Urgent warning for anyone planning to use their phone abroad in 2025

Travelling abroad is set to get more expensive as Brits wanting to use their smartphone or mobile phones abroad are going to pay additional data roaming charges in 2025. 

UK mobile network providers are changing their policies 0 and increasing costs for those heading to areas such as the US, South Africa and Australia. 

EE customers who change their current plan will pay a £2.47 per day fee for using data and making calls in the US, South Africa and Australia.

The mobile phone provider used to charge a flat fee of £25 for the whole month but is now switching its roaming charge to the fee paid by phone users who travel to the EU.

Someone travelling abroad in the United States for the month, could expect to pay a bill of at least £100, according to mobile phone expert Airalo.

Airaolo specialises in eSIMs and claims eSIMS can save mobile users up to two thirds off the cost of using their mobile phone abroad.

Using an eSIM for a 30-day pass will give a mobile customer s20GB of data for only £34.50, which saves travellers a significant saving of £65.50. Or, travellers can opt for a seven-day eSIM for only £4, which saves customers £21 for a week’s roaming.

Experts at Airalo said: “Travellers should be wary of add-ons and extra fees when travelling. If customers aren’t aware costs can significantly stack up and create an extravagant bill. 

“Downloading an eSIM for travelling, and turning off your primary SIM can significantly reduce fees when travelling which makes for efficient roaming when abroad.

“Customers have been left shocked at the new costs implemented by their network provider, so it’s recommended to avoid staggering bills and extra charges abroad to download an eSIM for cheaper and effective roaming.”

An eSIM allows you to use a mobile netwowrk without having to use a physical SIM card as they come embedded in a phone.

With an eSIM embed you are not restricted to just one SIM and – depending on what make of phone you have – you can several eSIMs, at a time. 

This makes it ideal if you travel abroad as you can use a local provider or one offering a better deal on mobile data.

If you are using a phone eSIM you can install eight or more eSIMs as well as have different phone numbers at the same time, ideal for mobile phone users who may need an additional number for an existing business, or if they travel abroad and need to use the roam facility on their phone.