Brexit brought an end to the guarantee of free roaming for UK residents who visit countries inside the EU – although some providers still offer free services up to a certain point for travellers in Europe.
Here, the Money blog team takes a look at the UK’s major phone providers and what they’re offering customers when it comes to roaming across the globe…
Vodafone
Vodafone splits its roaming charges into four different “zones”.
For pay monthly customers who took out their contract on or after 11 August 2021, how much you pay depends on which zone you’re headed to:
All charges are based on customers sticking to the 25GB fair usage limit.
Countries outside zones A-D are deemed “rest of world zones” by Vodafone – these include destinations such as Belize, Nepal and Angola. Data is charged for each megabyte (MB) used, with charges typically £1.20 per MB, but may be cheaper.
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Those with contracts which started before 11 August 2021 pay nothing for Zones A and B, and £6 a day for Zones C and D.
There is also the option of a £15 eight-day pass covering 47 destinations, rising to £20 to cover 15 days.
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O2
O2 hasn’t brought back EU roaming charges for customers using up to 25GB data abroad.
That means both pay monthly and pay-as-you-go customers heading to its Europe Zone (more than 40 destinations) are free to call, text and use data as they would in the UK.
For anyone travelling further afield, the charges depend on what plan you’re on.
Customers whose contract includes the O2 Travel Inclusive Zone can roam in 27 destinations outside Europe, including Australia, New Zealand, the US and southern American countries.
If it’s not part of your plan, you can purchase a travel bolt-on for £7 per day, which allows for data roaming in 63 destinations.
Contract holders with O2 Travel Inclusive Zone Ultimate can roam freely in 75 destinations outside Europe.
Three
Three’s Go Roam Europe service lets pay monthly customers use their data allowance in 49 destinations at a cost of £2 a day.
Those using the Go Roam Global service (22 destinations outside Europe) pay £5 a day, while Go Roam Global Extra (92 destinations outside Europe) comes at a cost of £7 a day.
The charges apply to customers who took out their contracts on or after 1 October 2021 – there are no charges for customers who were with Three before that.
Three imposes a 12GB fair usage cap for all customers on a monthly contract when roaming abroad and 9GB for those on pay-as-you-go.
EE
Anyone with an EE plan that began before 7 July 2021 will have EU data roaming included.
For newer customers, it costs £2.59 a day to use data roaming while travelling in its European zone, up to the 50GB fair usage limit.
EE’s Roam Abroad Pass – which was £25 a month – was removed in December last year.
This means there are new costs to be aware of, with EE splitting countries into different zones.
For the US, China, Australia and other countries, you may pay a £5 daily charge or opt for a seven-day £25 charge.
In Brazil or Japan, the day charge is £7.50 for up to 500mb, and there is no seven-day option.
BT
Customers can use their phones abroad in 47 destinations without paying extra roaming charges with BT Mobile’s Roam Like Home scheme.
If travelling outside Europe, BT mobile customers can use still use their phones but will need to buy a Mobile Travel Data Pass to access their data.
It costs £6.79 for 500MB that must be used within 24 hours. It covers 12 countries, including the UAE, US, Australia and Canada.
Giffgaff
Giffgaff lets customers roam for no extra charge within the EU and other selected locations, with a 5GB fair usage cap. If this is exceeded, roaming is charged at 10p per MB.
Anyone travelling outside the 37 locations in the EU and beyond will have to add credit to their account to use their phones as normal.
They’ll also be charged a rate per minute, text or MB, which varies depending on where you go.
Tesco Mobile
Until 2026, anyone travelling to one of Tesco’s 48 Home from Home destinations can use their phone as normal with no extra charge.
Roaming charges apply for travel outside these countries – but Tesco will cap data usage at £40 for anyone who hasn’t already put in a safety buffer, to avoid anyone coming home to a shockingly high bill.
Generally, data costs around £5 per MB and texts 40p, but costs for calls can vary.
Sky
Sky’s Roaming Passport Plus lets customers access their UK allowances for £2 a day in more than 55 popular holiday destinations, including EU countries, the US, Australia and more.
The pass is valid for 24 hours. Unused data can be carried over but the £2 charge still applies.
Anyone heading to other far-away destinations will see out-of-tariff roaming charges apply.
iD Mobile
If you’ve got a phone or SIM-only contract with iD Mobile, you can use your UK monthly allowances in 50 destinations worldwide, up to 30GB.
It’s much more expensive elsewhere, however, with £9.60 per MB in Jordan, for example.
Wherever you do travel, the firm has a £45 roaming data limit in place as standard.
Roaming has to be activated beforehand through your online account or the iD Mobile app.
Lyca Mobile
Anyone with a Lyca Mobile SIM may roam in the EU with no extra charges. Elsewhere, it’s best to check directly with Lyca.
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What about e-SIMs?
Standing for “embedded SIM”, e-SIMs are virtual SIMs that have been built into most newer devices like phones, tablets and smartwatches.
While perhaps not so useful inside the UK and for short EU trips, they could be a way to avoid those hefty out-of-tariff fees for travel further afield.
As they can be activated without a physical card, it makes them particularly useful for overseas trips, as you can easily switch between several different carriers if you need to.
To use one, you’ll need to purchase an e-SIM for the country you’re heading to and adjust the settings on your phone to allow it to be used.
There are many different providers offering e-SIM services at varying prices for different destinations, making them difficult to compare. Search for e-SIMs in the app store.
