International roaming on Telstra mobile plans

An International Roaming Day Pass lets you use your Telstra mobile service while you're overseas and provides you with greater certainty about how much you’ll pay. An International Roaming Day Pass is only compatible with Telstra mobile services on a plan (post-paid) and depending on your post-paid plan, your inclusions may vary.

Things to know:

• You must ensure that your international roaming settings are enabled. You can do this in the My Telstra app. It can take between 15 minutes to 2 hours to activate and you’ll receive a notification once this is active.

• An International Roaming Day Pass has an expiry of 24 hours.

• You'll only begin to pay for your International Day Pass once you start using your device at your destination. This includes:

  • If your device uses data, such as downloading emails or updating social media apps

  • Making a call

  • Sending an SMS

  • Sending or receiving an MMS

  • Surfing the internet

  • Running apps in the background (excluding My Telstra).

Important: Receiving an SMS is free and won’t trigger a day pass.

International Roaming Day Pass is available on all Upfront mobile and Upfront data plans, in over 80 international destinations. Check the destinations on your itinerary and find out whether your destination is included in an International Roaming Day Pass for Upfront plans.  

You’ll need to ensure International Roaming Day Pass is enabled in the My Telstra app in order to use your service overseas, in eligible destinations.  

When you arrive in the destination, we’ll send you an SMS to confirm that your day pass is activated and will reconfirm the cost per day for your pass. We’ll also send you an SMS or email when you’ve used 50%, 85% and 100% of your day pass data allowance. You won’t be charged to receive any of these notifications.

Your day pass is valid for 24hrs and is triggered when we identify you've used your service overseas to: 

• Make a call
• Send an SMS
• Send or receive an MMS
• Check your emails
• Surf the internet
• Share on social media
• Run apps in the background (excluding My Telstra app)

Important: Receiving an SMS is free and won’t trigger a day pass.

If the country you’re going to isn’t eligible for a day pass, you won’t be able to use your Telstra service overseas.  

You don’t need to reset international roaming when you travel from one country to another. 

For customers on a mobile plan other than an Upfront mobile plan, international roaming is available in over 200 destinations. Check the destinations on your itinerary and find out whether your destination is included in an International Roaming Day Pass for all other mobile plans.

You’ll need to ensure International Roaming Day Pass is enabled in the My Telstra app in order to use your service overseas, in eligible destinations.

When you arrive, we'll send you an SMS or email letting you know the roaming rates you'll pay in that country, and if you have international roaming activated. We'll also let you know if you have an International Roaming Day Pass enabled. You won't be charged to receive these notifications.

Your day pass is valid for 24hrs and is triggered when we identify you've used your service overseas to:

• Make a call
• Send an SMS
• Send or receive an MMS
• Check your emails
• Surf the internet
• Share on social media
• Run apps in the background (excluding My Telstra app)

Important: Receiving an SMS is free and won’t trigger a day pass.

If the country you're going to isn't eligible for an International Roaming Day Pass, you'll be charged pay-as-you-go roaming rates. Once you’ve arrived, we’ll send you an SMS or email with the rates you’ll pay.

We’ll also send you free SMS or email alerts to keep you up-to-date with your data usage.

• With International Roaming Day Pass: You’ll receive an SMS or email when you’ve used 50%, 85% and 100% of your data allowance.
• With pay-as-you-go usage: You’ll receive an SMS or email for every $100 usage outside of any data allowance.

You don’t need to reset international roaming when you travel from one country to another.

When you sign up for a new mobile plan, your International Roaming Day Pass will automatically be enabled.  

If you aren’t sure whether your day pass is enabled, or if you’d like to disable it, you can do this through the My Telstra app by selecting your service then heading to the International roaming screen in the Extras tab.

Once you arrive at your destination (and if this destination is eligible for International Roaming Day Pass), we’ll send you an SMS to confirm that your country is included in a day pass and the cost per day.  

My Telstra in a browser

1. Sign in to My Telstra using your Telstra ID
2. On the homepage, find the mobile service you want to add an International Day Pass to in the Account overview section, and select the Manage link
3. Select View International Roaming Usage near the top of the page
4. Select Add-ons from the right-hand menu
5. Choose International Day Pass and select Enable
6. Select Confirm to proceed with adding the International Day Pass.

If you’re on an Upfront plan

If you’re on an Upfront plan and your destination isn’t included in the International Roaming Day Pass, you’ll need to connect to Wi-Fi or purchase a local carrier SIM card in order to use your phone overseas.

You won’t be charged any pay-as-you-go rates to use your phone overseas.

If you’re on any other Telstra plan

If you’re on any other Telstra mobile plan and your destination isn’t included in the International Roaming Day Pass, you’ll be charged pay-as-you-go rates to use your phone overseas. The rates for each country will vary and once you arrive in your destination, we’ll send you an SMS with the rates that you’ll pay.

If you don't want to pay-as-you-go, you can disable international roaming in the My Telstra app by selecting your service, go to 'International roaming' and select 'Manage'.

If you have an active International Roaming Day Pass and you’re moving to a new destination that is within the same Day Pass Zone, you’ll be able to continue using your existing day pass and remaining allowance.  

If you have an active International Roaming Day Pass and you’re moving to a new destination that’s in a different Day Pass Zone, you’ll be able to continue using your existing day pass unlimited calls and SMS. If your new zone includes access to data, any remaining data allowance will also carry over; but if your new zone doesn’t include access to data, any remaining data allowance will be forgone.   

If you have an active International Roaming Day Pass and you’re moving to a new destination and that destination isn’t included in the day pass, your current day pass won’t be able to be used and you’ll forgo any unused allowance. You won’t receive a refund for any allowance or period that you haven’t used.  

If you’re not on an Upfront plan and if the country you’re going to isn’t eligible for an International Roaming Day Pass, you’ll be charged pay-as-you-go rates. Once you’ve arrived, we’ll send you an SMS or email with the rates you’ll pay.

Find out the international roaming pay-as-you-go rates before you leave.  You’ll need to scroll down to the world map and search for your destination or click on the country. This will display all applicable rates.

Note: Pay-as-you-go rates are not applicable for customers roaming on a Telstra Upfront Mobile plan. You can check whether you’re on an Upfront Mobile plan in the My Telstra app by selecting your service and going to the ‘Your plan’ section.

Your International Roaming Day Pass will include an allowance of data for you to use within a 24-hour period. If you require more data, you must have an active International Roaming Day Pass before you can add on extra data. Your day pass data allowance will be used first and your data pack allowance used next, with an expiry of 31 days.  

If you’re on an Upfront plan

You can add on an International Roaming Data Pack. To add a data pack, in the My Telstra app, select your service, go to ‘International roaming’, select ‘Manage’ and then ‘Add a data pack’.  

The cost of your data pack will be charged to your AutoPay payment method. You’ll receive an SMS confirmation when your payment has been made, which includes a link to view your digital receipt. You won’t be charged to receive any SMS’s from Telstra or for using the My Telstra app when overseas.  

If you’re on any other Telstra mobile plan

You’ll get automatic data top ups and the cost will appear on your next Telstra bill.  

You can keep track of your roaming usage with our self-help tools. Those tools are free to access in Australia and overseas.  

My Telstra app

1. Download or open the My Telstra app
2. Tap on the Services tab then find your service 
3. Select your service to view your usage in more detail
   

  My Telstra in a browser

1. Sign in to My Telstra using your Telstra ID
2. On the homepage, find the mobile service in the Account overview section, and select the Manage link 
   
3. Select the View International Roaming Usage link near the top of the page
   

  Telstra My Plan Manager (mobile access only)

1. Go to telstra.com/mpm on the mobile device you want to check 
2. View ‘usage’ at the top of the page

To call an Australian fixed line: 

 +61    Area code without the leading 0    Phone number 

 Example: To call Telstra on (02) 9242 0213 when you’re overseas from any country, you’d dial +61 2 9242 0213. 

 To call an Australian mobile: 

 +61    Mobile number without the leading 0 

 Example: To call Telstra on 0439 125 109 when you’re overseas from any country, you’d dial +61 439 125 109. 

To call another country: 

+    Country code    Phone number without the leading 0              

To call a local fixed line in the country you’re visiting: 

Local area code    Phone number     

Tip: Dialling the local number in international format will also work. 

To call a local mobile in the country you’re visiting: 

Mobile number 

Tip: Dial the number just as if you had a local mobile account 

Yes, as long as you have international roaming set up. Charges apply. You’ll still get notified of MessageBank messages by SMS, just like you receive them in Australia. 

 To listen to your message, simply follow the instructions in the SMS. 

All international roaming costs will be incurred on top of your existing monthly cost.  

If you’re on an Upfront plan

The cost of your day pass will be charged to your saved AutoPay payment method. As the day pass is a daily cost, if you use your service for multiple days when overseas, your AutoPay payment method will be charged each day that you use your service.  

You’ll receive an SMS confirmation when your payment has been made, which includes a link to view your digital receipt. You won’t be charged for receiving any SMS’s from Telstra or for using the My Telstra app when overseas.  

If you’re on any other Telstra mobile plan

The cost of your day pass (and any pay-as-you-go charges) will appear on your next Telstra bill. As the day pass is a daily cost, if you use your service for multiple days when overseas, your bill will include a charge for each day that you used your service.  

You won’t be charged to receive any SMS’s from Telstra or for using the My Telstra app when overseas. 

All international roaming usage charges will be incurred on top of your existing allowance. Here are some tips to help reduce costs associated with using your phone overseas. 

Manage your mobile data usage

 Be aware of your data usage and where possible, you should turn off the following: 

• Automatic software updates or app updates 

• Location or GPS 

• Apps you don’t need 

• Your phone’s mobile data when not in use 

You’ll still be able to connect to Wi-Fi, and you can always turn mobile data back on when you need to use it. 

Good to know: Streaming and downloading content on apps and sites such as Netflix, Stan, Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube can use large amounts of mobile data in short periods of time. Before you leave, you should try and save content you want offline. 

It can take up to 10 minutes for your phone to connect to a mobile network overseas. If you still haven’t connected by then, make sure that you have international roaming activated. You can check this by connecting to Wi-Fi and logging in to My Telstra in app or in a browser.

 If you’re still having trouble, contact us free of charge from your Telstra mobile. 

If you’re connected to an overseas network but you still can’t make calls or send SMS, check whether: 

• You have the right international dialling code for the number you’re calling 

• Your service has been restricted due to non-payment or an overdue payment 

• Your mobile plan is compatible with international roaming or a pre-paid plan 

If you’re able to make calls, that means your international roaming is activated. But if you can’t get onto the internet while overseas, you may have data roaming disabled on your device. To activate data roaming, follow the instructions on our mobile support page. 

If you’re on an Upfront mobile plan, international roaming isn’t compatible when travelling on a cruise ship. You’ll need to use other options such as Wi-Fi on the cruise ship, in order to use your service.   

If you’re on a Telstra Mobile Plan, you may be able to use international roaming when travelling on a cruise ship. If the cruise ship turns on their satellite service, your mobile device will connect to the strongest signal which in many cases is the cruise service. If this is the case, you’ll be roaming at pay-as-you-go (PAYG) rates, even if the nearest country is eligible for day pass. As soon as this happens, you’ll be notified that you’re being charged PAYG rates. 

You can deactivate international roaming at any time, in the My Telstra app. If you do, you won’t be able to use your mobile service while overseas. If you have an active International Roaming Day Pass and you switch off international roaming, you’ll forego any remaining inclusions and won’t receive a pro-rata refund for what you haven’t used.  

  My Telstra app

1. Download or open the My Telstra app
2. Tap on the Services tab then select your service to view more details
3. Tap on the Extras tab down and select International roaming
4. Turn off to deactivate

My Telstra in a browser

1. Sign in to My Telstra using  your Telstra ID
2. On the homepage, find the mobile service you want to disable international roaming on in the Account overview section, and select the Manage link
3. Select Add-ons from the right-hand menu
4. Scroll down to International Day Pass and select Deactivate
5. Select Confirm to proceed

 Telstra My Plan Manager (mobile access only)

1. Go to telstra.com/mpm
2. Next to 'international roaming' you’ll see your roaming status; select Disable

Good to know: 

• You don’t need to deactivate international roaming when returning to Australia. Leaving it active while you’re in Australia won’t cost you anything extra, or affect any of your phone services 

• If you deactivate international roaming this will automatically disable the International Roaming Day Pass. If you have an active International Roaming Day Pass and you deactivate international roaming, you will forego any remaining allowance.