How to Stay Connected While Living Abroad
Keeping in touch is an essential part of the expat experience. And it鈥檚 not just about keeping in touch with family and friends back home. Settling into your new country is just as much about reaching out to recently acquired friends as it is about maintaining old ties. Whether you want to confirm plans with colleagues or send a message to new pals, you鈥檒l need a phone.
Ideally, the perfect cell phone plan for expats is easy to use, easy to understand, and doesn鈥檛 cost a fortune. But there鈥檚 no one perfect plan. The best expat international cell phone plans for you will depend on many factors. Here are some of the most important things to consider.
Locked Versus Unlocked Phones
鈥淟ocked鈥� and 鈥渦nlocked鈥� are software terms. They don鈥檛 ask whether your phone is password-protected. The 鈥渓ock鈥� in question prevents the phone from being used on another operator鈥檚 network until a software code is used to 鈥渦nlock鈥� it.
Consumers should assume every cellphone is locked unless they purchase one that is clearly labeled as unlocked.
It usually doesn鈥檛 matter whether you鈥檙e buying your phone from a wireless provider, a third-party retailer, or buying it outright or as part of a plan. Assume it is locked unless you are explicitly told otherwise.
However, there are unlocked phones out there. This includes an unlocked version of the iPhone sold through Apple stores and the Google Android Nexus brand. Additionally, in most cases, unlocking is a fairly easy process.
If you are moving overseas, you will need an unlocked phone unless you want to purchase a locked phone and phone plan when you arrive.
Occasionally, this approach works for some expats whose new company is footing the bill. However, for most new residents, an unlocked phone offers the greatest flexibility.
Using Local SIM Cards When Living Abroad
While some North American telecommunication providers offer 鈥渞oam like home鈥� packages, they鈥檙e really designed for short-term travelers, not relocating expats.
However, that does not mean that your favorite smartphone is useless overseas. So long as it isn鈥檛 locked to a specific carrier, you can buy a local SIM card and insert it into your phone.
Don鈥檛 despair if you have an older phone with a slot that鈥檚 too big for a new SIM card. Chances are the retailer can provide an adapter to make things work.
The plan you purchase now, once you have a local SIM card, really depends on your budget and how long you will live overseas. The following are some popular options.
Pay-As-You-Go Cell Phone Plans for International Citizens
If you are on a budget or not exactly sure what the future holds, a 鈥減ay-as-you-go鈥� approach is the most flexible option.
You can load your phone with the number of minutes or data you think you鈥檒l need, so you don’t spend more than you’d like. On the downside, this isn鈥檛 the best approach for a super-social individual.
If you鈥檙e likely to spend a lot of money on excessive texts, this isn鈥檛 the plan for you. However, for basic communication on a budget, this is the way to go.
Prepaid International Cell Plans
Using a local SIM card on an unlocked phone, you can load the prepaid cell phone plan of your choice. You鈥檙e just paying once a month, like a regular phone bill, making this option easy to budget for and plan.
It鈥檚 a nice alternative for people who don鈥檛 want to reload pay-as-you-go options every week or so. However, there鈥檚 still lots of flexibility for expats who don鈥檛 want to commit to a data plan.
Localized Data Plans
If living overseas is your long-term goal and you expect to be in one place for a while, a localized data plan is the way to go.
A local long-term package will likely yield better deals than most other options. You can choose a new phone and plan combination for your new home.
Alternatively, you can bring along your older, unlocked phone and buy just the phone plan. It can take a bit of time to adjust to certain rules or restrictions about data use.
Thankfully, expat friends will happily share their best tips and tricks for getting good value and good service.
Dual SIM Phones for Expats on the Move
Of course, not every international citizen moves to a new country and just stays there. Many have to bounce between two countries.
Often, foreign workers take on the role of being a regional representative, which requires work in more than one country.
Additionally, many international citizens travel back and forth between their 鈥渘ew鈥� and 鈥渙ld鈥� countries to meet personal and professional demands.
In many ways, having dual SIM cards is the best of both worlds. You can maintain a different SIM card for each country or simply keep your personal and professional lives separate.
Relying on Google Fi
Google Fi is a telecommunications service by Google. It utilizes cellular networks and Wi-Fi to provide phone calls, text messaging, and mobile broadband.
At present, it鈥檚 a service for US residents only. However, because it relies on networks, Google Fi covers more than 200 countries and territories worldwide.
Many expats have switched to a local data plan in their new country. They rely on Google Fi for their communication when they鈥檙e back home in the US or traveling to third countries.
The service costs $20 a month for unlimited calls and messaging, plus a customizable data plan. Users love it because of its affordability.
Additionally, any unused funds are credited back to their accounts each month.
App-Based Alternatives for Expats
There are many smartphone apps that let you work around the issue of data altogether. , for instance, lets you make free international calls over Wi-Fi, 3G, and 4G networks to other Truphone users.
You can also use it to make very inexpensive calls to people who don鈥檛 have the app. Given how widespread public Wi-Fi is abroad these days, this isn鈥檛 a bad approach for laid-back expats who don鈥檛 make many calls and are more likely to use email and social media to stay in touch.
However, it鈥檚 not the best choice for someone working in an intense field like financial services who fields hundreds of calls a week.
Advantages of WhatsApp When Living Abroad
WhatsApp offers several advantages when living abroad, making it a popular choice for staying connected with family and friends back home and for various other purposes.
Here are some advantages of using WhatsApp when living abroad:
- Free Messaging and Calls: WhatsApp lets you send text messages and make voice and video calls for free over Wi-Fi or mobile data. This is especially beneficial for international communication, as it helps you save on expensive international calling and texting charges.
- Group Chats: You can create group chats to stay in touch with multiple friends or family members at once. This is useful for planning events, sharing updates, or simply staying connected with different groups of people.
- Multimedia Sharing: WhatsApp supports sharing multimedia files, including photos, videos, voice messages, and documents. This is great for sharing experiences, photos of your life abroad, or important documents with family and friends.
- End-to-End Encryption: WhatsApp uses end-to-end encryption for all your messages and calls, ensuring privacy and security. This is especially important when discussing personal or sensitive matters.
- Location Sharing: You can share your real-time location with friends or family, making it easy for them to know where you are, especially in a new city or country.
- WhatsApp Web: Allows you to access your WhatsApp account on a computer, making it convenient for work-related communication or typing on a full-sized keyboard.
- Business Features: WhatsApp Business offers tools for small businesses, including the ability to create a business profile, use automated responses, and manage customer interactions.
- Language Translation: WhatsApp has a built-in translation feature that lets you communicate with people who speak different languages, especially useful when living in a foreign country.
- Status Updates: WhatsApp鈥檚 status feature lets you share updates, photos, and videos with your contacts for 24 hours. It鈥檚 a fun way to keep people updated on your life abroad.
- Video Calls: High-quality video calls on WhatsApp allow you to have face-to-face conversations with loved ones, which can help reduce homesickness when living far from home.
- Integration with Local Services: In some countries, people use WhatsApp to communicate with local businesses, government offices, and other services, making it a valuable tool for everyday tasks and inquiries.
- Community and Support Groups: WhatsApp groups can be a source of support and information when living abroad. You can join local expat or community groups to connect with people who share similar experiences and get advice on various topics.
- Low Data Usage: WhatsApp is known for its efficient data usage, which is crucial when living in a place with expensive or limited mobile data plans.
While WhatsApp offers numerous advantages for staying connected and managing life abroad, it鈥檚 important to be aware of local regulations and privacy considerations when using the app in different countries, as these can vary.
Vanessa Chiasson is an award-winning Canadian travel writer with over ten years of experience. Her work has appeared in major publications, and she draws on living in France, Ireland, England, and Malawi to bring global insight to her stories.
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