Can I take my phone overseas?
Before you head to the airport, make sure your phone will still be working when you land.
We’re reader-supported and may be paid when you visit links to partner sites. We don’t compare all products in the market, but we’re working on it!
Heading off on holiday? Of course, you'll want to take your phone. If you're not Instagramming foreign meals, inundating Facebook with photos and asking people for travel advice on Twitter, how will people know you went away at all?
But before you start the happy snapping and status updates, there are a few things to check before you leave.
Will my phone work overseas at all?
The answer is almost definitely yes if it was made in the past five years, but that comes with a small caveat. When you're looking at 2G and 3G connections (that's voice and data) there are two different standards in the world: GSM and CDMA.
Most of the world uses GSM, including Australia, while CDMA is still operating in the US, Russia and South Korea. A GSM phone, which is what you have with any Australian mobile phone, won't work at all on a CDMA network. But even in CDMA countries, GSM networks exist so you would have to be in a very unusual spot, geographically, for this to be a problem.
Is my mobile unlocked?
What's more likely to be a problem than network compatibility is whether your phone is unlocked or not. A locked phone is tied to a single telco or carrier and won't work with a different SIM.
This isn't a problem if you're intending to use the roaming services offered by your telco, but if you – like many people – are planning to get a global travel SIM or a SIM local to the country you're visiting, you'll need an unlocked phone.
Locking phones isn't nearly as popular as it used to be, but if you do find yourself in carrier jail, you can unlock your handset. We've got a comprehensive guide to walk you through unlocking from any mobile carrier. Typically speaking, most recently sourced mobiles aren't locked by carrier networks, but if yours is, you may incur a small charge to unlock it, depending on how long you've had it and how much you've spent with your carrier.
If you're with a mobile virtual network operator, the odds are very low that your phone is locked unless you've procured it on contract with them. It's still wise to check up-front if your phone is unlocked before you travel because it can be a major headache to arrive and find you have no phone service.
Travel SIMs: It's not one size fits all
Size counts, especially when it comes to buying a SIM card overseas. A modern phone is likely to take either nano or micro SIMs, nano being the smaller of the two. Our guide to SIM sizes can assist you with getting the right sized SIM from your travel SIM provider.
Roam, roam on the range
If you are planning to use global roaming with your existing telco, make sure you're prepared! Here's what you want to check before you head overseas.
A local SIM, for local people
Getting a local SIM is a great alternative to setting up global roaming, especially if you're heading to a single country.
You don't keep your usual number, but that's about the only downside. You'll often be able to buy these at the airport as soon as you're off the plane and many countries have "tourist"-designated short-term plans to make it even easier. We have a comprehensive guide on getting a SIM in different countries right here.
Buy before you leave
If you're off to a few destinations and don't want to be leaving behind cast-off SIM cards as you travel, a specialised roaming travel SIM might be what you're after and you can buy that before you go.
Is it worth buying a new phone?
Some people worry about whether they should have a special phone just for travelling with dual SIM capability. There's no reason not to, but there's not really a good reason to do it either. That said, a dual SIM phone might be quite handy if you're regularly travelling.
These phones take two different SIM cards, meaning you can have a local SIM providing all your data needs while your Aussie SIM can still take calls and send SMS (although you'll be paying roaming rates on those).
Peace of mind: Insure it
The other thing to keep in mind is insurance for your phone, especially if you're heading overseas with the latest whizzbang handset fresh off the press – and with the sore wallet to prove it! Gadget insurance is an option for travellers and worth looking at if you’re a fan of tech toys.
Compare Vodafone's $5 a day roaming plans
1 - 4 of 4
Latest Mobile News
- Mobile plan price changes: Telstra customers to pay more, but is it worth it?
- 6 easy ways to earn Qantas Points on everyday expenses
- EOFY sales: Last chance to save on mobiles and tech
- As household costs rise, here are 6 easy switches to save you money
- Mobile EOFY sales include $10 plans from Optus, Boost and more
More guides on Finder
-
Motorola Moto G82 review: It doesn’t look great, but it’s a great phone
The Motorola Moto G82 is an odd hybrid of the cheaper aspects of Motorola's G-series phones and the select features from fancier Edge phones.
-
Motorola Moto E32 review: Good for cash-strapped phone buyers
The Motorola Moto e32 is a cheap phone that outperforms its budget rivals and for those on a strict budget it’s a fair buy.
-
Motorola Edge 30 review: A generally good phone, but not always an upgrade
The Motorola Edge 30 improves on the Edge 20 in a lot of important ways – but not when it comes to camera features.
-
Motorola Moto G22 review: Great price if you like ’em basic
The Motorola Moto G22 is one of the company’s more basic phones, but it does have surprisingly good battery life for a budget handset.
-
Oppo Find X5 Pro review: Hot camera and performance, spicy price
The Oppo Find X5 Pro is a gorgeous and powerful phone that’s a delight to use. But with a steep price can it compete with Apple & Samsung?
-
TCL 30+ review: Where’s the plus bit?
The TCL 30+ hits the basics for a mid-range phone, but it never really goes any further than that, lagging well behind the best phones in this price space.
-
Samsung Galaxy A53 5G review: Not Samsung’s best
The Samsung Galaxy A53 is an entirely adequate phone, but it doesn’t compare well against other phones in its price class – or even cheaper options like the Galaxy A33 5G.
-
Samsung Galaxy A33 review: Probably the best value A Series this year
It’s not quite Samsung’s cheapest Galaxy A series phone for 2022, but it might just be Samsung’s best value A series phone this year.
-
Oppo Find X5 Lite review: Astonishing battery life
Oppo’s Find X5 Lite impresses primarily on the strength of its exceptional battery endurance.
-
Oppo Find X5 review: Good, but not great for the price
Quick verdict: The Oppo Find X5 is a pretty good phone, but for the asking price it needs to be great. And it doesn't quite manage that.
Ask an Expert
