Are you going to travel overseas but don't know how will you manage to use your phone? Your first option is activating a roaming package from your current telecom company, but this option is most of the time way more costly.
1. How to use your mobile phone abroad
In this article I explain step-by-step what you need to prepare in order to use your phone overseas, so you can relax and focus on your travels.
2. Have an unlocked phone
This is really important. If your phone is locked you will not be able to use a different SIM from another GSM operator and get service. An unlocked phone either doesn't have the lock software on it or someone was able to get a code that unlocks the software. Before buying a new phone always be sure that the device is unlocked.
3. Find the telecom players in the country you will go
Every country has a few telecom companies, that offer different packages. The companies most of the time have offices in international airports and bus/train stations. Researching in advance can save you time when you arrive in the country and also can direct you to the company with the best network in the specific region you are visiting.
4. Be sure you purchase a Pre Paid SIM Card
A Pre Paid SIM Card, means you pay as you use. If you don't use it anymore you don't need to pay either. It fits for people that are going to use it for a short period of time. A Pos Paid SIM Card means you create a bond with the company and you must pay a monthly a fee. This one fits in case you are living in a country and making a bond might give you some advantages or long-term discounts in devices.
5. Documents you need to purchase a SIM Card
You must only have your passport to adquire a SIM Card. They do accept IDs in case you are part of a block such as European Union. You also need to provide an address (don't need a proof). In some countries they accepted a hotel address, in other places they asked me my real address back home. Some telecom companies were more strict and told me I could only activate with the help of a local person and their ID information, it was rare (from what I remember it was India, China, Taiwan).
6. Procedures to activate your SIM Card
On arrival in a country, find the telecom store, provide your passport, fill the form or answer all questions made by the attendant. Insert the SIM Card in your device. Normally the attendant will also proceed with the activation of your number, either via system or calling some kind of back-office. Most of the time your phone will connect to the network automatically after you insert the SIM card and restart your device. Test it sending a message to someone, before leaving the store. And I advise turning on the wifi and turning off the data mobile in your phone, while making this procedure. One time I had the data mobile on and it consumed the credits even before activating the plan.
7. It is not working, what to do now?
There can be several reasons why is not working. Your phone is a locked device, the telecom company takes a bit more time to recognize your SIM card in the network, you did not activate a plan or you have not enough credits and so on. But I will explain you a trick related to a very common problem. Every time you insert a new SIM Card and want to use data mobile you need to be sure the device is already connected to the network. You can see this in Settings > Connections> Mobile Networks > Access Point Names and and choose the right APN. Normally it automatically appears and you can choose the right one, but sometimes you must insert it manually. Always ask the attendant which one is the right.
8. Frequent Asked Questions
People always get worried if they will loose access to their WhatsApp or similar communication apps. Don't worry, you won't loose your original WhatsApp number, unless you uninstall the app and install again. This happen because to activate WhatsApp you need to receive a confirmation SMS and if your original SIM Card network is not working you won't be able to activate it. If you have your WhatsApp installed, adding a new SIM Card won't change it's number. If you want to change is also fine, just uninstall the app and install again, then activate the app with your brand new number from overseas.
Prices vary according to the country, can be as cheap as 1 euro for 3GB of internet in Ukraine, but expensive as US$ 50 for the same package in South Korea. A ranking of internet prices around the world can be seen on this website.
