[[using_mobile_phone_overseas]]

Using a Mobile phone Overseas – eSIM, Travel SIM, International Roaming

  • A dual-e/SIM phone, with the primary/Australian mobile number on an eSIM, gives the flexibility of adding a physical and/or another digital SIM

Receiving calls
  • Unlike an SMS, receiving a call to an Australian mobile number when overseas is not free, unless via Wi-Fi calling, which is currently available when roaming only to those using Telstra's network here (e.g. Boost)
  • Using a secondary e/SIM for Wi-Fi calling with your primary is only possible if the secondary is not roaming, so likely local to its location

Australian international roaming packs/add-ons

total cost assuming away for 2mths/yr, using 4-5GB/mth:

total cost assuming away for 4mths/yr, using 5GB/mth:


Australian SIMs that roam at no extra charge
  • Australia Post Closed to new customers, shutdown date 1 July 2024 International Roaming Plan works in over 90 countries (including Australia). You can port your existing mobile number in when you change to this plan, so friends and family can still call you on your regular mobile number, even while you're overseas. This plan is probably best when used in a dual-sim phone, and combined with an overseas data SIM/eSIM to give a useful amount of data. On this plan, a $5 recharge gives you 30 days to use:
    • 50MB data
    • A total of 50 minutes of standard calls to and from international fixed lines and standard local mobile, and voicemail. Note that making and receiving calls while still in Australia will eat into this allowance.
    • 50 standard international SMS. SMS are free to receive.
    • If you run out of data, call minutes or SMS, you can manually recharge through your online account, restarting the 30-day period.
    • The CIS mentions an auto-renew function, which will renew whenever your 30 days run out.
    • The CIS also says “Top-up before expiry to rollover any remaining allowances”. Unclear if rollover happens with auto-renew.

Overseas multi-national/regional e/SIMs
Overseas local e/SIMs
Third-party resellers