What Is International Roaming and How Does It Work?
Don’t let your holiday mean saying goodbye to your phone signal.
International roaming lets you use your Bendigo Telco mobile while overseas to make and receive calls, send texts, and use mobile data by connecting to one of our trusted network partners in the country you’re visiting.
How It Works
With International Roaming enabled, when you land overseas, your phone automatically connects to a local partner network so you can:
Make and receive calls 📞
Send and receive SMS 💬
Use mobile data for things like maps, emails, and browsing 🌐
Eligible plans travelling to Zone 1 Countries are able to access our Bendigo Telco International Roaming Pack, which includes 1GB of data, unlimited calls and unlimited texts for $12/day. The data is reset at the end of each day. If the 1GB of data is exceeded within one day, you will automatically be charged for a new pack. The account will only be charged on days when cellular activity is detected. Eligible plans travelling to Zone 2 countries will be charged based on usage.
For more information on prices, terms, and Zone 1 and 2 destinations, view our International Roaming Guide here.
What You’ll Need
A compatible, unlocked 4G/5G device
An eligible active Bendigo Telco mobile plan
International roaming enabled on your service
How to Enable International Roaming
Read through our International Roaming Guide to make sure your destination is on our list of covered countries.
Email our team at customerhelp@bendigotelco.com.au, give us a call at 1300 228 123 (Mon-Fri, 8:30am-5:30pm), or submit a Service Request through your SmartCentre account at least 2 business days before departure.
Make sure you mention where you’re going, how long you will be there, and include any layovers or stops.
Our team will send you a short form with all your roaming details for you to confirm via email.
Once the details are confirmed, we will schedule roaming to be switched on and let you know once it has been activated. ✈️
Turn On Data Roaming on Your Device
While getting in touch with us will enable roaming on your plan, you still need to turn it on at a device level if it’s not already. To do this, follow the steps below:
📱 iPhone (iOS)
Open Settings.
Tap Mobile Data or Cellular.
Tap Mobile Data Options.
Toggle Data Roaming ON.
If required, confirm Voice & Data settings are set to LTE/VoLTE.
📲 Samsung (Android / One UI)
Open Settings.
Tap Connections → Mobile Networks.
Toggle Data Roaming ON.
If visible, also enable International Roaming and confirm your Network Mode (e.g. LTE/5G).
💡 Tip: Menu names can vary slightly between devices. If you can’t find it, search “roam” or “data roaming” in Settings.
Good to Know
💸 Roaming costs more than local use. Make sure you check our International Roaming Guide before you travel for pack inclusions (Zone 1) or usage rates (Zone 2).
📶 Use Wi-Fi whenever you can or switch your phone to Airplane Mode to minimise data usage.
🌍 Not all plans are eligible roaming, so check your plan details before departure. (Older plans are more likely to not be eligible)
☎️ Incoming Calls Still Count. Even receiving a call or text can trigger the $12/day roaming charge (if eligible for the data roaming pack). If you only need your phone for emergencies, keep it on Flight Mode to avoid surprise costs.
🗺️ Consider a Local SIM or eSIM if you’re travelling outside of Zone 1 or staying a while. A local SIM or eSIM can be cheaper and give you more data for your money.
🔑 2FA Might Not Work Overseas. If you use a local SIM while travelling, your Bendigo Telco number won’t receive texts, including two-factor authentication codes. Set up an app-based or email backup before you go.
🎧 Download Before You Fly. Save maps, playlists, and entertainment offline before you leave so you can stay connected without using roaming data.
✈️ Make sure you have requested international roaming to be turned on at least 2 business days before you travel so your service works when you land.
📊 Turn off non-essential data and automatic system updates while roaming to avoid excess data charges or exceeding your daily allowance.
🧭 Double check your device is compatible with our partner networks overseas. Older or network locked devices may not work on some networks.
Troubleshooting While Overseas
🚫 No service after arrival? Try this before anything else:
Restart your phone.
Make sure Airplane Mode is off, or toggle it on/off once.
Check your SIM is seated correctly. If you’re not sure, you can try it in another device to test.
Check your Network Selection settings.
Make sure your device is set to automatically select a network (this is usually the default, and will connect you to the next available partner network)
If you’re unable to make calls or access data on the auto-selected network, you can manually select a different network.
Go to Settings → Mobile Networks → Network Operators → Search networks → choose a local provider manually.
📶 Data works but calls/SMS don’t?
On iPhone: check Voice & Data settings and confirm VoLTE is on.
On Samsung: ensure VoLTE/4G Calling is enabled in Mobile Network settings.
More Troubleshooting Options
If you’re still having issues, you can try resetting your network settings. Note that this will erase all saved networks, Wi-Fi passwords, Bluetooth connections, and network configurations. This will give you a clean slate and can solve some tricky network issues, but you will need to re-connect, re-pair and re-input devices/networks/passwords afterwards:
Reset Network Settings:
Android: Settings → System → Advanced → Reset options → Reset Wi-Fi, mobile & Bluetooth
iPhone: Settings → General → Transfer or Reset iPhone → Reset → Reset Network Settings
Windows: Settings → Network & Internet → Status → Network reset → Reset now
Restart your device again after resetting.
Re-pair Wi-Fi/Bluetooth connections if needed.
Making Calls While Roaming
Remember to use the correct international dialling format (e.g. +61 for Australian numbers).
If you can’t make calls, check your account isn’t restricted for international or premium numbers; we can help lift these if needed.
Need a Hand?
If you’ve tried all this and are still having issues, just reach out to us via any of the methods below!
💬 Web Chat: Chat with us via that little chat button on the bottom right on our website (bendigotelco.com.au). We’ll be online Mon-Fri, 8:30am-5:30pm.
📧 Email: Reach out via email at customerhelp@bendigotelco.com.au
📞 Call: 1300 228 123 (Mon–Fri, 8:30 AM – 5:30 PM AEDT)