Roaming FAQs
Here are frequently asked questions about roaming, plus useful information about using your phone outside the UK. If you’re looking for help with roaming, it’s easy to find the right answers.
Can I use my phone abroad?
Most EE Business customers are already set up to use their phone abroad but it’s good to check before you travel.
Text ROAMING to 150 to check if roaming is active, and to find out next steps to set up roaming to use your phone abroad.
If you need further help use Live chat by clicking the 'Help' button on this page or you can WhatsApp us on 07483 961600:
How much will it cost to use my phone abroad?
Roaming costs depend on your EE Business plan and where you’re going.
View information on plans and locations in 2. Roaming locations tab.
How do I switch on roaming on my phone?
Your device has a data roaming control in its settings which you’ll need to enable. If it’s disabled, you won’t be able to use mobile data when you’re abroad.
We’ve prepared some easy-to-use guides for different devices so you can see how to switch on data roaming.
My phone isn’t working when roaming, what can I do?
If your phone’s not working outside the UK, there are two easy things to check:
- Use Device Help on EE Personal to make sure roaming is switched on for your phone.
- You may have gone beyond your spend cap. Text SPEND CAP to 150 for details, and to find out how to set a new spend cap.
If you need further help use Live chat by clicking the 'Help' button on this page or you can WhatsApp us on 07483 961600:
Can I have more than one roaming add-on?
With EE Business, you can only have one roaming allowance at a time. So if you already have an EE Business plan which includes roaming, a roaming add-on or a Roaming Passport, you won’t be able to select another roaming option.
And if you have a plan that already covers a country included in a Roaming Passport, you won’t be able to add a Roaming Passport.
It’s easy to check what plan you’re on in My EE.
USA switches off 3G network
As part of their upgrades in the United States, the major network operators have switched off 3G. So what does this mean for you?
4G or 5G devices
Roaming in the USA should change very little, if at all. You should continue to connect 4G and 5G networks as normal, but may notice a slight change to your roaming experience.
To help minimise any potential disruption, we’ve made 4G Calling available to our roaming customers in the USA. So you can make and take calls and texts over 4G/LTE, for better call set-up times, call quality and data roaming at faster speeds.
Just make sure your device has the latest updates and can connect to VoLTE in the UK.
3G devices
If you’ve not yet upgraded your 3G device, you’ll no longer be able to use 3G in the USA.
Instead, you can manually connect to T-Mobile in the USA, by using your device’s settings menu. This allows you to use the 2G network – although you’ll likely see a loss in call quality and won’t be able to use data at the same time.
If you do only have a 3G device, you’re missing out on fantastic benefits – both in the USA and at home. Check out the EE shop for the latest deals.
Call costs abroad with standard roaming rates
To see costs to use a phone abroad without a roaming add-on, check out Europe Zone and Rest of World standard roaming rates. View Roaming Services on our out of bundle charges.
Is there a fair use policy when roaming in Europe?
Yes, we have a Fair Use Policy when roaming in our Europe Zone, which applies to data on certain plans.
You can see plan details and terms and conditions of the EE Price Guide for Small Business for more information and to see if the Fair Use Policy applies to you. Customers on Business Connect plans are exempt from the Fair Use Policy.
If the Fair Use Policy applies to you, we’ll be in touch if you use up your fair use amount when roaming. You’ll have to buy a data add-on if you want to keep using data when roaming.
For more information, read our Fair Use Policy.
Our roaming benefits are available to UK based customers only and our plans are intended for customers and users with a stable link to the UK who travel abroad periodically. For details of what we consider to be stable links, and the surcharges or other restrictions which we may apply where the user does not meet the stable links requirements, please see our Price Guide (PDF, 999 KB).
Do roaming charges count towards my spend cap?
Yes, roaming charges count towards your spend cap.
So if you’ve set your spend cap to zero and you don’t have roaming included in your plan, you won’t be able to use your phone outside the UK – we'll automatically block roaming to prevent you getting any unwanted charges.
If you’d prefer to roam in our Europe Zone, you can increase your spend cap to cover the £2.15 daily charge.
You can update your spend cap in My EE or by texting SPEND CAP to 150.
How can I avoid accidental roaming?
Here’s some information on how you might accidentally roam using your mobile device, and what you can do about it.
When you’re in the UK
In coastal regions and sometimes further inland under unusual radio conditions, your mobile device might connect to a non-UK network – from France, The Channel Islands, The Isle of Man, or maritime networks on cruise ships.
If you connect to a non-UK network, you may incur a daily access charge for using chargeable services such as calls, texts or data, depending on your plan.
When you’re outside the UK
You might be in a destination with inclusive roaming on your plan (like the EU) but near a location where mobile services are not included. For example, in Cyprus, you might connect to a Turkish network if you’re close to the border with Northern Cyprus.
Charges will vary when connecting to different networks. We will send you a text when you connect to a new country to inform you of the charges.
How to avoid accidental roaming
In the UK, the simplest way is to disable roaming or avoid using chargeable services when connected to a roaming network. You can:
- Disable data roaming to avoid any data charges – find out how to do this on your device
- Not make or answer any calls whilst your mobile device has roaming enabled.
Outside the UK, if you’re in the EU, you can enable EU roaming only by texting ROAMEU to 150. This will prevent you from connecting to any non-EU mobile network.
Data roaming for Business Connect customers
If you're on one of our Business Connect plans, you can use your minutes, texts, and data allowance when in our European roaming zone at no extra cost.
If you use up all of your data allowance, you’ll pay 1.6p/MB to continue using data, which is capped at £45.00.
To continue using data after this, you can text 1MCAP to 150 to unblock for one month.
If you want to remove the cap permanently just text STOPEUCAP to 150.
If you need further help use Live chat by clicking the 'Help' button on this page or you can WhatsApp us on 07483 961600:
Easy ways to keep roaming costs down
Here are some handy hints to help you reduce roaming costs.
Prevent voicemail charges
Text VM OFF to 150 before you go to switch off your voicemail. To switch voicemail back on when you get back home just text VM ON to 150.
Check how many characters are in your texts
Every 160 characters count as a text. If you send texts longer than this, you’re charged for multiple text messages.
Switch off WiFi Assist in your device settings
Many devices have a feature which can use your data even when you're connected to WiFi. You can see how to switch off WiFi Assist in our device guides. Device Help on EE Personal