Not all those who wander are lost, but the ones who aren’t lost probably have access to Maps on their phone. Most of us would be lost without access to our phones when we’re home, let alone travelling overseas. That's why you're going to want to have your international roaming ready to go before you board that flight.
With all that Optus international roaming has to offer, the days of hefty international usage charges may soon be over. Regardless of whether you’re on a postpaid or prepaid plan, there's an Optus roaming pack to keep you connected overseas.
Optus postpaid international roaming
Customers on one of Optus' postpaid Choice Plus plans can get the Optus Daily Roaming add-on for $5 per day.
For $5 each day customers get 5GB of data as well as unlimited talk and text.
You can get an international roaming add-on with the following Optus postpaid plans:
Optus' international roaming add-on is available in the following Zone 1 countries:
- Afghanistan
- Albania
- Anguilla
- Antigua and Barbuda
- Argentina
- Armenia
- Aruba
- Austria
- Azerbaijan
- Bangladesh
- Barbados
- Belarus
- Belgium
- Bermuda
- Bonaire
- Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Brazil
- British Virgin Islands
- Bulgaria
- Cambodia
- Canada
- Cayman Islands
- Chile
- China
- Colombia
- Cook Islands
- Croatia
- Curacao
- Cyprus
- Czech Republic
- Denmark
- Dominica
- Dominican Republic
- Ecuador
- Estonia
- Faroe Islands
- Fiji
- Finland
- France
- French Polynesia
- Georgia
- Germany
- Greece
- Greenland
- Grenada
- Guam
- Guernsey
- Haiti
- Hong Kong
- Hungary
- Iceland
- India
- Indonesia
- Ireland
- Isle of Man
- Israel
- Italy
- Jamaica
- Japan
- Jersey
- Kazakhstan
- Kuwait
- Kyrgyzstan
- Latvia
- Liechtenstein
- Lithuania
- Luxembourg
- Macau
- Macedonia
- Malaysia
- Malta
- Mexico
- Moldova
- Monserrat
- Montenegro
- Morocco
- Myanmar
- Nauru
- Nepal
- Netherlands
- New Caledonia
- New Zealand
- Northern Marianas
- Norway
- Pakistan
- Palestine
- Panama
- Papua New Guinea
- Philippines
- Poland
- Portugal
- Puerto Rico
- Qatar
- Romania
- Russian Federation
- Samoa (Western)
- San Marino
- Serbia
- Singapore
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- Solomon Islands
- South Africa
- South Korea
- Spain
- Sri Lanka
- St Kitts and Nevis
- St Vincent and the Grenadies
- Sweden
- Switzerland
- Taiwan
- Tajikistan
- Thailand
- Timor
- Tonga
- Trinidad and Tobago
- Turkey
- Turks and Caicos
- Ukraine
- United Arab Emirates
- United Kingdom
- United States
- US Virgin Islands
- Vanuatu
- Vatican City (Holy See)
- Vietnam
If you use up the 5GB within 24 hours then Optus will automatically add another 5GB roaming pass to your plan and you will be charged a further $5.
You can't use Optus Daily Roaming in Zone 2 destinations. For connectivity, you could go with an option like a travel eSIM.
Zone 2 destinations primarily consist of countries in the Middle East, Africa, and Central and South America. You can use Optus' international roaming rates finder to check your destination.
Optus prepaid international roaming
There are different options for Optus prepaid plan customers like those on Flex Plus plans.
Prepaid customers have the choice between four prepaid roaming packs:
| Pack | Price | Inclusions |
|---|---|---|
| 1-day expiry | $5 | 25 mins, 50 texts, 1GB |
| 14-day expiry | $25 | 50 mins, 50 texts, 5GB |
| 28-day expiry | $45 | 100 mins, 100 texts, 10GB |
| 186-day expiry | $75 | 100 mins, 100 texts, 15GB |
These packs are available for use with Zone 1 countries. Outside of those locations, you'll need to pay daily roaming rates. We'd advise against this, as you'll typically get charged $1 per MB, which works out to be over $1,000 per GB.
You can check Optus' prepaid roaming rate finder for more information.
Here are Optus's prepaid plans you can add an international roaming pack to:
Optus international roaming alternatives
Optus international roaming offers are pretty good, at least for postpaid customers.
Vodafone has a similar $5 roaming add-on but it allows you to use your local inclusions while overseas. If you're signed up for a Vodafone plan with 50GB, for example, you can access that same allowance while abroad.
Telstra's international roaming options are more expensive starting at $5 per day for postpaid customers which gets you 2GB to use. However, this add-on only offers connectivity in a handful of Zone 1 locations. Most travellers will likely end up having to shell out for the $10 Roaming Day Pass instead, which offers on-the-go connectivity in over 80 destinations.
Meanwhile, Telstra’s prepaid prices start at $10 for 400MB with a three-day expiry compared to Optus' prices, which are $5 for 1GB with a one-day expiry.
Here are the cheapest postpaid plans from Vodafone and Telstra:
|
#1
|
Vodafone
$45.00/mth
Min. cost $45
Link not supplied
|
|
#2
|
Telstra
$74.00/mth
Min. cost $24
Link not supplied
|
Gone are the days where only the big three telcos had decent international roaming options. Smaller telcos such as amaysim, Belong, felix and Tangerine all have decent options.
Here's a quick look at how their best value roaming add-ons compare:
| Provider | Data | Talk | Text | Expiry | Cost | Countries |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| felix | 4GB | 100 minutes | 100 texts | 1 year | $20 | 40+ |
| amaysim | 9GB | 100 minutes | 60 texts | 1 year | $70 | 120+ |
| Belong | 3GB | 150 minutes | Unlimited | 15 days | $30 | 45+ |
| Tangerine | 10GB | 60 minutes | 60 texts | 14 days | $55 | 65+ |
Here are the cheapest SIM-only plans from each of these providers:
If you don't want to base your decision to sign up for a telco on the merits of its international roaming add-ons then you might consider other options. You could pick up a local SIM at your destination or even a travel eSIM.
If you're after a local SIM, you can check out our guides for a few specific destinations.
If you're headed to a particular country, we've got a whole host of travel guides that cover specific destinations. In them, we look at the best Australian SIMs for when you're overseas, as well as other options for the country in question.
- Best SIM cards for travelling in New Zealand
- Best SIM cards for travelling in Europe
- Best SIM cards for travelling in the US
- Best SIM cards for travelling in the UK
- Best SIM cards for travelling in Bali
- Best SIM cards for travelling in Japan
- Best SIM cards for travelling in Singapore
- Best SIM cards for travelling in Thailand
- Best SIM cards for travelling in South America
- Best SIM cards for travelling in Canada
eSIM has been a game changer for getting connected while travelling .So long as you have an eSIM-compatible phone, you won't need to bother finding a physical SIM at a shop when you land. You can easily download an set up an eSIM over WiFi. You can do it on arrival or better yet prior to departure so you can have mobile data the moment you arrive at your destination.
Reputable eSIM providers include Airalo, SIMCorner and Jetpac.
How do I turn on international roaming on my Optus plan?
Roaming is automatically activated in eligible destinations by default. When you land and your phone connects to a local cell tower you'll get a confirmation text from Optus to let you know that roaming is active.
You can check the status in the My Optus App following these steps:
- Open My Optus app
- Click the Services tab
- Select the relevant service
- Scroll down to Add-ons and find the Daily Roaming section
- If Daily Roaming is switched on you should the word "Active" beside it
If you don't want to use Optus' Daily Roaming you'll need to turn on Aeroplane mode in device settings and turn on your WiFi to connect to a network. Or you can switch out your SIM. If you have a dual SIM phone or eSIM you can turn off your Optus SIM temporarily via device settings.
Dylan Crismale
Digital Content Editor
Related Articles
![[Editor's Picks] Best mobile phone plans for November 2026](https://r3.whistleout.com.au/public/images/articles/2026/01/mobile-phone-plan-Featured.png?w=280&h=280&usm=20&usmrad=0.8&fit=crop "[Editor's Picks] Best mobile phone plans for November 2026")
