Moving abroad? How to stay reachable on a UK number

Moving abroad doesn't mean leaving the UK behind. Your family still calls, your accountant still needs to reach you, and a surprising number of services — banks, deliveries, doctors, online accounts — keep sending texts to a UK number.

So how do you stay reachable on a UK number once you live somewhere else? There are three realistic options, and the best answer is often a combination.

Why a UK number still matters after you move

• Family and friends can keep calling a normal UK mobile, at no extra cost to them.
• UK services — utilities, landlords, pensions, delivery companies — often only accept a UK number.
• Online accounts send verification codes to the number you registered years ago.
• Coming back is easier when you never lost your UK contact details.

Option 1: keep your UK SIM and roam

The simplest approach is to keep your UK SIM in your phone (or in a second phone) and use roaming abroad. It keeps your exact number, and you'll receive texts as usual.

The downsides: roaming charges outside your plan's included destinations can be steep, many contracts limit how long you can roam before extra fees apply, and pay-as-you-go numbers can be disconnected if you don't use them for several months. Check your network's policy before you leave — rules differ from one network to another.

Option 2: port your number to an online provider

If you want to keep your exact number without a UK SIM, you can move (“port”) it to a provider that offers numbers over the internet. In the UK, you start by getting a PAC code from your current network — you can request one by texting PAC to 65075 — and give it to your new provider.

Not every online provider accepts UK port-ins, and the process can take a few days. HeyNum, for example, doesn't support bringing an existing number yet. Make sure your new provider confirms they can take your number before you cancel anything.

Option 3: a new UK number you use online

If your exact number matters less than simply having a UK number, the fastest option is a new UK mobile number that works over the internet. With HeyNum, you get a genuine +44 7 mobile number in seconds, with just an email address, and you use it in your browser on any device — no UK address, no SIM, no roaming.

A common approach is to keep your old SIM for a transition period while you give your new number to family and services, then let the old one go once everything has moved over.

What about UK banks?

This is the one to check carefully. Some UK banks only send security codes to numbers on UK network SIMs, and won't accept numbers used online. Many now offer in-app approval or card readers instead of SMS. Before you move, ask your bank how you'll confirm payments from abroad, and keep a working option in place.

Our recommendation

• Get a local SIM or eSIM in your new country for data and local calls.
• Use a UK number online for family and UK services, so you're reachable from any device without roaming.
• Keep your old UK SIM for a few months if your bank still relies on it, then decide.

Checklist before you leave

1. Ask your bank how you'll receive security codes abroad.
2. Check your network's roaming and inactivity rules.
3. Set up your new UK number and test a call before your flight.
4. Update your number with family, your GP, utilities and delivery accounts.
5. Turn on voicemail and notifications so you never miss a call across time zones.

Written by the HeyNum team. We build HeyNum, a service that gives you a real mobile number in your browser. We write about privacy, second numbers and staying reachable — and we're upfront when we mention our own product.