Roaming with Vodafone

RED Roaming offers customers our best value offer when roaming outside Europe. For one daily fee you get calls and texts back to Ireland and to numbers within the country you’re visiting, plus a daily allowance of data. 

RED Roaming is now available in 70 countries.

In addition, bill pay customers who have domestic international minutes can also use these when abroad with RED Roaming. 

Please note, RED Roaming is not available in any country covered by the EU Regulations.

To opt out of RED Roaming, text STOP RED to 50020. You can opt back in at any time, to do this text  ‘Red’ to 50020. If you're a pay as you go customer, you'll need to have sufficient credit to use RED Roaming. RED Roaming, our best value daily roaming plan. Terms and conditions apply.  

RED Roaming is our best value roaming offer for €3.99 per day on Vodafone Unlimited plans or €2.99 per day on older bill pay plans and pay as you go plans when visiting USA, Canada and Select Countries (Albania, Monaco, Republic of San Marino, Kosovo and Turkey).

RED Roaming is available on Vodafone and preferred partner networks.

RED Roaming will activate when you choose to make or receive a call, send a text or use data abroad. You’ll only be charged for RED Roaming on the days you use your phone abroad. The daily fee period applies from 12am to 11.59pm, Irish time, and you don’t need to opt out when you get home. 

RED Roaming is our best value roaming offer for €4.99 per day in Australia, China and 60+ other countries, available on both bill pay and pay as you go plans. 

There countries are;

• Anguilla

• Antigua and Barbuda

• Argentina

• Aruba

• Australia

• Barbados

• Bermuda

• Brazil

• British Virgin Islands

• Cayman Islands

• Chile

• China

• Colombia

• Congo

• Costa Rica

• Dominica (Commonwealth)

• Dominican Republic

• Ecuador

• Egypt

• El Salvador

• Fiji

• Ghana

• Grenada

• Guatemala

• Guyana

• Haiti

• Honduras

• Hong Kong

• India

• Indonesia

• Israel

• Jamaica

• Japan

• Kenya

• Lesotho

• Macedonia

• Mexico

• Montserrat

• Morocco

• Mozambique

• Nauru

• New Zealand

• Nicaragua

• Panama

• Papua New Guinea

• Paraguay

• Peru

• Puerto Rico

• Qatar

• Russia

• Samoa

• Serbia

• Singapore

• South Africa

• St Lucia

• St Vincent & the Grenadines

• Tanzania

• Thailand

• Tonga

• Trinidad and Tobago

• Turks and Caicos Islands

• United Arab Emirates

• Uruguay

• Vanuatu

• Virgin Islands (US) 

RED Roaming is available on Vodafone and preferred partner networks. 

Additional usage on Vodafone Unlimited plans is 6c per MB, and 12c per MB on all other Bill pay and Pay as you go plans.

RED Roaming will activate when you choose to make or receive a call, send a text or use data abroad. You’ll only be charged for RED Roaming on the days you use your phone abroad. The daily fee period applies from 12am to 11:59pm, Irish time, and you don’t need to opt out when you get home. 

RED Roaming on Vodafone Unlimited offers customers our best value roaming and from just €3.99 per day you can get unlimited calls and texts home and within the country you are visiting plus 500MB data. It is available on Vodafone and preferred partner networks. No need to manually select a network, we will automatically select it for you. 

In addition, customers who have domestic international minutes included in their plan can also use these when abroad with RED Roaming. 

Vodafone Unlimited customers are automatically opted in to RED Roaming. 

RED Roaming is now available in 70 countries.

**Please note that RED Roaming is not available in any country covered by the EU Regulations** 

Outside Europe, if the Customer is not opted into RED Roaming, default rest of world rates apply. You can opt in to Red Roaming at any time, to do this text 'Red' to 50020. To opt out of RED Roaming, text STOP RED to 50020. You'll need to have sufficient credit to use RED Roaming.

Please Note - From July 2017, customers joining the Vodafone Pay as you go service will have Red Roaming applied as their default roaming option when travelling outside the EU. Customers can opt out at any time by texting STOP RED to 50020. If customers choose to opt out they will not be automatically opted back in again. For existing customers who joined before July 2017 they need to opt in by texting RED 50020.

RED Roaming on RED Complete plans allows you to use your plans data, calls and texts as you would at home for €2.99 or €4.99 a day depending on where you go.

In addition, customers who have domestic international minutes included in their plan can also use these when abroad with RED Roaming.

RED Complete customers are automatically opted in to RED Roaming.

RED Roaming is now available in 70 countries, a full list can be seen here.

**Please note that RED Roaming is not available in any country covered by the EU Regulations**

RED Roaming on RED Connect plans gives you unlimited calls and texts home and within the country you are visiting plus use your plan's home allowance of data for €2.99 or €4.99 a day depending on where you go.

RED Connect customers are automatically opted in to RED Roaming.

RED Roaming is now available in 70 countries, a full list can be seen here.

**Please note that RED Roaming is not available in any country covered by the EU Regulations**

RED Roaming on older plans gives you unlimited calls and texts home and within the country you are visiting plus 500MB per day for €2.99 or €4.99 a day depending on where you go. 

Customers on older plans are not automatically opted in to RED Roaming. To opt in, text ‘RED’ to 50020. 

RED Roaming is now available in 70 countries.

**Please note that RED Roaming is not available in any country covered by the EU Regulations** 

Our Vodafone Unlimited Take Your Home Plan Abroad is designed to be used for normal roaming usage. If your usage or presence shows more than 50% of your usage or presence occurring while roaming over a 4-month period you will be notified of this excessive usage. If you continue to use the roaming service excessively, we will apply the following surcharges: 

• €0.032 per minute for a call 

• €0.01 per SMS 

• €2.50 per GB 

Go to our terms and rates page for more details.

RED Roaming is available in over 70 countries around the World. To see the list of countries where RED Roaming is available, visit our RED Roaming page.

No, it is free to opt into RED Roaming. The RED Roaming daily fee will only be applied on days when you use your phone in a RED Roaming Country. There is no need to opt-out when you get home. 

You can:  

• Opt in by free text RED to 50020 

• Opt out by text  STOP RED to 50020 

Please note, from July 2017, customers joining the Vodafone Pay as you go service will have Red Roaming applied as their default roaming option when travelling outside the EU.

Customers can opt out at any time by texting STOP RED to 50020. If customers choose to opt out they will not be automatically opted back in again. For existing customers who joined before July 2017 they need to opt in by texting RED 50020.   

You can opt out of RED Roaming at any time should you wish, although we recommend staying opted in to ensure you get the best value daily roaming rates when you travel. You can opt out in a number of ways: 

• Text STOP RED to 50020. 

• Through My Vodafone

No. There is no need to opt out of RED Roaming when you return to Ireland from your trip abroad. The RED Roaming daily fee only applies on days you use your phone when abroad in a RED Roaming country and will not cause any charges when you are in Ireland. Stay opted in to RED Roaming to ensure you get our best value daily rates the next time you travel. 

When you text RED to 50020 you will receive a confirmation reply within a few minutes. Once you receive this, RED Roaming pricing will be in effect on your account. 

Please note, it can take up to 24 hours for our systems to update so that you to receive the correct RED Roaming pricing information in our welcome SMS messages when you enter a RED Roaming country. 

The daily fee will be applied on the first roaming usage of the day. Applicable usages are making or receiving a call, sending a text or using data. 

Please remember that some applications on your smartphone can use data in the background without your knowledge. We recommend setting your email and apps not to sync or use data while roaming. 

The following calls abroad will not trigger the daily access charge. 

• Calls to Emergency Numbers - 999/112 

• Calls to Free phone roaming number - +353 1 203 8232 (when made from your Vodafone Ireland mobile) 

• Receiving texts while roaming in applicable countries 

• Calls to 171 or diverted calls to voicemail 

Yes, 4G and 5G are available with RED Roaming. 

The daily fee period applies from 12am to 11:59pm, Irish time. 

You need to have enough credit to cover the RED Roaming daily fee for the country you are roaming in. The credit needs to be available at the time of the first chargeable event each day, in order to avail of RED Roaming.  If you don't have enough credit for the fee that day, your usage will be charged at the Vodafone World, or next applicable roaming proposition rate, if you are opted into another roaming plan. 

You will then be opted back in to RED Roaming if you top up again within 7 days.  If you don't top up again within 7 days, you will remain opted out of RED Roaming. In order to avail of RED Roaming pricing again, you will need to opt in again by texting RED to 50020. 

If you’re abroad and would like to top up, we recommend using our Quick top up service.

You will only be charged one RED Roaming rate, and it will always be the rate for the first country you travelled in that day. 

As technology evolves, more operators around the world are modernising their networks to expand their 4G and 5G coverage. Customers will benefit from this as the newer technologies provide faster data speeds, improvements in quality of service and even better ways to stay in touch with family and friends. Our partners around the world are starting to move to 4G and 5G networks and during this transition phase countries will begin to close their 2G or 3G networks.

If a country has closed their 2G or 3G network, this may impact how you access voice, SMS, and data services. Please see further details in the drop-down options. 

2G or 3G networks are closing in some European and Rest of the World Countries. 

Customers using 2G for data will notice that connecting to websites will be slower, and some apps may not perform as well. Customers using 4G or 5G can continue to enjoy a reliable high speed data experience. 

Customers visiting countries where either the 2G or 3G network has closed can continue to make and receive calls and texts using the remaining open network. 

3G networks are already closed in the USA and the remaining 2G coverage is limited. 

Operators in Australia are closing their 3G networks during 2024. The 2G networks in Australia were closed several years ago. Important changes to Voice services when roaming in Australia are detailed below. Please check this page before you travel for the latest news. We currently have three roaming partners in the Australia that provide nationwide coverage. 

• Vodafone Australia (TPG Telecom) 

• Optus 

• Telstra 

Services on Vodafone Australia

Vodafone Australia (TPG Telecom) closed their 3G network during January 2024 and roaming services are only available on 4G (LTE). The voice services over 4G provided on the Vodafone Australia (TPG Telecom) networks are only compatible with selected Vodafone handsets. This means that voice calls when roaming can only be made using one of these selected handsets.

Services on Optus and Telstra networks 

Voice Services on the Optus and Telstra Australia networks continue to be provided on their 3G networks until the end of October 2024. These networks will close their 3G service by 28^th October 2024 which will impact voice calls when roaming. After the 28^th of October, Telstra will continue to provide Voice, SMS and data services on their 4G network. Voice services are only available with compatible handsets (see compatible handset list dropdown). After the 28^th of October, Optus will continue to provide SMS and data services on their 4G network. Voice services will be temporarily unavailable on the Optus network as we prepare to transition roaming voice services to the 4G network. After the 28^th of October,  customers using older handsets that only support 2G/3G will have no service in Australia.  

Recommendation: Customers are advised to use 4G/5G handset models when roaming in Australia. 

Tip - if you never have 4G data in Ireland, your handset or your plan may only support 2G/3G roaming. 

Operators in Singapore are completing their 3G network closures from October 2024. The 2G networks in Singapore have been closed since 2017. 

Important changes to Voice services when roaming in Singapore are detailed below. 

We currently have three roaming partners in the Singapore that provide nationwide 4G and 5G coverage. 

• Mobile 1 

• Singtel 

• Starhub 

When the Roaming Partners complete the 3G network closures in Singapore, mobile services will only be available on the 4G and 5G networks. Customers using older handsets that only support 2G/3G will have no service in Singapore. 

Singtel will continue to provide Voice, SMS and data services on their 4G network.

Voice services will be temporarily unavailable on the Mobile 1 and Starhub networks in Singapore. Customers can continue to use 4G on all networks in Singapore for SMS and data services. In addition, 5G data is available on the Starhub network. 

Recommendation: 

Customers are advised to use 4G/5G handset models when roaming in Singtel. 

Tip - if you never have 4G data in Ireland, your handset may only support 2G/3G roaming. 

Operators in Taiwan are completing their 3G network closures during September 2024. The 2G networks in Taiwan have been closed since 2017. 

Important changes to Voice services when roaming in Taiwan are detailed below. 

We currently have three roaming partners in the Taiwan that provide nationwide 4G and 5G coverage. 

• Chunghwa Telecom 

• Far EasTone 

• Taiwan Mobile 

When the Roaming Partners complete the 3G network closures in Taiwan, mobile services will only be available on the 4G and 5G networks. Customers can continue to use the 4G and 5G networks in Taiwan for SMS and data services. Customers using older handsets that only support 2G/3G will have no service in Taiwan.

Voice services will be temporarily unavailable in Taiwan as we prepare to transition the roaming voice services to the 4G network. In the meantime, you can use your Vodafone data roaming service with common Apps that support voice calls.

Emergency services are available on the Far EasTone network,  dial and call 112 as normal to connect to the service.  

Recommendation: Customers are advised to use 4G/5G handset models when roaming in Taiwan.

Tip - if you never have 4G data in Ireland, your handset may only support 2G/3G roaming.

Operators in the USA have closed their 3G networks and are beginning to close their 2G networks. Please check this page before you travel for the latest news. We currently have three Roaming partners in the USA that provide nationwide coverage 

• AT&T 

• T-Mobile USA 

• Verizon 

The voice services provided on the AT&T and Verizon 4G networks are only compatible with selected Vodafone handsets. Customers using any handset model may use the T-Mobile network for voice services. 

  Roaming Guidance: 

• Verizon - connect to this network to make and receive voice calls, SMS or data with compatible handset models.  

• T-Mobile USA – connect to this network to make and receive voice calls, SMS or data with any handset model. T-Mobile network coverage may be limited or not available in some cities and rural areas. 

• AT&T- connect to this network to make and receive voice calls, SMS or data with compatible handset models. Customers using other 4G handset models may also connect to this network for SMS and 4G/5G data. Note – voice calls are only supported on AT&T for the handset models listed below.   

Recommendation: Customers are advised to use 4G/5G handset models when roaming in the USA and not to roam in the USA with an older handset that only has 2G/3G capability. Tip - if you never have 4G data in Ireland, your handset or your plan may only support 2G/3G roaming.   Customers with newer handset models with 4G can use the T-Mobile network for voice, SMS and data. 

Customers with compatible handset models can use AT&T or Verizon 4G networks for voice, SMS and data.

Customers with other 4G handset models can continue to use AT&T for SMS and data. Note - voice calls are only supported on AT&T for the handset models listed below. Your phone should automatically connect to the network with the strongest signal available. 

• Connect to the Verizon network to make and receive voice calls, SMS or data once you have a compatible handset. 

• Connect to the T-Mobile network to make and receive voice calls, SMS or data. 

• Connect to the AT&T network to make and receive voice calls, SMS or 4G/5G data once you have a compatible handset. Customers with other handset models may connect to the AT&T network for SMS and 4G/5G data. Note - voice calls are only supported on AT&T for the handset models listed below. 

To select a network, manually switch off automatic network selection in your handset settings and manually search for the list of networks.

Handset models compatible with voice Roaming on 4G.

Customers with the handset models listed below may use the

• AT&T and

  Verizon network for voice, SMS and data in the USA,

• Vodafone Australia (TPG Telecom) and the Telstra network for voice, SMS and data in Australia,

• Singtel network for

  Voice

  , SMS and data services in Singapore.

• Apple iPhone 7 and above running iOS 15.5 or higher

Samsung devices running Android 12

• Samsung A03/A03s

• Samsung A12

• Samsung A13/A13 5G

• Samsung A21s

• Samsung A22 5G

• Samsung A23 5G

• Samsung A32 5G

• Samsung A33 5G

• Samsung A41

• Samsung A42 5G

• Samsung A51/A51 5G

• Samsung A52 5G/A52s 5G

• Samsung A53 5G

• Samsung A70/A71

• Samsung A90

• Samsung S10/S10e/S10+/S10 5G

• Samsung S20/S20 5G/S20+/S20 Ultra/S20 FE

• Samsung S21/S21 Plus/S21 Ultra/S21 FE

• Samsung S22/S22 Plus/S22 Ultra

• Samsung Note 10/Note 10+/Note 10 Lite

• Samsung Note 20/Note 20 5G/Note 20 Ultra 5G

• Samsung XCover 5 EE

• Samsung XCover Pro 6 EE

• Samsung Z Fold 3

• Samsung Z Fold 4

• Samsung Z Flip 3

• Samsung Z Flip 4

• TCL 20SE

• Nokia 105 4G

• Nokia G11

• Nokia G50

• Nokia G60

• Xiaomi 11

• Xiaomi 11T

• Xiaomi 11T Pro

• Xiaomi 12

• Xiaomi 12 Pro

• Xiaomi 11 Lite 5G NE

• Xiaomi Redmi 10 2022

• Xiaomi Redmi Note 10 5G

• Xiaomi Redmi 9T

• Xiaomi Redmi 9AT

• Xiaomi Redmi Note 9T 5G

• Xiaomi Redmi 10

• Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 5G

2G or 3G networks are closing in some European and Rest of World Countries.

Customers using 2G for data will notice that connecting to websites will be slower, and some apps may not perform as well. Customers using 4G or 5G can continue to enjoy a reliable high speed data experience.

Customers visiting countries where either the 2G or 3G network has closed can continue to make and receive calls and texts using the remaining open network.

3G networks are already closed in USA and the remaining 2G coverage is limited.

Customers can continue to make and receive calls and texts using the 3G network when visiting countries where the 2G network has closed. 

Roaming data can be used on the 3G, 4G or 5G networks. 

To use 4G or 5G data, you must have a compatible handset and mobile plan. 

Customers using older handset models that only have 2G/3G capability will not be able to use data on 4G or 5G. When visiting countries with no 2G network, data will only be available over 3G. 

List of countries that have switched off their 2G network coverage; 

• Australia

• Anguilla

• Antigua and Barbuda

• Belarus

• Brunei Darussalam

• Grenada

• Guam

• Hong Kong

• Korea (Republic Of)

• Macau

• Mexico

• Norfolk Island

• Northern Mariana Islands

• Singapore

• Switzerland

• Taiwan

• United Arab Emirates

List of countries starting to close 2G network coverage from April 2024 

2G network coverage may be limited in the following destinations from April 2024, once the 2G network closure is completed there will be no 2G service available;

• Aruba

• Bahamas

• Barbados

• Cayman Islands

• Costa Rica

• China (People's Republic of)

• Dominica (Commonwealth of)

• Jamaica

• Montserrat

• Saint Kitts and Nevis

• Saint Lucia

• Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

• Turks and Caicos Islands

• United States

• Virgin Islands (British)

Customers can continue to make and receive calls and texts using the 2G network when visiting countries where the 3G network has closed. 

Roaming data can be used on the 2G, 4G or 5G networks. 

To use 4G or 5G data, you must have a compatible handset and mobile plan. 

Customers using older handset models that only have 2G/3G capability will not be able to use data on 4G or 5G. When visiting countries with no 3G network, data will only be available over 2G. 

List of countries that have switched off their 3G network coverage

• Bahrain (Kingdom of)

• Czech Republic

• Denmark

• Germany

• Greece

• Greenland

• India

• Indonesia

• Italy

• Luxembourg

• Malaysia

• Netherlands

• Norway

• Slovenia

• United Kingdom

• United States. 

List of countries starting to close 3G network coverage during 2024 

3G network coverage will begin to close in the following countries from April 2024. 3G Coverage may be limited at first, once the 3G network closure is completed there will be no 3G service available. 

• China (Peoples Republic of)

• Hungary

• Japan

• Puerto Rico

• Singapore

• Taiwan. 

Coverage may be unavailable or limited starting from Summer 2024 in the following countries. Once the 3G network closure is fully completed there will be no 3G service available. 

• Australia

• Azores

• Finland

• Madeira

• Portugal

• Russia

• Slovakia. 

Roaming Partners are decommissioning the 2G or 3G networks to free up mobile radio spectrum which can be used on both the 4G and 5G networks, providing more capacity and a better overall customer experience.

Normally you do not need to change your network when roaming. Your handset will automatically be connected to the network that provides all the services with reliable coverage and quality. 

If you find you are connected to a network with no service, please select a new network as follows'

Check that your “Data Roaming” and “Mobile Data” are switched on. 

How to change the Mobile Network 

1. Go to the device guides on the Vodafone website

2. Select your device manufacturer 

3. Choose your handset 

4. Enter “Select Network” or “Search Network” in the search box provided, where you will be presented with instructions to select a network. The exact menu option varies by device

5. Follow the instructions provided in the onscreen tutorial 

6. Switch the automatic network selection option off 

7. Perform a manual network search. This may take some time to present the list of available networks 

8. Select the network to connect to and wait for the connection request to complete. After switching from automatic network selection to manual selection, you usually need to request the new network connection several times before it will work 

Note, some networks presented on the list of available networks may not provide Roaming Services to Vodafone Ireland customers and the connection request may not be successful. 

1. Go to the device guides on the Vodafone website

2. Enter your handset type on the search box 

3. Go to the “Select Help Topic” section as displayed. 

4. Chose “Specifications” 

5. Scroll through the settings to find “Network” or “Network and Data Transfer”. 

This will advise you if your handset supports 2G, 3G, 4G or 5G.  

Roaming Voice and SMS services are currently provided using 2G and 3G networks. 

If a country has closed their 2G network, Voice and SMS will be provided using the 3G network. 

If a country has closed their 3G network, Voice and SMS will be provided using the 2G network. 

Roaming Data services are provided using 2G, 3G, 4G or 5G depending on your handset type and your mobile plan. 

Customers using older handset models that only have 2G/3G capability will not be able to use data on 4G or 5G. 

If a country has closed their 2G network, data on older handsets will be provided on the 3G network. 

If a country has closed their 3G network, data on older handsets will be provided on the 2G network. 

As Vodafone provides 4G coverage in over 180 countries and 5G in 32 countries, customers on new handsets can continue to enjoy a reliable high speed data experience. 

There are a number of generations of mobile network, 2G, 3G, 4G and now 5G and the quality of voice calls and mobile data speeds increases with each generation of mobile network. 

When roaming, the voice and SMS services are provided using the 2G and 3G networks. We will be providing voice and SMS services when roaming using 4G and 5G networks at a future date. 

2G and 3G networks have been around for a long time and operators around the world are now introducing services on the more recent 4G and 5G networks. 

The mobile data speed that you experience will vary depending on the network generation your handset is connected to (2G, 3G, 4G or 5G) and your chosen plan. In practice this impacts how quickly you can send and receive information, like browsing, loading posts, listening to music, streaming videos, downloading / uploading files or making video calls. 

Vodafone is working on delivering voice services over 4G (Voice over LTE) for customers when roaming. If you are travelling in the US, you can connect to the AT&T and Verizon network for 4G voice services on certain devices (see section “2G/3G Network closures in the USA” for more detail). 

In other countries, customers can continue to make and receive voice calls on 2G or 3G where available when roaming. We will update customers when further voice over 4G services are available. 

We've introduced data roaming spend caps and notifications to help you manage your data roaming when abroad.

The standard spend caps for both bill pay and pay as you go are €60 (inc. VAT) and €123 (inc. VAT). There is also a roaming higher spend cap of €360 (inc. VAT) for bill pay customers.

We'll text you when you reach about 80% of the spend cap limit, letting you know how much you have spent. If you then reach the spend cap limit, we'll send you another text letting you know that we have capped your data usage.

If you exceed the caps, it will mean you are opting out of data roaming spend caps on a temporary basis. Using this option means that the caps will be reset at the start of the next billing period. For Pay as you go Customers, the data roaming spend caps are reset on the 1st of the month. 

• To exceed the €60 (inc. VAT) spend cap: text PASS CAP to 50193

• To exceed the €123 (inc. VAT) text PASS UPPER LIMIT to 50193

• To exceed the €360 (inc. VAT) upper limit spend cap: text PASS HIGH LIMIT  + your PIN to 50193

• The PIN is the Security PIN or the last 4 digits of your     Customer Number

• Customers should receive communication of the Security PIN via preferred contact method, SMS or email. Customers can only change the PIN on the My Vodafone portal

• Please note that the Security PIN is  not required  for pay as you go customers

For more information on spend caps, go to our control costs section on this page.

Yes, you will receive the data roaming spend cap notifications to the SMS inbox which was installed with your mobile broadband software. It may not flash up on screen, so you should make sure to check it proactively before you reach your limit.

You will receive a text message to your phone or to the SMS inbox of your mobile broadband software letting you know that you have reached your spend cap.  

Yes, you can. You can still use your phone to make and receive calls and to send and receive text messages. And if you are using a modem, you will still be able to send and receive text messages. 

The amount of data you use depends on the type of service you’re accessing, and how rich the content is.

To call home, to another Irish mobile, or to a number in another country, when roaming, follow these steps;

• First, check that you’ve added the country code before the number you wish to call, especially if the number is already saved as a contact on your phone 

• To make a call to an Irish number, there are 2 options. For example, if you want to call (087) 1234567;

  • +353, drop the leading zero of the mobile code, 87 and dial the remainder of the number as follows +353 87 1234567 

  • Or, 00353, drop the leading zero, 87 and dial the remainder of the number as follows 00353 87 1234567 

• If calling a number in a third country, for e.g. calling a UK number such as 0208 1234567 whilst roaming in France, dial “+”, followed by the UK country code 44, drop the leading zero in the area code, (0) 208 and dial the remainder of the number as follows +44 208 1234567 

Please note that when travelling by air or sea, roaming rates are not covered by EU Regulation. 

To avoid unexpected roaming charges whilst in flight or travelling by sea, it is a good idea to put your phone on “flight mode” whilst travelling.

 “Flight mode” will disable your voice, data and SMS services.

Simply go to the device guides on the Vodafone website

• Select your device manufacturer

• Choose your handset

• Enter “Flight Mode” into the search bar

• Follow the onscreen tutorial, which demonstrates how to turn flight mode on and off

Don’t forget to take your phone off “flight mode” when you arrive at your destination to enable your use of voice, data and SMS services as normal. 
 
Also remember to check that “Mobile Data” and “Data Roaming” are switched “On” when you arrive at your destination, so that you can use your data services.

Please check the following to avoid problems accessing your data whilst roaming.

• Check that your “Data Roaming” and “Mobile Data” are switched on

How to check “Data Roaming”

• Go to the device guides on the Vodafone website.

• Select your device manufacturer.

• Choose your handset.

• Enter “Data Roaming” in the search box provided, where you will be presented with instructions to turn Data Roaming on and off.

• Follow the instructions provided in the onscreen tutorial.

How to check “Mobile Data”

• Go to the device guides on the Vodafone website.

• Type “Mobile Data” in the search box provided, here you will be presented with instructions to turn Mobile Data on and off.

• Follow the instructions provided in the onscreen tutorial.

• In cases where the data service is working, and the problem is just related to email access, it will be necessary to contact your email provider to resolve.

• If you have a 3G handset, and can access data at home but not abroad, check at the top of the device screen that you have a symbol for 3G signal. It could be due to 3G Network closure in the country you are in.

• When Roaming with Vodafone, you might receive a text advising that your data usage has been capped. This is to notify you that data usage has reached a certain threshold.

• Data roaming spend-caps and notifications are in place to help you control your Data Roaming

• If you decide to bypass the standard data cap of €60 (inc VAT) text PASS CAP to 50193

• If you decide to bypass the €123 (inc. VAT) data cap text PASS UPPER LIMIT to 50193

• If you are a pay monthly customer, you can choose to bypass the €360 cap, by texting PASS CAP UPPER LIMIT and include your PIN to 50193. Your PIN is the last 4 digits of your account number / customer number found on your bill.

• Please ensure that you are aware of the data charges in your location before extending the spend cap to avoid unexpected additional data roaming charges.

Did you know that some apps can continue to use data in the background even when you are not actively using the app?

This can happen, even when your phone is on standby, as some apps are constantly checking their servers in order to provide notifications or make updates, for example automatic downloads of email to your mobile.

Such background data usage could accumulate and result in unexpected data costs especially when Roaming outside of Europe.

There are some checks that you can make to reduce this background data usage. 

• For Android (Please note that this may vary slightly per Android device) 
  Go to “Settings” on your device, and then to “Connections”, then to “Data Usage”, and to “Mobile Data Usage”

• On the list of apps provided, hold your finger on each app, to see the “foreground” and the “background” usage

• You will also see an option to “Allow background data usage” – and here you can disable it for that particular app

• Remember to enable it later, if you wish the background usage to continue when you get home

It could also be a good idea to check if you have an option for “Mobile Data Only Apps” on your device. Once again, the instructions may vary by device. 

• Go to “Settings”, then to “Connections”, then to “Data Usage” to find the option for “Mobile Data Only Apps”    

•  Note that apps selected here will always use mobile data, even when your phone is connected to Wi-Fi. 

  • You may wish to turn this option off completely, or you may wish to go through your list of individual apps and only select those that you absolutely want to keep updated even when only connected to mobile data. 

• For iOS (Turning off Background App Refresh on Apple iOS) 
  Select 'Settings' and then select 'General'

• Select 'Background App Refresh'

• You can either manually select which apps to update in the background, or turn off Background App Refresh for all apps. 

Vodafone Ireland provides roaming services in partnership with other operator networks in the visited country. The mobile radio coverage and main network infrastructure is always provided by the roaming partner with Vodafone Ireland and some other partners providing the support. 

We do all we can to ensure the quality-of-service conditions are aligned to your experience on your home network. This is to ensure you have a genuine Roam Like At Home experience. Nonetheless, due to factors outside our control, this may not always be possible. There are various local factors in each country that can influence the quality of service provided related to the technologies available in the visited country and the deployment status of the latest technology. Service quality can be impacted by local network coverage, the number of people using the network at busy times, the surrounding buildings in urban areas, tree cover and even weather conditions. Coverage can also vary in indoor locations, travelling in a car or when visiting remote rural and mountainous areas. 

Voice and SMS services 

Voice service quality will depend on the network coverage provided and the underlying technology. Some countries have started to close their 2G and 3G networks, which may result in a different voice experience than you receive in Ireland.  

Access to voicemail when roaming can differ from country to country. Premium rate services and other short codes are usually not available when roaming, and when available are charged at a higher rate. 

SMS services normally work the same as at home and there is no expected variation in quality of service. 

Data services 

Roaming data quality of service can vary depending on service provided by the visited network. You can expect to receive the same data speeds as at home once that speed is available on the visited network. Vodafone Ireland do not throttle your data speed when roaming. 

Some countries may offer higher speeds than you receive at home and the speed offered can vary depending on location. 4G data is available in over 180 destinations and our 5G Roaming destination coverage is increasing regularly. 

You can expect to experience similar data speeds when Roaming in Europe as you receive at home. 

Data speeds in destinations further afield in Africa, Asia, Australia and the Americas may experience some latency due to vast distances back to Ireland. Latency is a slight delay between sending a request over the internet and receiving the response. It will not be noticeable for normal usage but may be noticed by users with higher bandwidth requirements (e.g. with gaming or high-volume downloads). 

To access your voicemail;

1. Dial 171 

2. If you find that this is not successful, you may need to call your mailbox number by dialling. 

3. “+” followed by Country code  353

4. Mobile code, dropping the leading zero   87

5. Insert a 5

6. And dial the remainder of the number as normal

7. You will then be prompted for your password. Unless you have changed your password, the default password will be 0000

8. Now you have access to your voicemail. 

How much does voicemail cost when roaming? 

With Vodafone RED Roaming, calls to voicemail cost 79c including VAT outside of Europe. 

Keep your account in credit when Roaming outside Europe or if you need to use more than your home allowance in Europe. 

If you are on a top up offer it will re-activate every time you top up by €20* or more in one go. (*€30 on Extra Unlimited).

To Top-up for Roaming, we recommend to top up by €15 or less in one go. 

• Quick Top Up - Customers can top up using quick top up service. 

• Or online at My Vodafone or on your personal banking website, if your bank offers this option. 

• My Vodafone App – by using a previously purchased voucher before leaving, or by using your registered card details. 

• Automatically scheduled Top Up – this can be set up online through My Vodafone, and will work at home or abroad. 

• SMS Top Up – Customers can request a top-up by texting "TOPUP" followed by the top-up amount and last 4 digits of your registered payment card to 50277. You will need to register your credit card. Register your card online now.   

• By Phone – Customers can call us for free on +353 1203 8232 (free for Vodafone Mobiles only) to top up, or by using 1741 as at home.

• Check balance - Customers can check their balance by sending ‘Bal’ to 50233 

• If the Customer does not have a debit / credit card, it is possible to purchase a voucher before leaving or ask a friend to purchase a voucher in Ireland and to send you the top-up code. Also, your friend can call 1741 and top up your number. 

Yes, you can use your broadband modem when you travel, on any networks that support 4G, HSDPA, 3G or GPRS. 

Yes, you will receive the data roaming spend cap notifications to the SMS inbox which was installed with your mobile broadband software. It may not flash up on screen, so you should make sure to check it proactively before you reach your limit.

Yes. If you have a 4G eligible plan, you will be eligible to receive 4G coverage where offered in the country you are visiting. 

Remember, you will also need to have a 4G capable handset to avail of the 4G coverage. 

No. 4G roaming is available to RED Roaming customers on 4G eligible domestic plans where locally available at no extra cost. 

What plans are 5G enabled while roaming? 

If you have 5G on your plan at home, you will also have 5G when Roaming, provided we have launched 5G in the country that you are visiting. 

Currently, Vodafone offer 5G Roaming in 

• Andorra 

• Argentina 

• Australia 

• Austria 

• Azerbaijan 

• Bahrain 

• Belgium 

• Brazil 

• Bulgaria 

• Canada 

• China 

• Colombia 

• Croatia 

• Cyprus 

• Czech Republic 

• Denmark 

• Dominican Republic 

• Estonia 

• Ethiopia 

• Finland 

• France 

• Georgia 

• Germany 

• Gibraltar 

• Greece 

• Guam 

• Guatemala 

• Hong Kong 

• Hungary 

• Iceland 

• Indonesia 

• Israel 

• Italy 

• Japan 

• Kazakhstan 

• Kenya 

• Kuwait 

• Lao (People's Democratic Republic) 

• Latvia 

• Liechtenstein 

• Lithuania 

• Luxembourg 

• Macao 

• Malaysia 

• Malta 

• Mauritius 

• Mexico 

• Monaco 

• Montenegro 

• Netherlands 

• New Zealand 

• Norway 

• Oman 

• Peru 

• Philippines 

• Poland 

• Portugal 

• Puerto Rico 

• Qatar 

• Romania 

• Saudi Arabia 

• Seychelles 

• Singapore 

• Slovakia 

• Slovenia 

• South Africa 

• South Korea 

• Spain 

• Sweden 

• Switzerland 

• Taiwan 

• Tajikistan 

• Thailand 

• Turkey 

• United Arab Emirates 

• United Kingdom 

• United Republic of Tanzania 

• United States 

• Uruguay 

• Uzbekistan 

• Vietnam 

• Virgin Islands, U.S. 

 In total we now have 80+ destinations where we have 5G Roaming.