Last updated: 10 October 2026
AT&T works abroad on almost every plan, but how you pay depends on the plan. Every current AT&T unlimited plan includes Mexico and Canada at no extra cost. Elite 2.0 and Premium 2.0 add 20 Latin American countries, and Elite 2.0 adds 20 GB a month in 210+ destinations. Everywhere else, AT&T charges the International Day Pass: $12 a day for one line, $6 a day for each extra line, and never more than 10 daily fees per line in one bill period. On a trip of more than a few days outside North America, a travel eSIM for data usually costs less.
Going to Europe? Two weeks on the Day Pass comes to $120 for one line. Our 15-day Europe plan with 1.5 GB a day costs $19.99, and the 7-day plan $11.99, less than a single Day Pass day.
What each AT&T unlimited plan includes abroad
| Plan | Mexico and Canada | 20 Latin American countries | 210+ other destinations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unlimited Elite 2.0 | Talk, text and data included | Included | 20 GB of data a month included, then up to 512 kbps |
| Unlimited Premium 2.0 | Talk, text and data included | Included | International Day Pass |
| Unlimited Extra 2.0 | Talk, text and data included | International Day Pass | International Day Pass |
| Unlimited Value 2.0 | Talk, text and data included | International Day Pass | International Day Pass |
The Latin American countries are Argentina, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Uruguay and Venezuela. AT&T says Cuba, French Guiana and the rest of the Caribbean are not included.
Two catches in AT&T's fine print. In Mexico, "2G off net data speeds may apply" when you are not on AT&T's own Mexican network. And AT&T says international usage should not exceed domestic usage, so the included roaming is meant for trips, not for living abroad.
If you are on an older plan, check it in the myAT&T app: what is included depends on the plan, not on the fact that you are an AT&T customer.
The International Day Pass and other options
| Option | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| International Day Pass, land and air | $12 a day for one line, $6 a day for each additional line used the same day | Your domestic talk, text and data in 210+ destinations and on select flights. At most 10 daily fees per line per bill period |
| International Day Pass, at sea | $20 a day per line, every day used | The same, on 400+ cruise ships. No 10-day limit. Speeds may drop to 512 kbps after 500 MB in 24 hours on some ships |
| Elite 2.0 included roaming | Included in the plan | 20 GB of data a month in 210+ destinations, then speeds may be reduced to 512 kbps |
| AT&T Passport | No longer available | Retired on 12 August 2021 for unlimited, Mobile Share and 4GB plans. AT&T now points travelers to the Day Pass |
How the Day Pass works:
- It charges per 24-hour period in which you talk, text or use data in an included destination. One fee covers the day even if you cross several countries.
- It switches itself on. If you have not added it, AT&T adds it to your smartphone when you arrive in an included destination and sends you a text. Once added, it stays on your account for future trips until you remove it.
- Background data counts. An app syncing in your pocket is enough to start a day. So is a Wi-Fi call to a number outside the US. Wi-Fi calls to the US are free.
- Data is your US plan's data. On land, the pass uses your domestic data allowance, at whatever speed the local partner network gives.
- Received texts are free and do not trigger the fee.
AT&T does not publish its pay-per-use rates on the Day Pass page. Countries outside the pass's list are billed at those rates, so check the country at att.com/globalcountries before you go.
What a long trip costs on the Day Pass
AT&T's own numbers make the sums simple. Take a 14-day trip to Europe, phones used every day:
- One traveler, one line: 14 days used, but only 10 fees charged in one bill period: 10 × $12 = $120.
- Two travelers on the same account: the first line pays $120, the second line 10 × $6 = $60, so $180 for the pair.
- If the trip crosses your bill date: the 10-fee limit applies per bill period, so 7 days in each period is 7 × $12 twice, $168 for one line.
- A cruise: no limit at sea, so 14 days on board is 14 × $20 = $280 per line.
Be fair to the cap: once you pass 10 days in a bill period, extra days cost nothing. On a three-week trip inside one billing cycle, one line still pays $120 and keeps its usual unlimited data. For a short trip of a day or two, $12 or $24 is hard to beat with any setup at all.
The same sums for a single destination, with Verizon and T-Mobile alongside: using your US phone in Italy, in Ireland, in the UK, in Greece, in Portugal and in Canada. For every way to get data abroad compared, from carrier passes to pocket WiFi, see the best international phone plan for travel.
When a travel eSIM is cheaper
A travel eSIM is a second, data-only line you add to your phone. You pay once for a set amount of data and days, and it can never bill you more. It usually wins when:
- Your trip is 3 to 10 days outside North America. That is where the Day Pass charges for every day used and the cap does not yet help.
- Two or more people travel together. Each AT&T line pays its own daily fee, and the $6 lines add up too.
- Your trip crosses your bill date, so the 10-day cap resets halfway.
- You need data on a cruise ship's port days but can live on Wi-Fi at sea: an eSIM covers the ports, and you turn the AT&T line off on board. Our eSIM for a cruise guide shows which plan covers which ports.
- You want a fixed cost, with no risk of a background app starting a $12 day.
The Day Pass or your plan is the better choice when:
- You are going to Mexico or Canada on a current unlimited plan. You already have talk, text and data at no extra cost, though a travel eSIM is still worth it if 2G speeds or slow maps would spoil the trip (our Mexico guide).
- You are on Elite 2.0 and 20 GB a month covers your trip.
- You travel for a day or two.
- You will spend most of a month abroad in one bill period and use a lot of data: $120 for your normal unlimited plan is a fair price.
- Your phone is locked to AT&T or has no eSIM. Check eSIM support in 30 seconds with does my phone support eSIM, and the lock with is my phone unlocked, which also covers AT&T's unlock rules.
The general trade-offs are in travel eSIM vs international roaming.
How to use both without paying twice
The usual setup keeps your AT&T number for calls and texts and puts data on the eSIM.
- Install the eSIM at home, on Wi-Fi: iPhone or Android.
- Set the eSIM as the line for mobile data, and turn on data roaming for the eSIM only.
- Turn data roaming off on your AT&T line. On iPhone, turn off Allow Cellular Data Switching too, so a weak signal never moves data back to AT&T.
- Remember what still triggers the Day Pass. Making or answering a call on the AT&T line, or sending a text, uses it, and starts a $12 day. Received texts are free. To avoid any fee, switch the AT&T line off entirely and use WhatsApp, iMessage or FaceTime over the eSIM's data.
- Remove the Day Pass from your account in the myAT&T app if you would rather it never switched itself on.
- Check myAT&T after the first day for any daily fee.
Every switch, step by step: how to avoid international roaming charges.
FAQ
Does AT&T work in Mexico?
Yes. Every current AT&T unlimited plan (Value 2.0, Extra 2.0, Premium 2.0 and Elite 2.0) includes talk, text and data in Mexico at no extra cost. AT&T warns that 2G speeds may apply off its own network there. Older or non-unlimited plans may need the Day Pass, so check yours in myAT&T. Our Mexico eSIM page compares data plans if you want faster or more data.
Does AT&T work in Canada?
Yes. AT&T's current unlimited plans include unlimited talk, text and data in and between the US, Mexico and Canada. Speeds abroad can be slower than at home. On other plans, the International Day Pass applies.
How much is the AT&T International Day Pass?
$12 a day for one line on land or in the air, $6 a day for each additional line on the account used the same day, and $20 a day per line at sea. You pay at most 10 daily fees per line in one bill period, except at sea.
How many days does AT&T charge for the International Day Pass?
Only the days you talk, text or use data in an included destination, and never more than 10 per line in one bill period on land or in the air. A 14-day trip inside one billing cycle costs $120 for one line.
Does AT&T still have an international monthly plan?
Not for current consumer plans. AT&T retired Passport for unlimited, Mobile Share and 4GB plans on 12 August 2021 and points travelers to the Day Pass. Unlimited Elite 2.0 is the only current plan with data included in 210+ destinations: 20 GB a month.
Will I be charged the Day Pass if I use a travel eSIM?
Not if your AT&T line stays silent. Data on the eSIM does not touch AT&T. A call made or answered on the AT&T line, or a text you send, starts a daily fee, so switch the line off or keep data roaming off and use messaging apps over the eSIM.
Facts checked on 10 October 2026 against AT&T's own pages.