Moving abroad is an exciting adventure, but it also comes with a lot of logistics to work out. One important consideration is whether to keep your US phone number. Luckily, there are several options for how to keep your US phone number when moving abroad.
Reasons To Keep Your US Phone Number When Moving Abroad
Losing your phone number can be a major inconvenience, especially if your phone number is connected to several services for 2-factor authentication.
2-Factor Authentication
2-factor authentication has become a common security factor for things like banking, accessing your email, and virtually any other service you may keep that you have to login to a website for. It is common to receive a call or text to your mobile phone to verify your identity.
Some providers do offer 2-factor authentication via email, in App, or via an Authenticator app like Microsoft Authenticator. If you can, switch your 2-factor authentication settings to one of these other methods, I would recommend doing so before you move abroad to avoid any issues.
Staying In Touch With Your Contacts
Another reason you may want to keep your US phone number when moving abroad is staying in touch with your contacts. We all have friends, family, and business contacts that we have spent years developing relationships with. While there are other ways to stay in touch, it’s a lot to ask someone to switch communication with you to WhatsApp or even communicating a change in phone number.
Ways to Keep Your US Phone Number When Moving Abroad
Port Your Number to a Virtual Phone Service
One way to keep your US phone number when moving abroad is to port it to a virtual phone service. Virtual phone services allow you to make and receive calls over the internet, using your US phone number. Some popular virtual phone services include Google Voice, Skype, MagicJack, and Vonage. To port your number, you’ll need to sign up for one of these virtual phone services and follow their instructions for transferring your number. Most of these will have a small one time or monthly fee. Do some research on phone services 1-3 months before your move as it can take several weeks to complete the porting process.
Here are some VOIP providers other expats have successfully ported their US phone numbers to.
Keep A Mobile Phone Plan With A US Carrier
Another option for keeping your US phone number when moving abroad is to keep a US mobile phone plan, but this can be expensive. You could continue to use your current plan from your US carrier. Many carriers offer international plans but they can be quite pricey each month. If you are going to be moving short term, some carriers allow you to put your plan on hold for up to 90 days but that doesn’t really solve anything because you won’t be able to use your number abroad.
You could also consider transferring to a mobile phone provider that offers an international plan. T-Mobile Has a global plan for about $35-50/month.
MintMobile, who also uses T-mobile towers for service offers a $15/month plan.
This option will allow you to continue using your US phone number on your current phone. You will need to contact your carrier to find out if they offer international roaming, and what the fees are. Alternatively, you can purchase a prepaid SIM card in your new country and use it with your unlocked phone.
Get a Phone Plan In Your New Country
When you arrive in your new country, don’t forget to get a new phone plan for a local number. You will need a local phone number to give people. You will find phone plans in Spain are significantly cheaper than plans in the US. Some popular mobile phone services include Movistar, Vodafone, Yoigo, Orange.
Lobster.es is a very popular service amongst expats. They are UK based and offer customer support in English which can be verify helpful, especially if you are still learning Spanish.
Conclusion
Moving abroad can be a daunting experience, but keeping your US phone number doesn’t have to be. By porting your number to a virtual phone service, using a SIM card from your US carrier, or forwarding calls to your new number, you can stay connected with your contacts back home. It’s important to weigh the pros and cons of each option, and consider the fees and time involved in each process. With a little bit of planning, you can make sure that your US phone number stays with you no matter where you go whether it’s for personal or business use.