International Roaming Plans for Australians: Costs, Packs and Day Passes Compared

Without a pass or pack, standard pay-as-you-go data costs $3 per MB with Telstra and $1 per MB with Optus and Vodafone. Prepaid brands sell packs instead, from ALDI Mobile's $5 week of Pacific data to amaysim's $70 pack that lasts 365 days.

Prefer not to pay a daily fee for data? HelloRoam sells travel eSIMs for 185+ destinations that you set up at home, so maps and messages work when you land.

Every price in this guide comes from the provider's own website, checked in October 2026. Plans change often, so confirm the details on your provider's page before you fly.

Postpaid day passes from Telstra, Optus and Vodafone

Telstra, Optus and Vodafone charge a fee for each day, or each 24 hours, that you use your phone overseas. The charge starts when you make or take a call, send a text or use data. Telstra notes that background data counts too.

How Telstra counts a day matters. On Upfront plans, a Day Pass lasts 24 hours from when you use your service. On other Telstra plans, it ends at 11.59pm Australian Eastern Standard Time wherever you are, so your day doesn't end at local midnight. Unused Day Pass data expires at the end of each day.

Need more data on Telstra? The International Roaming Data Top-Up gives 2GB for $10, valid for 31 days in Zone 1 and 2. Non-Upfront plans get it added automatically when the daily 2GB runs out, while Upfront plans get a text offering one. If your destination isn't on the Day Pass list, Upfront plans can only use Wi-Fi there, and other Telstra plans pay pay-as-you-go rates.

Optus Daily Roaming switches on by itself the first time you call, text or use data in a Zone 1 destination. Each add-on ends after 24 hours or once you've used 5GB, whichever comes first, and Optus adds another 5GB for $5 if you keep roaming. On other selected postpaid plans, you switch on the $10 Optus Roaming Pass in the My Optus app. It lasts 24 hours or until you've used 1GB, and Optus charges $10 for another pass if you keep roaming.

Vodafone's $5 Roaming lets you use your plan's own data, calls and texts in 100+ destinations, and you're only charged on days you use your phone. You can't use speed-capped data on $5 Roaming. Once your included data runs out, Vodafone adds 1GB for $5, and you can use $5 Roaming for up to 90 days each calendar year.

Prepaid roaming packs and how long they last

Prepaid packs charge once for a set amount of data, minutes and texts, with no daily fee. Each pack works only in its listed destinations, and you add it to a service with that brand.

Telstra's Pre-Paid packs start the moment you buy them, so Telstra suggests waiting until you land and buying one in the My Telstra app. Update the app before you leave, because you can't download it outside Australia. If your destination isn't one of the 38, Telstra says you'll need Wi-Fi or a local SIM, and you won't be charged pay-as-you-go rates.

Only need calls and texts? amaysim's $20 Small Talk pack has 100 minutes and 100 SMS with no data, valid for 365 days. Its minutes cover calls you make and receive, and the Telstra, Vodafone, Boost and Kogan Mobile packs count incoming calls against their minutes too.

Vodafone's prepaid add-ons need your last recharge to be Prepaid Plus or Pay and Go. Boost packs end at the same clock time you bought them, shown in AEST. ALDI Mobile packs end at midnight Australian Eastern Time seven days after activation, no matter where you are. A Kogan Mobile pack bought in your Kogan Mobile account starts straight away, while a voucher bought from Kogan.com starts when you activate it.

Seven days in Japan, priced plan by plan

Here's a week in Japan with data used every day, priced from each provider's published rates. Japan is covered by every option in this table.

The Optus figure assumes seven 24-hour add-ons cover the week. Daily passes cost more, but Telstra and Optus give you new data each day plus unlimited standard calls. Packs cost less if your trip fits inside their total data, so estimate your trip's data needs before you choose.

A travel eSIM is a third option, with one payment for data on a separate line and no daily fee. Compare data plans for Japan with the totals above.

ACMA rules require roaming alerts and an off switch

The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) sets the rules telcos follow when you roam, in the Telecommunications Service Provider (International Mobile Roaming) Determination 2019. As of October 2026, ACMA says your telco must:

• tell you about roaming costs when you arrive overseas
• send usage alerts at 50%, 85% and 100% of a roaming pack's included value, though alerts can lag behind your real use
• give you usage updates and spend management tools
• let you decline roaming at any time, from anywhere, at no or low cost

Telstra sends its roaming alerts by SMS, so it suggests switching notifications to email in My Telstra if you move your SIM into a data-only device. If a roaming bill looks wrong, complain to your telco first, then go to the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman if you're not happy with the answer. Read ACMA's guide to using your mobile overseas before you go, because the rules and telco tools can change.

Background data, voicemail and calls can still cost you

ACMA warns that you can be charged for switching your phone on overseas, for apps that update themselves and for receiving or checking voicemail. Turn off automatic app updates, and download maps and entertainment before you leave so you can use them offline.

Calls outside a pass are charged by the minute. On pay-as-you-go, Telstra charges $1.50 a minute in New Zealand and $3 in Japan and the USA, plus 75c per text. Vodafone charges $1 a minute to make or receive calls and 75c per text.

Set up your phone before you fly

Check your roaming setting in your carrier's app: My Telstra (Extras, then International Roaming), My Optus (Service, then Settings, then International Roaming) or My Vodafone (Roaming settings).

On an iPhone, Data Roaming sits under Settings > Mobile (or Mobile Data) > Mobile Data Options. On a Samsung Galaxy, go to Settings > Connections > Mobile Networks and use the Data Roaming switch.

Telstra says VoLTE will increasingly be needed to make or receive calls when roaming, including emergency calls, so make sure your phone supports VoLTE roaming.

Wi-Fi Calling isn't the same on every network. Telstra lets you make and receive calls back to Australia over Wi-Fi overseas at no additional charge, though not emergency calls, and the call drops if you leave Wi-Fi. Vodafone says Wi-Fi Calling isn't available while roaming, so ask your provider before you rely on it.

Add these steps to your pre-trip travel checklist so nothing gets missed at the airport.

A travel eSIM can cost less than roaming

Fair warning: we sell travel eSIMs, so keep that in mind as you read this part. Our conflict of interest disclosure explains how we handle that.

A data-only travel eSIM adds a second line to your phone. You pay once, with no daily fee, and your Australian SIM stays in the phone for texts. Receiving a text doesn't start a Telstra Day Pass or an Optus Roaming Pass, and Vodafone doesn't charge to receive texts. That means codes from your bank still reach your Australian number. Making or taking a call on that number still counts as roaming.

Visiting more than one country? A HelloRoam regional plan covers several countries on one eSIM. If Europe is your trip, start with data plans for Europe.

Set the travel eSIM as your data line before you go. Telstra warns that devices with both an eSIM and a physical SIM can switch data SIMs while roaming, which triggers charges. Apple also says you might still pay roaming fees on your home line if you keep both lines on.

You'll need a phone that supports eSIM and isn't locked to a carrier, so check your phone supports eSIM first. On an iPhone, Settings > General > About shows "No SIM Restrictions" when it's unlocked. Then set up your eSIM at home while you're on Wi-Fi.

Roaming is still the simpler pick in some cases. If you'll make lots of calls on your own number, Telstra and Optus day passes include unlimited standard calls. For a quick trip, a $5 or $10 daily fee is small and needs little setup.

Pick a plan by trip length and how you use your phone

• A few days on a postpaid plan: your carrier's day pass is the simplest choice. In New Zealand, Telstra's Zone 1 pass costs $5 a day, the same as Optus Daily Roaming and Vodafone's $5 Roaming. You can also compare mobile data plans for New Zealand.
• Occasional trips with light use: amaysim's packs last 365 days and can cover more than one trip.
• A group sharing data: pocket Wi-Fi for Australian travellers lets several devices share one connection.
• Lots of calls home: a Telstra or Optus day pass with unlimited standard calls, or Wi-Fi Calling if your carrier supports it overseas.
• A long stay or heavy data use: add up the daily fees for your whole trip, then compare them with a pack's total data or a travel eSIM. Our travel eSIM and roaming comparison goes into more detail.