How To Keep Your Phone Number When Moving Overseas

Moving Abroad: Exercise I Proceed My Cell Phone Number?

What if my friends and family desire to stay in touch? Employers or people calling about work? What almost verification texts?

These are all questions I enquire myself when I'm planning a months long trip or movement overseas.

Later moving to half dozen different countries for time periods that lasted from 2 — nine months I've faced the cell phone plan dilemma multiple times.

In this commodity I will break downward the cell-phone-programme-problem for those of y'all who are considering a trip or motility to some other country.

Two Plans?

For the kickoff time in my life I have ii cell phone plans. For someone who has traveled without a cell phone or cell phone programme before this feels slightly ridiculous.

Only first a picayune background. I'm an American living in Spain working as an English Education Banana in a Spanish Public School.

This isn't my start time abroad, just it is my first time with both an American telephone number and a foreign phone number at the same time.

Wondering to myself why I'm paying for two jail cell phone plans

Keep Your American Number: It'south Totally Worth It

I've had the same phone number since I went to college. I'm non sentimentally attached to a phone number but I do observe life much easier not having to update friends, family, and professional contacts every time I move.

Parking a Number

This first few times I was overseas for a few months I 'parked' my number. Essentially I establish the cheapest monthly plan, at the time Ting Mobile, and just paid the 8 bucks (I believe the cheapest program is now $ten) so that I wouldn't lose my number when I returned home.

Technically, I could have used my phone while I was abroad just the rates were far too high and I plant that I could exercise everything I needed over WiFi.

Google Fi

Another Selection I've used over the by three years is Google Fi. This plan allows users to pay the aforementioned amount for data anywhere in the world.

Technically Google Fi is not a long term pick (unless you have an exemption) and is meant to exist used mainly on the U.South. domestic network. Still, there is no defined limit of time so for shorter trips this is a groovy option to consider.

My favorite thing almost using Google Fi is the ease of switching between countries. Flying from the United states of america to Brazil for instance? It's equally easy equally turning off aeroplane mode and you lot are automatically continued to the local network

Note that calls on Google Fi while abroad are not costless, for these I use Skype.

Skype

I mainly employ Skype for making phone calls. The times I've been abroad without a local number if I need to make calls I volition make them to both the States and the state I'g in over Skype.

Calls over Skype are significantly cheaper and y'all phone call pretty much any phone number anywhere in the globe merely note that you volition need to load credit onto your Skype business relationship beginning.

Calls to one–800 numbers on Skype are costless so it's nice to know that when my bank puts me on hold for an hour I don't have to pay to mind to hold music.

No! Ditch Your American Number and Save Some Money

Become rid of your American number- y'all're moving abroad! Stop paying for something you don't really need any more.

In about all situations phone plans outside of the USA are cheaper and so if you lot're looking to save a petty coin invest in a local cell telephone plan.

A Fiddling Prep Goes a Long Way

Earlier moving abroad brand sure your phone is unlocked and non tied to any carrier. Afterward having run into this trouble multiple times I always telephone call my carrier while still stateside to triple check my phone can be used with a strange carrier if I plan to put in a new SIM card.

Before your move change all of your verification texts to the number of someone that yous (really) trust. This person volition exist able to text yous any codes your banking concern sends to their number. While this is an option, I personally don't want to hassle anyone continuously and find the whole security question slightly unnerving.

Google Vocalization

Google Vocalism a service that allows y'all to receive all your calls and text online. I personally have never used Google Voice because information technology always seems questionable if Google will continue with this service or non- anyone else agree/disagree?

Tell Your Contacts

If you lot're getting rid of a number I recommend communicating with friends, family, and colleagues showtime to give them another way to communicate with y'all earlier yous move.

Finally, Go a Local Plan

Once yous're away exercise a little research about the local options for a cell phone plan. In many situations a passport is all I needed in order to set up a program.

However, on occasion, cell phone companies volition enquire for a bank account. Typically this has only occurred if I am trying to set up a contract program so in full general stick with the pre-pay plans if you're looking for something less permanent and easier to ready.

I Can't Decide

I now autumn into this category. The ease and independence of receiving verification codes on my American number and being able to give my Castilian number out to locals works best for me. I currently have my U.S. number Google Fi and accept all information on my Castilian number.

This has only been possible since recently upgrading to a phone with dual-SIM capability. Before leaving u.s.a. I moved my Google Fi number onto the E-SIM part of my phone.

The ease of having both numbers is why I am willing to pay two phone bills monthly.

I typically pay $25 including taxes for my U.Southward. number and 15€ for my Castilian plan with xv Gb of data. This come up out to approximately $42.fourteen monthly.

Determination

How permanent is your move? Do you need to log on to banks or go verification codes? Are y'all settling down in 1 place or jumping around? Would having two cell phone plans be a feasible option?

Depending on how permanent your motion is I recommend going with both an American and local plan if you accept a phone with dual-SIM capability.

Have y'all had better luck with some other pick? Let me know in the comments.