What to ask your mobile operator before you travel
Ask about your destination, not about roaming in general: whether each country on your route is included in your plan, what you pay if it is not, and whether there is a fair use limit. Then ask about your line and your phone: spending limit, wifi calling, texts abroad and whether the phone is unlocked. Ask in writing so you can keep the answer.
Check your phoneAbout each country on your route
- Is this country included in my plan, or in which roaming zone is it?
- If it is not included, what do I pay per day or per megabyte, and is there a pass I can add before leaving?
- Do calls and texts cost extra there, both making and receiving them?
- Is there a fair use limit on my data when I use it in another EU country, and how much is it?
Ask country by country. Operators group destinations into zones that rarely match the map, so Switzerland, the UK or Morocco can each fall somewhere different. For EU travel, our fair use calculator gives you the legal minimum to compare against the answer.
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Will it work on my phone?
On iPhone: Settings → General → About, and scroll to EID. If there is an EID, your phone takes eSIMs. Every iPhone from the XS (2018) onwards does.
On Android: Settings → About phone → Status, and look for EID. If there is an EID, your phone takes eSIMs. Most Galaxy S20, Pixel 3 and later do.
It also has to be carrier-unlocked. If you bought it outright or your contract is over, it almost certainly is.
Not sure about your model? Ask us before you pay and we will tell you — a person answers within 24 hours.
How it works
- 1Choose and payCard, Apple Pay or Google Pay. No account.
- 2Install it at homeThe QR arrives by email. Scan it on wifi in a minute.
- 3Connect when you landTurn on data roaming for the eSIM and you are online.
About your line
The second set of questions is about the line itself. Is roaming enabled on my contract, or does it need to be activated? If it were switched off on the account, no setting on the phone would fix it. What is my data roaming spending limit, and has it ever been changed? EU rules set a default cut-off, but you or a previous offer may have changed it, and it is worth knowing which applies before you travel.
Also ask how texts reach you abroad, because that is how many banks send their codes, and whether receiving them costs anything in your destination. If you plan to keep your home line for calls and texts only, with a separate data plan, our guide on bank SMS codes abroad explains how that setup works.
About calls over wifi
Wifi calling lets your phone make and receive calls on your own number over a wifi network. Whether it works abroad, and how those calls are charged, depends entirely on your operator, so ask directly: does wifi calling work outside the country, and does a call made over wifi abroad cost the same as at home?
The answer changes how you travel. If wifi calling works abroad, your number stays reachable from the hotel even if you never switch on roaming. If it does not, calls to your number will use the mobile network, at your operator's roaming price. We go through the details in wifi calling abroad explained.
About your phone
If you are considering a local SIM or a travel eSIM, ask whether your phone is unlocked. A phone bought from an operator may still be tied to it. On an iPhone you can check yourself: Apple says that if the phone is unlocked, No SIM restrictions appears next to Carrier Lock in Settings, General, About. On Android the path varies, as we explain in how to check if your phone is unlocked.
Then check that the phone supports eSIM, which our compatibility page lists by model. If it is locked, ask the operator what it needs to unlock it and how long it takes, and do it well before the trip.
What you do not need to ask
Some things are already settled by EU rules, so there is no need to spend a call on them if your line is from an EU country. You do not have to activate roam like at home: it applies automatically in other EU and EEA countries. Your operator must send you a free message when you arrive in another country with the prices that apply, inside or outside the EU, and the information about emergency numbers cannot be switched off.
And on ships and planes with their own satellite networks, the EU price caps do not apply, whatever your plan says. We explain the rest in roam like at home explained.
Ask in a way that you can use later
Use the operator's chat or written channels when you can, and save the conversation. If you call, note the date and ask for a reference. In Spain, operators are obliged to give a reference number for complaints, and having a written answer about prices before the trip is the strongest evidence you can bring if the bill does not match.
If, after asking, your operator's roaming does not suit your trip, a data eSIM is one alternative: it handles the data while your home line stays in the phone for calls and texts. Snoozim's plans need an eSIM-compatible, unlocked phone, which is why the two questions about the phone matter.
Do I need to call my operator to activate EU roaming?
Not for roam like at home, which applies automatically. It is still worth confirming that roaming is enabled on your contract.
Can my operator tell me if my phone is unlocked?
Yes, and on an iPhone you can also check it yourself in Settings, General, About, next to Carrier Lock.
Why ask for the answer in writing?
If the bill does not match what you were told, a written answer or a reference number is the evidence you will need to complain.
Does wifi calling work abroad?
It depends on your operator. Some allow it and others do not, and the way calls are charged can also vary.
Get your eSIM before you fly: the QR arrives by email in minutes and the plan only starts when you connect at your destination.
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