O2 roaming explained for international & EU countries

By Adrian Vincent - 30 Oct 2023, 18:08 O2 roaming - International roaming with O2 explained

You can roam and use O2 within most countries around the world.

You can use your regular allowance for free within 48 European countries, with a data fair usage policy of 25GB per month.

With selected O2 Refresh, O2 SIM only plans and Volt plans, you also get the O2 Travel Inclusive Zone Bolt On for free, which allows you to use unlimited data, unlimited minutes and unlimited texts in 27 international destinations outside the EU.

Alternatively, all O2 mobile customers can get the O2 Travel Bolt On for £6 per day, which gives you unlimited data, unlimited minutes and unlimited texts in 63 international destinations outside the EU.

What's the best O2 SIM for roaming?

You can use your allowance for free within the EU with all O2 SIMs.

You can find the cheapest O2 SIM Only deals by using our comparison tools. O2 SIMs will work with all phones, including the latest Samsung Galaxy S24 and Apple iPhone 15.

O2 EU roaming - after Brexit

O2 EU roaming - after Brexit

With O2 Europe Zone, you can continue to roam for free and use your allowance within the EU.

O2 Europe Zone is included with all plans at no additional cost.

O2 are one of the few networks which will not introduce charges for roaming within the EU after Brexit.

In accordance with the fair usage policy, if your regular allowance is greater than 25GB, you cannot exceed 25GB per month when roaming in the EU.

If you go over your regular allowance, or you exceed the fair usage policy of 25GB per month, you will be charged £3.50 for each additional GB you use when roaming in the EU.

You must also be considered a permanent UK resident. You cannot roam within qualifying European countries for excessive or consecutive periods at a time.

You can use your allowance for free within 48 European destinations:

  1. Austria
  2. Azores
  3. Belgium
  4. Bulgaria
  5. Canary Islands
  6. Croatia
  7. Cyprus
  8. Czech Republic
  9. Denmark
  10. Estonia
  11. Finland
  12. France
  13. French Guiana
  14. Germany
  15. Gibraltar
  16. Greece
  17. Guadeloupe
  18. Guernsey
  19. Hungary
  20. Iceland
  21. Ireland
  22. Isle of Man
  23. Italy
  24. Jersey
  25. Latvia
  26. Liechtenstein
  27. Lithuania
  28. Luxembourg
  29. Madeira
  30. Malta
  31. Martinique
  32. Mayotte
  33. Monaco
  34. Netherlands
  35. Norway
  36. Poland
  37. Portugal
  38. Reunion
  39. Romania
  40. Saint Barthelemy
  41. Saint Martin
  42. San Marino
  43. Slovakia
  44. Slovenia
  45. Spain
  46. Sweden
  47. Switzerland
  48. Vatican City

O2 Travel Inclusive Zone Bolt On

With the O2 Travel Inclusive Zone Bolt On, you will get unlimited data, unlimited minutes and unlimited texts within 27 international countries.

The O2 Travel Inclusive Zone Bolt On is included at no additional cost with selected O2 Refresh, O2 SIM only plans and Volt plans. It is not included with any 30 day SIM only plans or pay as you go plans.

If your plan doesn't include the O2 Travel Inclusive Zone Bolt On for free, you can choose it as your O2 Extra with the following plans:

Type Eligibility
Phone contract Selected Plus Plans
12 month SIM Only contract Selected Plus Plans
24 month SIM Only contract Selected Plus Plans

There is no fair usage policy on the amount of data you can use - you get unlimited data. However, excessive usage may see your data speeds temporarily restricted.

The following 27 international countries are covered by the O2 Travel Inclusive Zone Bolt On:

  1. Argentina
  2. Australia
  3. Botswana
  4. Canada
  5. Chile
  6. Colombia
  7. Costa Rica
  8. Ecuador
  9. El Salvador
  10. Greenland
  11. Guatemala
  12. Guinea
  13. Guyana
  14. Honduras
  15. Madagascar
  16. Mexico
  17. Myanmar
  18. New Zealand
  19. Nicaragua
  20. Panama
  21. Paraguay
  22. Peru
  23. Rwanda
  24. United States
  25. Uruguay
  26. Venezuela
  27. Yemen

If you’re not eligible for the free O2 Travel Inclusive Zone Bolt On, you cannot pay for it. However, you can purchase the similar O2 Travel Bolt On, which covers 63 international destinations for £6 per day. See below for more information.

O2 Travel Bolt On

The O2 Travel Bolt On is available for £6 per day, and covers 63 international destinations.

Similar to the O2 Travel Inclusive Zone Bolt On, you get unlimited data, unlimited minutes and unlimited texts. However, there is a 2Mbps speed limit in place.

You can get the O2 Travel Bolt On by texting TRAVEL to 23336 or by enabling it via your O2 account.

The £6 daily fee will automatically be charged when you use mobile data, make a call or send a text message. Using Wi-Fi or receiving calls and texts will not trigger the charge.

The moment the charge is triggered, you'll have access for 24 hours, until the trigger resets. There are no limits on the amount of consecutive days you can trigger the Bolt On.

It is important to note you must enable the O2 Travel Bolt On before you use data, make a call or send a text. If you don't enable the Bolt On, you won't be charged the £6 daily fee - instead, you will be charged at a standard roaming rate, which can be expensive.

There is no fair usage policy on the amount of data you can use - you get unlimited data. However, there is a 2Mbps speed limit in place.

The O2 Travel Bolt On works in the following 63 destinations:

  1. Albania
  2. Anguilla
  3. Argentina
  4. Aruba
  5. Australia
  6. Bahamas
  7. Barbados
  8. Belarus
  9. Bermuda
  10. Botswana
  11. Brazil
  12. British Virgin Islands
  13. Canada
  14. Cape Verde
  15. Cayman Islands
  16. Chile
  17. China
  18. Colombia
  19. Costa Rica
  20. Dominica
  21. Dominican Republic
  22. Ecuador
  23. El Salvador
  24. Greenland
  25. Grenada
  26. Guatemala
  27. Guinea
  28. Guyana
  29. Honduras
  30. Hong Kong
  31. Indonesia
  32. Jamaica
  33. Japan
  34. Madagascar
  35. Malaysia
  36. Mexico
  37. Moldova
  38. Montenegro
  39. Montserrat
  40. Myanmar
  41. Netherlands Antilles
  42. New Zealand
  43. Nicaragua
  44. Panama
  45. Paraguay
  46. Peru
  47. Rwanda
  48. Saint Kitts and Nevis
  49. Saint Lucia
  50. Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
  51. South Africa
  52. Sri Lanka
  53. Suriname
  54. Thailand
  55. Trinidad and Tobago
  56. Turkey
  57. Turks & Caicos
  58. United Arab Emirates
  59. Uruguay
  60. USA
  61. Venezuela
  62. Yemen
  63. Zambia

What’s the difference between the O2 Travel Bolt On and O2 Travel Inclusive Zone Bolt On?

What’s the difference between the O2 Travel Bolt On and O2 Travel Inclusive Zone Bolt On?

The O2 Travel Inclusive Zone Bolt On is free with selected O2 Refresh, O2 SIM only plans and Volt plans. It works in 27 international countries. You cannot buy the O2 Travel Inclusive Zone Bolt On if you are not eligible for free, however you can choose it as an O2 Extra with select tariffs.

On the other hand, the O2 Travel Bolt On is available to all pay monthly customers for £6 per day and works in 63 international destinations.

Both Bolt Ons give you unlimited data, unlimited minutes and unlimited texts. However, the O2 Travel Bolt On comes with a 2Mbps speed limit.

Does O2 have a fair usage policy when roaming?

If you’re using your allowance for free within O2’s Europe Zone, you cannot exceed 25GB data per month if your regular allowance is greater than this amount. If you go over this limit, you will be charged £3.50 per GB until your allowance resets during the next month.

In addition, you cannot roam within the O2 Europe Zone for more than 63 days within a 4 month period - the offer is not intended for extended holidays. If O2 thinks you are abusing the free EU roaming policy, you will be given a 2 week notice, before a surcharge is applied:

Service Cost
Data £3.50 / GB
Minutes 3.3p / minute
Texts 1p / text

The surcharge will be dropped when you return and stay in the UK for a reasonable time.

For the O2 Travel Inclusive Zone Bolt On, there is no fair usage policy on the amount of data you can use, however O2 states they may implement a temporary speed limit if your usage is deemed excessive. The O2 Travel Bolt On does not have a fair usage policy, however there is a permanent 2Mbps speed limit in place at all times.

Will I be charged if I exceed my allowance when roaming with O2?

Will I be charged if I exceed my allowance when roaming with O2?

If you exceed your data allowance or go over the 25GB limit when roaming for free in the Europe Zone, you will be charged £3.50 per GB, until your plan resets during the next month.

If you don't have an roaming Bolt On when travelling outside of Europe, or you're not in an eligible country, you will charged at a standard out of plan rate.

The out of plan rate is typically expensive, and varies between countries. For full charges, see O2 roaming rates

The following shows the O2 out of plan rates within a few international destinations.

Country Data Making calls Receiving calls Sending texts Receiving texts
Australia £7.20 / MB £2.00 / minute £2.00 / minute 50p / text Free
Canda £7.20 / MB £2.00 / minute £2.00 / minute 50p / text Free
India £7.20 / MB £2.00 / minute £2.00 / minute 50p / text Free
New Zealand £7.20 / MB £2.00 / minute £2.00 / minute 50p / text Free
USA £7.20 / MB £2.00 / minute £2.00 / minute 50p / text Free

Can I get 5G when roaming with O2?

No, 5G is only available within the UK with O2. The maximum signal you can get when roaming with O2 is 4G.

FAQs

Can I roam for free in the EU with O2?

Yes, all O2 customers can use their regular allowance for free with O2 Europe Zone, covering 48 European destinations.

How can I setup my phone to roam with O2?

Before roaming with O2, you must enable roaming in your phone’s settings.

For Android users:

  1. Go to Settings
  2. Go to Connections -> Mobile networks -> Roaming
  3. Enable Data roaming

For iPhone users:

  1. Go to Settings
  2. Go to Mobile data -> Mobile Data Options
  3. Enable Data Roaming

Will I be charged if I go over my allowance when roaming with O2?

If you're roaming in the EU and go over your data allowance or the 25GB limit, you will be charged £3.50 per GB until your plan resets at the next month.

Can I tether to another device when roaming with O2?

Yes, you can tether to as many devices as you like when roaming with O2. Any regular data limitations that apply when roaming will also apply when tethering while roaming.

How can I get the O2 Travel Bolt On?

The O2 Travel Bolt On is available with all pay monthly plans for £6 per day. You can get the O2 Travel Bolt On by texting TRAVEL to 23336. Alternatively, you can purchase the Bolt On through your O2 account.

The O2 Travel Inclusive Zone Bolt On is available for free on selected O2 Refresh, O2 SIM only contracts and Volt plans. You may also choose it for free as an O2 Extra, with eligible plans.

Both Bolt Ons come with unlimited data, unlimited minutes and unlimited texts. However, they each cover different destinations.