Moving abroad? How to keep your US phone number

Moving abroad rarely means cutting ties with the US. Your bank, your brokerage, your doctor’s office, your old employer and dozens of apps keep texting the number you’ve had for years — and your family would rather call a US number than an international one.

So how do you keep a US phone number once you live somewhere else? There are four realistic options. The right one depends on whether you need your exact number, or simply a US number that reaches you anywhere.

Why a US number still matters after you move

• Banks and financial accounts send security codes to the number on file, and changing it from abroad can be slow.
• Family and friends keep calling a normal US number, at no extra cost to them.
• US services — insurers, landlords, schools, delivery companies — often only accept a US number.
• Coming back is easier when your contact details never changed.

Option 1: keep your US plan and roam

The simplest approach is to keep your US SIM and roam. You keep your exact number, and texts keep arriving as usual.

The catch is that carriers design their international benefits for travel, not for living abroad. T-Mobile, for example, states that the international benefits included with its plans are meant for short-term travel: if more than half of your monthly usage is on a foreign network, you get a warning, and after three months your international data can be blocked. Many carriers’ international passes are also priced by the day, which adds up fast over months. Read your carrier’s terms before you go.

Option 2: move your number to a cheap prepaid plan

Another common route is to move your number to a low-cost US prepaid plan before you leave, then use Wi-Fi calling abroad where your phone and plan support it. You keep your exact number for a small monthly fee.

Check two things first: whether the plan allows Wi-Fi calling from outside the US, and what happens to inactive lines. Some prepaid numbers are cancelled after a period without top-ups or use.

Option 3: port your number to Google Voice

Google Voice lets you move (“port”) your mobile number to a Google account. Google charges a one-time $20 fee, and the conditions matter if you’re about to move:

• you need an active US mobile number, and the port request has to be made in the US;
• your carrier cancels your phone plan once the port is complete, so don’t cancel it yourself before Google confirms;
• calls can take up to 48 hours to move over, and texts up to three business days.

In other words: port before you fly, not after. Google Voice is built for people in the US, and some banks and apps don’t accept internet-based numbers for their security codes — see how Google Voice compares for people outside the US.

Option 4: a new US number you use online

If your exact number matters less than simply having a US number, the fastest option is a new one that works over the internet. With HeyNum, you get a +1 number with just an email address — no SSN, no US address, no US SIM — and use it in your browser on any device, wherever you live. You can even pick the area code your contacts expect, like 212 for Manhattan or 310 for West LA.

It costs $7.09 a month with 1,000 minutes and 1,000 texts to US and Puerto Rico numbers included, and nothing renews by itself. A common plan is to keep your old number for a transition period while you give the new one to family and services, then let the old one go.

What about US banks and two-factor codes?

This is the one to check carefully. Some US banks and payment apps only send security codes to numbers from traditional carriers, and refuse internet-based numbers — whichever provider they come from. Before you move:

• ask your bank how you’ll confirm logins and payments from abroad;
• switch to app-based approval or an authenticator app wherever it’s offered;
• update your number on every account that still relies on SMS codes, while you can still receive them.

Our recommendation

• Get a local SIM or eSIM in your new country for data and local calls.
• If you need your exact US number, port it to Google Voice or a cheap prepaid plan — and do it before you leave.
• If you need a US number that reaches you anywhere, get one you use online, and give it to family and services.

Checklist before you leave

1. Ask your bank and brokerage how you’ll receive security codes abroad.
2. Read your carrier’s international and inactivity rules.
3. If you’re porting, start at least a week before your flight.
4. Set up your new or ported number and test a call and a text.
5. Update your number with family, insurers, your doctor and delivery accounts.
6. Turn on voicemail and notifications so time zones don’t make you miss calls.

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.