International roaming plans: your options and the bill-shock rules
International roaming lets you use your Australian number and plan overseas on a partner network. You have four main options: a roaming pack or day pass from your provider, pay-as-you-go roaming at your plan's standard overseas rates, a local SIM or eSIM bought at your destination, or a data-only travel eSIM. Pay-as-you-go roaming is usually the most expensive, and the ACMA's advice is to avoid it.
Australian law limits the damage if you do roam. Under the ACMA's International Mobile Roaming Determination 2019, your provider must text you within 10 minutes of your phone starting to roam with the maximum prices, send spend alerts, and stop roaming within 24 hours if you ask. This page explains each option, what the rules require, and what to do if you get a big bill anyway.
By Better Rate Mate Editorial Team ยท Last reviewed
General information only. We don't compare every provider or plan in the market, and we may earn a commission if you sign up through our links.
Your roaming options compared
Prices change often and vary by destination, so this compares how each option works rather than what it costs. Your provider's roaming page and the plan's Critical Information Summary have current rates.
| Option | How it works | Keeps your number? | Watch for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Roaming pack or day pass | Your provider charges a fixed daily or per-trip price for an allowance in listed countries | Yes | Which countries are included; whether a daily charge is triggered by any use, even a background app |
| Pay-as-you-go roaming | You pay your plan's overseas rates per minute, text and megabyte | Yes | The highest cost option; data charged per MB adds up fast |
| Local SIM or eSIM at the destination | You buy a prepaid service from a local network | No (a local number), unless your phone takes two SIMs | Local ID rules; you may miss calls and texts to your Australian number |
| Data-only travel eSIM | You buy a data allowance for one or more countries from a travel eSIM seller | Your Australian SIM can stay in the phone with roaming off | No local number for calls; check the phone is unlocked and eSIM capable |
| Wi-Fi only | Turn off mobile data and roaming and use Wi-Fi for messaging and calling apps | Yes, but with roaming off you may miss calls and texts | Public Wi-Fi security; some apps still use mobile data if it is on |
How Telstra, Optus and Vodafone roaming works
Each network sells roaming differently, and the details decide what a trip costs. This compares how they work, without prices, which change and are on each carrier's page:
| Carrier | Product | What triggers a charged day | Included destinations | Prepaid | On by default? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Telstra | International Roaming Day Pass on postpaid plans, priced by zone | Making or receiving calls, sending texts or using data overseas, including background data; receiving a text doesn't trigger it. On Upfront plans a Day Pass lasts 24 hours from first use | Zone 1: New Zealand and 6 Oceania destinations; Zone 2: 80+ destinations; Zone 3 (Upfront plans only, no data): Jamaica and 3 European destinations | Pre-Paid International Roaming Packs of 3, 7 or 14 days in 38 destinations; a pack starts when you buy it | No. Turn Day Pass on in My Telstra before you fly (it can take up to 2 hours); without it, pay-as-you-go rates apply |
| Optus | A daily roaming add-on on postpaid SIM plans | Not shown on the pages we could read | Not shown on the pages we could read | Not shown on the pages we could read | Check My Optus before you travel: Daily Roaming appears under Add-ons if your plan has it |
| Vodafone | A daily roaming charge on eligible postpaid plans that lets you use your plan's inclusions | Using included data, making or receiving a call, or sending a text | Over 100 destinations, for up to 90 days a calendar year | Prepaid Roaming Add-ons | Yes, once "International roaming network" is turned on in My Vodafone; it starts when you turn your phone on in an eligible destination |
What your provider must do: the roaming rules
The Telecommunications Service Provider (International Mobile Roaming) Determination 2019 has applied since 1 July 2020. It requires providers to:
- Send a free message within 10 minutes of your device starting to roam, saying the device is active overseas, that there may be delays in usage data and alerts, that higher charges may apply, the maximum charges for a minute of calls, an SMS and MMS, and one megabyte of data, and how to stop roaming.
- Repeat that message each time you roam in a new country, unless you have received the same prices in the past 14 days.
- Give you the maximum roaming charges for any country within 24 hours if you ask, free of charge.
- Stop roaming as soon as practicable and within 24 hours if you ask, for no more than $1 by phone and free through the website.
- Offer at least one free tool that shows an estimate of your current roaming usage.
- On postpaid services, alert you each time estimated roaming data charges pass $100.
- On roaming packs, alert you at 50%, 85% and 100% of the included value.
- Use SMS as the default way to send these notices, with another method for data-only devices.
How roaming packs work
Most providers offer daily passes or packs for a trip. Many day passes are charged only on days you use the phone overseas, and on some plans any use, including a background app update, counts as a day. Packs for a trip give a fixed allowance for a set number of days. Your provider's list of included countries matters: a cruise, a stopover or a country outside the zone can fall back to pay-as-you-go rates.
The ACMA advises checking charges before using your phone on a cruise ship. At sea your phone may connect to the ship's own network, which is charged differently from land networks and may not be covered by your roaming pack. Use flight mode at sea unless you have checked the rates.
How to avoid bill shock
A few steps before and during the trip prevent most roaming bills:
- Before you leave, check whether roaming is on for your service, what your plan includes overseas, and what pay-as-you-go roaming costs. The Critical Information Summary must include warnings about roaming costs.
- Buy a pack for the destination if you will use your number overseas.
- Turn off data roaming in your phone's settings if you do not have a pack, and use Wi-Fi.
- Ask your provider to bar roaming entirely if you do not want to risk it. It must do so within 24 hours.
- Read the arrival message: it sets out the maximum prices for that country.
- Watch the usage alerts and the provider's usage tool, remembering that overseas usage can be reported late.
- Use flight mode on planes and ships unless you know the on-board rates.
Phone settings before you fly
A few settings decide whether you pay to roam. The ACMA's advice and the carriers' help pages cover most of it:
- Data roaming. Turn it off in your phone's settings if you haven't bought a roaming pack or day pass, and turn off automatic app updates. The ACMA warns your telco may charge you when apps update automatically or when you receive or access a voicemail message overseas.
- Flight mode. The ACMA says flight mode can stop roaming charges, but you can't send or receive calls, texts or MMS while it's on. You can usually switch Wi-Fi back on in flight mode and use internet calling and messaging apps.
- Wi-Fi Calling. Telstra says that overseas on Wi-Fi, its Wi-Fi Calling lets you make and receive calls back to Australia at no extra charge, but not to other countries. Vodafone says Wi-Fi Calling isn't available while roaming and suggests turning it off. Ask your provider before you rely on it.
- Texts. The ACMA notes texts usually cost less than calls or data, and Telstra says receiving a text doesn't trigger its Day Pass. If a travel eSIM carries your data, leave your Australian line on so verification codes still arrive; our eSIM guide shows how.
- Before you leave, download maps and entertainment so you use less data overseas, as the ACMA suggests.
If you get a large roaming bill
Contact your provider first, explain what happened and ask for the charges to be reviewed. Check whether you received the arrival message and spend alerts the rules require; if you did not, say so. If paying the bill would cause hardship, the ACMA says to ask about the provider's financial hardship help, which every provider must offer under the Financial Hardship Standard 2024.
If you cannot resolve it, the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman handles complaints for free. The TIO asks you to raise the problem with your provider first, and says skipping that step adds five days to your case.
Local SIMs, travel eSIMs and dual-SIM phones
On a longer trip, a local prepaid SIM or eSIM from the destination is usually the cheapest way to get data. A dual-SIM phone lets you keep your Australian number active for texts (such as bank verification codes) while using the local service for data. Turn data roaming off on the Australian line so it does not use data by mistake.
Your phone must be unlocked to use another network's SIM or eSIM. Check this before you leave: see our eSIM guide for how eSIMs work and which Australian providers support them.
General information only. We don't compare every provider or plan in the market, and we may earn a commission if you sign up through our links.
What to watch for
- Pay-as-you-go roaming rates are usually far higher than a pack.
- On some day passes, a background app using data counts as a day of use.
- Cruise ships and planes may use satellite networks outside your roaming pack.
- Roaming usage can be reported late, so alerts may lag behind actual use.
- Countries outside your provider's included list fall back to standard overseas rates.
Common questions
How does international roaming work?
Your provider has agreements with overseas networks, so your phone connects to a partner network when you arrive. You are charged either under a roaming pack or day pass you have bought, or at your plan's pay-as-you-go overseas rates.
Will I be told the roaming prices when I arrive?
Yes. Under the ACMA's roaming rules your provider must send a free message within 10 minutes of your device starting to roam, listing the maximum charges for calls, texts and one megabyte of data, and how to stop roaming.
How do I turn off international roaming?
Turn off data roaming in your phone's settings, or ask your provider to bar roaming on your service. The provider must stop roaming within 24 hours, for no more than $1 by phone and free through its website.
Is it cheaper to buy a local SIM overseas?
Often, especially on longer trips, but you lose your Australian number unless your phone takes two SIMs. A roaming pack is simpler for short trips where you want your usual number.
What can I do about a huge roaming bill?
Contact your provider and ask for a review, noting whether you received the required arrival message and alerts. Ask about financial hardship assistance if you need it, and take an unresolved complaint to the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman, which is free.
Does putting your phone on airplane mode stop roaming charges?
Yes. The ACMA says flight mode can stop roaming charges, but you can't send or receive calls, texts or MMS while it's on. You can usually turn Wi-Fi back on in flight mode to use internet apps. Telstra notes that if you make a Wi-Fi call to an international number while your phone is in flight mode overseas, you may be charged based on your last known location.
Can I receive texts overseas without roaming?
Not in flight mode: the ACMA says you can't send or receive texts while flight mode is on. With your phone connected to an overseas network, texts arrive as usual, and Telstra says receiving a text doesn't trigger its Day Pass. If you use a travel eSIM for data, keep your Australian line switched on to receive texts to your number.
What should I turn off on my phone when travelling overseas?
Data roaming, unless you've bought a pack or pass; automatic app updates; and Wi-Fi Calling if your provider says it doesn't work overseas, as Vodafone does. The ACMA also suggests downloading maps and entertainment before you go so you use less data.
What is the best international roaming SIM card?
There isn't one best option for every trip, so we don't name one. Compare three ways of staying connected on the price for your trip: your own provider's roaming pass or pack, a travel eSIM for data alongside your Australian number, or a local SIM bought on arrival. Check the daily or total cost, the data included and whether you keep your Australian number.
What to do with a phone when travelling internationally?
Before you go, check your provider's roaming rates or buy a pack, and download maps and entertainment. On the trip, turn off data roaming unless you have a pack, turn off automatic app updates, and use flight mode with Wi-Fi if you want to avoid roaming charges entirely. The section on phone settings before you fly has the details.
Do prepaid plans include international roaming?
Many prepaid brands offer roaming packs or add-ons, but not all include roaming by default. Check your provider's roaming page before you travel.
Travelling soon?
Phone cover and medical cover overseas are separate questions. Our travel insurance guide covers what a policy pays for lost or stolen phones and medical costs abroad.