International Call and Text

Best Mobile Plans with International Calls and Texts

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It wasn’t all that long ago that calling someone overseas was an exciting, and oftentimes quite expensive, endeavour. Luckily, the world we now live in today is more globalised than ever before and keeping in touch with our loved ones abroad is easier than ever. So, if you live in Australia and your loved ones live overseas, you can discover our comparison of the best mobile plans and providers that include international talk and text by reading below.

Best Mobile Phone Providers That Include International Calls

While you can often add international talk and text to your mobile phone plan for an additional fee, some mobile phone providers have generous international inclusions already bundled into their plans. Not all international inclusions are the same, and different providers offer different things, so always compare multiple mobile plans to make sure you know what you’re signing up for. Some of the best mobile phone providers to offer international calls and texts include:

Tip: If you’re looking for a specific country or destination, search this page using CTRL+F and type in the name of the country you want to call. You will find all providers who offer calls and/or texts to that destination.

AldiMobile International Mobile Phone Plans

Prepaid mobile phone provider AldiMobile has unlimited international calls and SMS to 15 countries available with any prepaid mobile plan $25 and up. All AldiMobile plans included continuous data rollover, a 30-day expiry, and unlimited standard national calls and text, in addition to their international inclusions.

Aldimobile Prepaid International Mobile Plans
DataCost & ExpiryInternational Inclusions
20GB of data$25 / 30 daysUnlimited standard international talk & text to 15 countries
100 minutes + 50 SMS to 35 countries
40GB of data$35 / 30 daysUnlimited standard international talk & text to 15 countries
200 minutes + 50 SMS to 35 countries
65GB of data$45 / 30 daysUnlimited standard international talk & text to 15 countries
300 minutes + 50 SMS to 35 countries

Source: Providers individual websites. Actual offers may vary. Actual speeds may vary. Comparison does not include all providers, products, or plan features. Valid August 2021.

Countries you can call & text with Aldimobile* Unlimited calls & text:
Canada, China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, South Korean, Thailand, UK, USA
Included minutes & text:
Bangladesh, Belgium, Brazil, Chile, Cyprus, Denmark, Greece, Guam, Hungary, Israel, Italy, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Pakistan, Romania, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, Sweden
*International call & text comes with selected plans only. Not all plans include all countries. Check your plan details before calling overseas.

Amaysim International Phone Plans

Amaysim is well known for their cheap mobile phone plans with big international inclusions. All Amaysim mobile plans with 30GB of data, or more, come with standard international talk and text to selected countries, and come with bonus data for new customers as well as unlimited standard national talk and text.

Amaysim International Mobile Plans
DataCost & ExpiryInternational Inclusions
45GB of data first 3 renewals
30GB of data after
$10 / 28 days first renewal
$30 / 28 days after
Unlimited standard international talk & text to 28 countries
100GB of data first renewal
50GB of data after
$15 / 28 days first renewal
$40 / 28 days after
Unlimited standard international talk & text to 28 countries
80GB of data$20 / 28 days first renewal
$50 / 28 days after
Unlimited standard international talk & text to 28 countries

Source: Providers individual websites. Actual offers may vary. Actual speeds may vary. Comparison does not include all providers, products, or plan features. Valid August 2021.

Countries you can call & text with Amaysim* Unlimited calls & text:
Austria, Bangladesh, Brazil, Cambodia, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Croatia, France, Germany, Greece, Guan, Hong Kong, HUngary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Malta, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Pakistan, Philippines, Poland, Puerto Rico, Romania, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Sweden, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, UK, USA; Vietnam
*International call & text comes with selected plans only. Not all plans include all countries. Check your plan details before calling overseas.

Boost Mobile International Phone Plans

Unlike some other mobile phone providers offering international calls and text, Boost Mobile includes the same number of destinations, minutes, and texts no matter what size plan you choose. All plans include unlimited calls and texts to 20 destinations, as well as 300 minutes to 30 additional countries, and 300 texts to any international destination, in addition to unlimited calls and texts to standard Australian numbers.

Boost Mobile International Mobile Plans
DataCost & ExpiryInternational Inclusions
20GB of data
+17GB bonus data first 3 recharges
$30 / 28 daysUnlimited standard international calls 20 countries
300 minutes to 30 countries
300 texts to any country
30GB of data
+17GB bonus data first 3 recharges
$40 / 28 daysUnlimited standard international calls 20 countries
300 minutes to 30 countries
300 texts to any country
40GB of data
+17GB bonus data first 3 recharges
$50 / 28 daysUnlimited standard international calls 20 countries
300 minutes to 30 countries
300 texts to any country
65GB of data
+17GB bonus data first 3 recharges
$70 / 28 daysUnlimited standard international calls 20 countries
300 minutes to 30 countries
300 texts to any country

Source: Providers individual websites. Actual offers may vary. Actual speeds may vary. Comparison does not include all providers, products, or plan features. Valid August 2021.

Countries you can call & text with Boost* Unlimited calls:
Canada, China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Philippines, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, UK, USA, Vietnam
300 standard minutes:
Afghanistan, Austria, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Chile, Colombia, Denmark, Finland, Greece, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Kuwait, Mexico, Nepal, Netherlands, Norway, Pakistan, Peru, Poland, Qatar, Romania, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, Sri Lanka, Sweden, UAE
*International call & text comes with selected plans only. Not all plans include all countries. Check your plan details before calling overseas.

Coles Mobile International Phone Plans

Coles Mobile only offers two prepaid mobile plans, a 30-day plan with 15GB of data or a 365-day plan with 120GB of data. Both plans come with unlimited standard talk and text within Australia, as well as 50GB data rollover, with no lock-in contract and include unlimited calls to 15 countries.

Coles Mobile International Mobile Plans
DataCost & ExpiryInternational Inclusions
15GB of data$10 / 30 days first 30 days
$20 / 30 days after
Unlimited standard international calls to 15 countries
120GB of data$125 / first 365 days
$150 / 365 days after
Unlimited standard international talk & text to 15 countries

Source: Providers individual websites. Actual offers may vary. Actual speeds may vary. Comparison does not include all providers, products, or plan features. Valid August 2021.

Countries you can call & text with Coles Mobile* Unlimited calls & text:
Canada, mainland China, France, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand, UK, USA
*International call & text comes with selected plans only. Not all plans include all countries. Check your plan details before calling overseas.

Lebara International Phone Plans

Lebara definitely offers some of the most inclusive international talk and text options with their prepaid mobile phone plans, with one of the most extensive destinations lists of any mobile provider. With Lebara prepaid plans, customers can get:

  • Unlimited standard international talk & text to select countries
  • International call minutes to Zone 1 and Zone 2 countries
  • Unlimited standard international text to 60 countries

Plans start at just $24.90 for 25GB of data and, in addition to unlimited talk and text to Australian numbers, also includes data banking up to 200GB on a no lock-in contract.

Lebara International Mobile Plans
DataCost & ExpiryInternational Inclusions
25GB of data$24.90 / 30 daysUnlimited standard international talk & text to 26 countries
Zone 1: 100 minutes
Zone 2: 30 minutes
Unlimited standard text to 60 countries
50GB of data first 3 months
30GB of data after
$29.90 / 30 daysUnlimited standard international talk & text to 35 countries
Zone 1: Up to 300 minutes
Zone 2: 30 minutes
Unlimited standard text to 60 countries
65GB of data first 3 months
45GB of data after
$39.90 / 30 daysUnlimited standard international talk & text to 50 countries
Zone 1: Up to 300 minutes
Zone 2: 30 minutes
Unlimited standard text to 60 countries
80GB of data first 3 months
60GB of data after
$49.90 / 30 daysUnlimited standard international talk & text to 60 countries
Zone 1: Up to 300 minutes
Zone 2: 50 minutes
Unlimited standard text to 60 countries
100GB of data$69.90 / 30 daysUnlimited standard international talk & text to 64 countries
Zone 1: Up to 500 minutes
Zone 2: 50 minutes
Unlimited standard text to 60 countries

Source: Providers individual websites. Actual offers may vary. Actual speeds may vary. Comparison does not include all providers, products, or plan features. Valid August 2021.

Countries you can call & text with Lebara* Unlimited calls & text:
Argentina, Australia, Bangladesh, Brazil, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, French Guiana, Germany, Greece, Guam, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy., Japan, Kuwait, South Korea, Laos, Luxembourg, Macau, Malaysia, Malta, Mexico, Mongolia, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Philippines, Pakistan, Paraguay,Peru, Poland, Portugal, Reunion, Romania, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, UK, USA; Venezuela, Vietnam
Zone 1:
Afghanistan, Egypt, Iran, Jordan, Lebanon, Myanmar, Nepal, Nigeria, Sri Lanka, Samoa, Saudi Arabia, UAE
Zone 2:
Croatia, Ethiopia, Fiji, Ghana, Iraq, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Qatar, Serbia
Unlimited standard text:
Argentina, Austria, Bangladesh, Brazil, Brunei Darussalam, Canada, Cambodia, Chile, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cyprus, Czech republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, French Guiana, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Korea South, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Malta, Mexico, Mongolia, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Pakistan, Paraguay, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Reunion, Romania, Russia, Singapore, Slovakia, South Korea, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, United Kingdom,bUnited States, Venezuela, Vietnam
*International call & text comes with selected plans only. Not all plans include all countries. Check your plan details before calling overseas.

Lycamobile International Phone Plans

Prepaid MVNO Lycamobile knows much of its customer base is international, and offers unlimited calls on both of its bigger prepaid mobile phone plans. Lycamobile prepaid mobile phone plans with international calling start at $30 with a 28-day expiry for 50GB of data, or choose 65GB of data for $40. Both plans include unlimited talk and text to standard Australian numbers, as well as unlimited calls to 29 international destinations.

Lycamobile International Mobile plans
DataCost & ExpiryInternational Inclusions
50GB of data$30 / 28 daysUnlimited standard international calls to 29 countries
65GB of data$40 / 28 daysUnlimited standard international calls to 29 countries

Source: Providers individual websites. Actual offers may vary. Actual speeds may vary. Comparison does not include all providers, products, or plan features. Valid August 2021.

Countries you can call & text with Lycamobile* Unlimited calls:
Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Guam, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Puerto Rico, Romania, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand, United Kingdom, USA
Fixed lines only:
France, Germany, Hungary, Indonesia Malta, Sweden, Taiwan, Venezuela
*International call & text comes with selected plans only. Not all plans include all countries. Check your plan details before calling overseas.

Mate International Phone Plans

Mate offers cheap, monthly, SIM-only mobile phone plans on the Telstra network. In addition to unlimited standard national, and international, talk & text included with Mate mobile plans, some Mate mobile plans include a free 12-month TIDAL Premium music subscription, and up to 400GB of data banking.

Mate International Mobile Plans
DataCost & ExpiryInternational Inclusions
20GB of data$25 / monthUnlimited standard international talk & text to 15 countries
30GB of data$30 / monthUnlimited standard international talk & text to 15 countries
40GB of data$35 / monthUnlimited standard international talk & text to 15 countries
50GB of data$40 / monthUnlimited standard international talk & text to 15 countries
70GB of data$50 / monthUnlimited standard international talk & text to 15 countries

Source: Providers individual websites. Actual offers may vary. Actual speeds may vary. Comparison does not include all providers, products, or plan features. Valid August 2021.

Countries you can call & text with Mate* Unlimited calls & text:
Canada, China, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, India, Ireland, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand, UK, USA; Vietnam
*International call & text comes with selected plans only. Not all plans include all countries. Check your plan details before calling overseas.

Optus International Phone Plans

As one of the mobile network operators, Optus offers big mobile phone plans with lots of inclusions - including unlimited standard talk and text to 35 international destinations. In addition, with any Optus SIM-only plan you’ll get access to the 5G network, unlimited national talk and text, data sharing, and endless data at 1.5Mbps with no excess charges.

Optus International Mobile Plans
DataCost & ExpiryInternational Inclusions
80GB of data$55 / monthUnlimited standard international talk & text to 35 countries
200GB of data$65 / monthUnlimited standard international talk & text to 35 countries
240GB of data$85 / monthUnlimited standard international talk & text to 35 countries

Source: Providers individual websites. Actual offers may vary. Actual speeds may vary. Comparison does not include all providers, products, or plan features. Valid August 2021.

Countries you can call & text with Optus* Unlimited calls & text:
Brazil, Brunei,. Cambodia, Canada, China, Colombia, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Laos, Lebanon, Malaysia, Malta, Mexico, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Romania, Singapore, South Korea, Sweden, Taiwan, Thailand, UK, USA, Vietnam
*International call & text comes with selected plans only. Not all plans include all countries. Check your plan details before calling overseas.

Vodafone International Phone Plans

As a major mobile network operator, Vodafone’s international mobile phone plans come with multiple included destinations which they split between Zone 1 and Zone 2, as well as unlimited international texting. In addition, Vodafone mobile phone plans also include:

  • 5G network access, if available
  • Unlimited data up to 20Mbps speed with no excess usage fees
  • Unlimited standard national talk and text
Vodafone International Mobile Plans
DataCost & ExpiryInternational Inclusions
30GB of data
+ 50GB bonus data
$45 / monthZone 1: 100 minutes
Unlimited standard international text
60GB of data
+ 90GB bonus data
$55 / monthZone 1: 1000 minutes
Zone 2: 100 minutes
Unlimited standard international text
100GB of data
+ 200GB bonus data
$65 / monthZone 1: Unlimited calls
Zone 2: 200 minutes
Unlimited standard international text
150GB of data
+ 350GB bonus data
$75 / month first 12 months
$120 / month after
Zone 1: Unlimited calls1000 minutes
Zone 2: 300 minutes
Unlimited standard international text

Source: Providers individual websites. Actual offers may vary. Actual speeds may vary. Comparison does not include all providers, products, or plan features. Valid August 2021.

Countries you can call & text with Vodafone* Zone 1:
Bangladesh, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Germany, Guam, Hong Kong, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Kuwait, Malaysia, Mexico, Mongolia, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Peru, Puerto Rico, Romania, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, UK, USA. Vatican
Zone 2:
Andorra, Argentina, Austria, Bahrain, Belgium, Bermuda, Bolivia, Brunei, Cambodia, Cayman Islands, Costa Rica, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Egypt, Faroe Islands, France, Gibraltar, Greece, Guadeloupe, Guatemala, Hungary, Kazakhstan, Laos, Lebanon, Luxembourg, Macau, Malta, Mozambique, Namibia, Nepal, Northern Mariana Islands, Pakistan, Panama, Paraguay, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Reunion, Russia, San Marino, Saudi Arabia, Slovakia, South Africa, Spain Canary Islands, Sri Lanka, Swaziland, Turkey, Turkmenistan, UAE, Uruguay, Venezuela, Vietnam
*International call & text comes with selected plans only. Not all plans include all countries. Check your plan details before calling overseas.

Woolworths Mobile International Phone Plans

Supermarket giant Woolworths got into the MVNO business many years ago, and now offers two, prepaid, mobile phone plans with international calling to 22 countries. The smaller of the two plans starts at $30 with a 30-day expiry for 30GB of data, or choose the bigger plan with 42GB of data for $40.

Woolworths Mobile International Mobile Plans
DataCost & ExpiryInternational Inclusions
30GB of data$30 / 30 daysUnlimited standard international calls to 22 countries
42GB of data$40 / 28 daysUnlimited standard international calls to 22 countries

Source: Providers individual websites. Actual offers may vary. Actual speeds may vary. Comparison does not include all providers, products, or plan features. Valid August 2021.

Countries you can call & text with Woolworths Mobile* Unlimited calls & text:
Bangladesh, Canada, China, Denmark, France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Thailand, UK, USA, Vietnam
*International call & text comes with selected plans only. Not all plans include all countries. Check your plan details before calling overseas.

Cheap International Calls Plans $30 and Under

Below you can find the cheapest international mobile plans for under $30. While many providers offer cheaper mobile phone plans, sometimes as little as under $10 per month, international calls and text inclusions aren’t really available until you start looking at plans between $20 and $30 per month. Below are some of the cheapest mobile plans with the best inclusions available.

Cheap International Mobile Plans
DataCost & ExpiryInternational Inclusions
20GB of data$25 / 30 daysUnlimited standard international talk & text to 15 countries
100 minutes + 50 SMS to 35 countries
45GB of data first 3 renewals
30GB of data after
$10 / 28 days first renewal
$30 / 28 days after
Unlimited standard international talk & text to 28 countries
20GB of data
+17GB bonus data first 3 recharges
$30 / 28 daysUnlimited standard international calls 20 countries
300 minutes to 30 countries
300 texts to any country
15GB of data$10 / 30 days first 30 days
$20 / 30 days after
Unlimited standard international calls to 15 countries
25GB of data$24.90 / 30 daysUnlimited standard international talk & text to 26 countries
Zone 1: 100 minutes
Zone 2: 30 minutes
Unlimited standard text to 60 countries
50GB of data$30 / 28 daysUnlimited standard international calls to 29 countries
20GB of data$25 / monthUnlimited standard international talk & text to 15 countries
30GB of data$30 / 30 daysUnlimited standard international calls to 22 countries

Source: Providers individual websites. Actual offers may vary. Actual speeds may vary. Comparison does not include all providers, products, or plan features. Valid August 2021.

Choosing the Best International Mobile Plan

There is a lot to consider when comparing mobile phone plans, and even more when you want to make sure that plan has international inclusions. Not all international phone plans are equal, and you don’t want to get caught using up all your prepaid credits, or needing to pay a hefty bill at the end of the month, for calling a country that wasn’t included on your plan’s international list. Things to consider include:

  • Countries included: Not all countries are included in every plan. The most common countries included are: USA, UK, China, New Zealand, India, Singapore, Malaysia, and Vietnam, but many other countries are often included in this list.
  • Type of credit your plan provides: Some plans include unlimited calls, while others have a set call credit limit in AUD, or a set number of minutes per month.
  • Calling and texting: Some plans don’t offer unlimited international texting, while some countries might only be included for texting rather than calling.
  • Mobiles or landlines: Some plans only allow you to make unlimited calls only on landlines, or only mobiles.

Free Ways to Call and Text Other Countries

There are also ways to contact people internationally for free; all you need is a broadband connection or access to the mobile broadband network. You probably have heard of a couple like FaceTime and iMessage, WhatsApp, or Viber. These services, similar to VoIP, allow you to call and text people for free from anywhere you have an internet connection.

Some popular free calling and texting services include:

  • WhatsApp
  • Viber
  • iPhone FaceTime
  • Facebook Messenger
  • TalkU
  • Skype
  • Telegram

The biggest advantage to these services is that they’re free. They can often be downloaded onto your mobile phone or computer, and as long as you’re connected to the internet you can make a call or text a friend. There are some downsides, however, to these services. The biggest is that both people need to be using the same service. You can’t really call someone through WhatsApp if they use FaceTime, for example. Similarly, you can’t usually call landlines with these programs and the ones that allow you to often come with a premium cost.

While eSIMs offer a convenient way to stay connected internationally, traditional methods like VoIP and messaging apps remain popular choices for free international calls and texts. By combining the flexibility of eSIMs with these free services, you can truly maximize your global communication experience. For instance, you can use eSIMs to access affordable data plans in different countries, allowing you to make calls and send texts via Wi-Fi, or mobile data, reducing reliance on traditional phone plans.  

Pros

  • Free to download and use
  • Can be used to contact anyone in almost any country
  • More flexibility to switch between devices

Cons

  • Require a broadband (or data) connection
  • Can often only be used when both parties have the same application
  • Might need to pay for premium services like landline calling