Can I use my phone overseas?

Staying connected while travelling is a lot more straightforward these days with smartphones that can keep us in touch with locals and loved ones at home. But like any overseas adventure, there’s some essential phone prep required before you’re actually able to use your phone overseas. Here’s what to keep in mind if you want to use your phone overseas.

But before we get into all of that, here’s a list of popular mobile phones from our comparison engine.

If you want to use your phone overseas, you’ve got options. For starters, you can swap out your Australian SIM card for a prepaid one at your destination. Alternatively, your Australian mobile phone plan may support international roaming or allow you to pay extra for a global roaming add-on.

Here’s a rundown of the telcos we track in our comparison engine that offer international roaming (click on the relevant links for corresponding telco plan reviews):

• Telstra: paid international roaming add-on
• Optus: paid international roaming add-on
• Vodafone: paid international roaming add-on
• Amaysim: paid international roaming add-on
• TPG: paid international roaming add-on
• Felix Mobile: paid international roaming add-on
• Belong: paid international roaming add-on
• Tangerine Telecom: paid international roaming add-on
• Exetel: PAYG international roaming credit
• Boost Mobile: paid international roaming add-on
• Woolworths Mobile: paid international roaming add-on
• Aldi Mobile: PAYG international roaming credit
• Moose Mobile: PAYG international roaming ($200 prepayment required)
• Mate: international roaming not offered
• Dodo Mobile: international roaming not offered
• iiNet: international roaming not offered (but is planned for the future)
• Kogan Mobile: paid international roaming add-on
• Superloop: PAYG international roaming credit
• Lebara Mobile: paid international roaming add-on
• Catch Connect: PAYG international roaming credit
• Coles Mobile: PAYG international roaming credit
• Numobile: international roaming not offered
• Circles.Life: PAYG international roaming
• Lycamobile: PAYG international roaming (calls and texts)
• Southern Phone: international roaming not offered
• Aussie Broadband: international roaming not offered
• Spintel: PAYG international roaming
• Internode: PAYG international roaming
• Yomojo: PAYG international roaming
• iPrimus: PAYG international roaming
• More: paid international roaming add-on

Having the right Aussie telco can facilitate easier international roaming, but there are also important mobile phone considerations, too. For starters, you want an unlocked mobile phone. While most modern smartphones are unlocked, if you bought a mobile phone as part of a Prepaid plan, it may be locked to an Australian mobile network.

Chat with your telco’s tech support if you think your mobile phone may be locked to a network. They’ll ask for your IMEI number, which you can find by dialling * # 0 6 # on your mobile phone. Your IMEI number should pop up on the smartphone screen. Screenshot the IMEI number or jot it down before chatting with telco tech support. We’ve got guides for unlocking a phone locked to Telstra, Optus and Vodafone networks. Note that unlocking your mobile phone may cost money.

The other handset things to note are mobile technologies and network frequencies. Australian phones use the popular GSM standard for 3G voice and data, but some global telcos use CDMA, including Verizon in America. Because mobile phones tend to be either GSM or CDMA-compatible, Australian-bought handsets won’t work on CDMA networks, so avoid them where possible. In America, for instance, AT&T and T-Mobile both use GSM networks.

For extra peace of mind, check the manufacturer's website for your mobile phone and see the supported frequencies. If you’ve got a flagship mobile phone from Apple or Samsung, you shouldn’t have trouble with overseas network frequencies. Anecdotally, I used to travel overseas for work multiple times a year and never had any issues with global roaming with a mix of iPhones, Samsung Galaxy S handsets and Google Pixel mobile phones when I was with Optus and Telstra.

If you don’t travel all the time, it’s best to buy a Prepaid SIM card at your travel destination or disable roaming entirely and only use your phone when you’re connected to WiFi. Mobile phones with WiFi calling are great in this regard. For those who travel more frequently, consider a plan from a telco that offers global roaming add-ons. Below is a list of popular SIM Only mobile plans from telcos in our database that offer international roaming add-ons.