaid plan has 50 standard international texts, only about half of its monthly and long-expiry plans come with international calls. Here’s the breakdown for Vodafone prepaid plans with international calls:

• Vodafone $45 Prepaid Plus (28 days): unlimited call minutes to 37 Zone 1 destinations and 100 minutes to 53 Zone 2 destinations.
• Vodafone $35 Prepaid Plus (28 days): 500 call minutes to 37 Zone 1 destinations.
• Vodafone $55 Prepaid Plus (28 days): unlimited call minutes to 37 Zone 1 destinations and 200 minutes to 53 Zone 2 destinations.
• Vodafone $320 Prepaid Plus (365 days): 6,000 call minutes to 37 Zone 1 destinations and 1,200 minutes to 53 Zone 2 destinations.

Like Optus and Vodafone, Telstra international calls are included with (most) of its postpaid and prepaid plans. Unlike Vodafone and Optus, Telstra doesn’t have unlimited international calls for any of its plans, though there are unlimited text allowances for Telstra SIM-only customers. Telstra Zones only come into consideration for prepaid customers.

All Telstra SIM-only mobile plans come with international calls, though they are comparatively limited. The upside is you can call anywhere in the world; the downside is you only get 30 minutes of international calls per month. There are, however, unlimited SMS and MMS to international numbers anywhere in the world. For at-home features, Telstra SIM-only plans come with uncapped 5G access, decent data allocations and no excess data fees.

If 30 minutes of calls isn’t enough, you can add a Telstra international calling pack for $10 (23 destinations), $20 (68 destinations) or $30 (122 destinations) per month.

While every Telstra prepaid recharge has 100 international texts to any country, most of its plans are restricted to call minutes per Zone. The cheapest seven-day Telstra recharge has no calls, but all other Telstra prepaid plans have call minutes to Zone 1, Zone 2 and Zone 3 destinations. Here’s the international call minutes for Telstra prepaid recharges:

• Telstra $39 Prepaid Mobile (28 days): 300 minutes to 23 Zone 1, 60 minutes to 45 Zone 2 and 5 minutes to 20 Zone 3 destinations.
• Telstra $49 Prepaid Mobile (28 days): 500 minutes to 23 Zone 1, 100 minutes to 45 Zone 2 and 10 minutes to 20 Zone 3 destinations.
• Telstra $59 Prepaid Mobile (28 days): 1,000 minutes to 23 Zone 1, 150 minutes to 45 Zone 2 and 15 minutes to 20 Zone 3 destinations.
• Telstra $69 Prepaid Mobile (28 days): 1,500 minutes to 23 Zone 1, 250 minutes to 45 Zone 2 and 20 minutes to 20 Zone 3 destinations.
• Telstra $180 Prepaid Mobile (six months): 3,000 minutes to 23 Zone 1, 350 minutes to 45 Zone 2 and 50 minutes to 20 Zone 3 destinations.
• Telstra $350 Prepaid Mobile (12 months): 6,000 minutes to 23 Zone 1, 800 minutes to 45 Zone 2 and 100 minutes to 20 Zone 3 destinations.

Lebara is a prepaid provider that has great international inclusions with its plans, including unlimited standard international texts to 60 destinations. The more you pay, the more destinations you get for a Lebara mobile plan with international calls. Here’s a breakdown of the international calls available with Lebara prepaid plans:

• Lebara $19.90 Extra Small Plan (seven days): $3 shared international call and text credit.
• Lebara $24.90 Small Plan (30 days): unlimited standard calls to 26 destinations, 100 minutes to 39 Zone 1 Small Plan destinations, 30 minutes to 11 Zone 2 destinations and $5 international credit.
• Lebara $29.90 Medium Plan (30 days): unlimited standard calls to 35 destinations, 100 minutes to 17 Zone 1 Medium Plan destinations, 30 minutes to 11 Zone 2 destinations and $5 international credit.
• Lebara $39.90 Large Plan (30 days): unlimited standard calls to 50 destinations, 200 minutes to 22 Zone 1 Large Plan destinations, 50 minutes to 11 Zone 2 destinations and $10 international credit.
• Lebara $49.90 Extra Large Plan (30 days): unlimited standard calls to 60 destinations, 200 minutes to 15 Zone 1 Extra Large destinations, 50 minutes to 11 Zone 2 destinations and $10 international credit.
• Lebara $160 Extra Small Plan (360 days): $3 shared international call and text credit.
• Lebara $200 Small Plan (360 days): unlimited standard calls to 26 destinations, 50 minutes to 38 Zone 1 Small Plan destinations and $5 international credit.
• Lebara $250 Medium Plan (360 days): unlimited standard calls to 35 destinations, 50 minutes to 33 Zone 1 Medium Plan destinations and $10 international credit.
• Lebara $250 Medium Plan (360 days): unlimited standard calls to 50 destinations, 100 minutes to 22 Zone 1 destinations and $10 international credit.

There are several things to bear in mind when looking for a mobile plan that has international calls. Some mobile providers like More and Tangerine offer calls to the “top” destinations which, for them, translates to these 15: Bangladesh, Canada, China, Greece, Hong Kong, India, Ireland, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand, United Kingdom, and United States of America.

But because “top” is subjective, some (or all) of those dialling destinations may not be relevant to your needs. That’s why we’ve focused on recommending mobile providers and plans that offer a wide range of locations. You should always check the list of included dialling destinations to ensure a mobile plan has international locations you actually want to call.

Once you’ve found a plan that has the destination/s you want to call, it’s worth shopping around. If those countries are popular enough, they’ll be offered by multiple providers. And if you make a lot of calls, look for an unlimited international calls plan or sufficient minutes/credit to cover your talk time.

You only need three things to call an overseas number from Australia: the exit code, the destination country code, and the destination phone number. On a mobile phone, hold the 0 digit while dialling to start with a ‘+’, which is the Australian exit code. If you’re on a landline phone, dial 0011 instead.

You may have to drop the first 0 from a recipient’s area code, if it starts with one. Search for the relevant country in the list below and make note of the corresponding number in the ‘Dialling code’ column. For example, if you’re calling someone in the UK, you’d dial +44 1234 5678 from a mobile or 0011 1234 5678 from a landline phone to get connected.

Many providers include unlimited international calls on select plans, but you'll be limited by the number of destinations you can dial. You'll typically need to spend a minimum amount to get unlimited international calls.  

Boost Mobile offers unlimited international calls to 20 countries as a minimum of all of its 28-day recharges, for example. 

amaysim has unlimited international calls to 28 countries on $30 recharges and up. 

Other providers that offer unlimited international calls on select plans include Vodafone, Optus, Woolworths Mobile, ALDI Mobile, Lycamobile, and Lebara. 

Just double check the plan you're interested in supports the destination you want to call before you commit to it. 

Check out the widget below for a round-up of the cheapest unlimited international calls plans from our database with a monthly price of no more than $60.