Using giffgaff abroad

By Monty · Updated 1 November 2026

giffgaff is one of the cheapest ways to keep a UK number going, so plenty of people take their SIM with them when they travel or move. Using giffgaff abroad works very differently depending on where you go and how long you stay.

Can I use giffgaff abroad?

Yes, but it works in two very different ways. In the EU and a short list of nearby places, you can use your plan's calls, texts and some of its data just like you do at home. Everywhere else, including Australia, the USA, Canada and the UAE, your plan won't work and you pay for everything from your credit.

It's built for trips rather than for living abroad, and you can see that in the rules below. The longer you're away, the less of your plan you can use.

Using giffgaff in the EU

Calls and texts in the EU are unlimited within giffgaff's fair use limits, and you can use up to 5GB of your plan's data, or your plan's full allowance if that's smaller. The 5GB is per plan, not per month or per trip, and going over it costs 10p per MB.

The catch is time. giffgaff gives EU roaming for up to 63 days to members who live in the UK and use their phone there. Stay away longer and you'll get a text saying roaming has been switched off, and from then on everything comes out of your credit. To get it back you have to return to the UK and use your phone, or send giffgaff proof that you still live in the UK.

So if you're moving to Spain or France, your plan will cover your first couple of months and then stop. Not every European country is on giffgaff's list either, so check yours before you go.

Using giffgaff outside Europe

Outside the EU and its listed places, your plan stops working as soon as you land. Calls, texts and data all come from your credit at roaming rates, which vary by country and are on giffgaff's roaming page. giffgaff also texts you the rates when you arrive somewhere new, and it's worth checking what receiving calls and texts costs where you're going.

giffgaff's own advice for trips outside the EU is to consider a local SIM instead, which is easy enough for a holiday. If you're moving, though, it leaves the question of what happens to your UK number, and the guide to keeping your UK number abroad covers every option.

Calls and texts abroad

A few things work differently once you leave the UK:

• Free giffgaff to giffgaff calls and texts only apply in the UK.
• WiFi Calling isn't supported abroad, so you can't fall back on WiFi for your giffgaff number.
• Checking your voicemail from abroad can cost roaming charges.
• Calling or texting a non-UK number isn't part of any plan and needs credit.

Will I lose my giffgaff number if I move abroad?

You will if you stop using it. giffgaff switches off a SIM that hasn't been used for 6 months, and once that happens it can't be turned back on. To keep it, you need to do one of these at least once every 6 months:

• make a call or send a text to another number
• use mobile data
• buy credit or a plan

Receiving calls and texts isn't on that list, so a SIM that only ever gets bank codes can still be switched off. A single text to another number is enough to reset the clock, but outside Europe that text is charged at roaming rates, so buying credit online is usually the easier option.

giffgaff emails you a month before the switch-off and again about 5 days before. After it happens you have 30 days to ask an agent for a PAC and move the number somewhere else, and the same 30 days to get any credit refunded. After that the number is gone for good.

Getting a PAC from abroad

giffgaff's help page says you need to be in the UK to request a PAC. In practice I requested mine on giffgaff's website while I was living in Australia, and it came through fine. If you're still in the UK, it's easier to get it before you leave so you're not relying on that.

A PAC lasts 30 days, and any credit or plan days left when your number moves aren't refunded. The PAC code guide has every way to get one. Don't ask for a STAC code unless you're happy to lose the number, because it cancels it.

Keeping your number without the SIM

For a holiday, giffgaff abroad is hard to beat. Living abroad is different, because your texts only reach you while the SIM is switched on in a phone, and you have to keep an eye on the 6-month clock from the other side of the world.

I ran into exactly this after moving to Australia, which is why NumberNest exists. You bring your giffgaff number over with a PAC, the same way you'd move it to any network, and its texts and calls come into the NumberNest app on your phone and on the web. There's no SIM to keep alive and no 6-month rule. If you're moving for more than a few months, I'd bring the number over rather than keep a SIM going. It costs £5.49 a month. NumberNest is on a waitlist while it gets ready to open.

Common questions

Does giffgaff work in the USA, Australia or Canada?

Your giffgaff SIM works there, but your plan doesn't. Calls, texts and data come out of your credit at roaming rates.

Is giffgaff to giffgaff free abroad?

No. Free giffgaff to giffgaff calls and texts only apply while you're in the UK.

How long can I use giffgaff in Europe?

Up to 63 days, as long as you live in the UK and use your phone there. After that giffgaff switches roaming off and charges your credit.

Does giffgaff WiFi Calling work abroad?

No. giffgaff only supports WiFi Calling in the UK.

Can I keep my giffgaff number if I move abroad?

Yes, as long as you use it at least once every 6 months, or move it to another provider with a PAC before it's switched off.

Is one text every 6 months enough to keep my giffgaff number?

Yes. One call or text to another number, one data session or one credit top-up within 6 months keeps it active. Receiving texts doesn't count.

What if I lose my giffgaff SIM abroad?

Report it lost straight away so nobody else can use it. giffgaff sends a replacement SIM to your home address, so if you've moved you'll be without the number until it reaches you. giffgaff suggests taking a spare unactivated SIM abroad, because you can move your number onto it yourself as long as you can still get into your account email.