Last updated: 14 October 2026
SMARTY roaming is free in the EU and pay as you go everywhere else. In 44 EU destinations your calls and texts are unlimited and you can use up to 12GB of your plan's data each month at no extra cost. Outside the EU, your plan does not work until you buy an out of plan add-on (£5, £10 or £15 of credit), which then pays for what you use: 10p per MB in the USA, Turkey, Egypt and Thailand, and £1 per MB in the United Arab Emirates and Japan. A default £45 roaming data limit stops you running up more than that in a month.
So for Europe, SMARTY is enough. For the USA, Turkey or Dubai, a travel eSIM is usually the cheaper and simpler way to get data.
Going to the USA? On SMARTY, 1GB of data there costs £102.40, and the £45 roaming limit cuts you off at about 450MB. A week of US data with us, 1.5GB a day, costs $11.99 (prices in US dollars). Visiting the US? Our USA SIM card guide compares a US eSIM, a prepaid SIM bought in the US and what each UK network charges there.
What SMARTY includes in the EU
From SMARTY's price guide (version 42, 25 August 2026) and help centre:
- Up to 12GB of data a month. Data comes out of your monthly allowance, up to SMARTY's EU usage limit of 12GB. If your plan is smaller, your plan is the limit. In the Republic of Ireland there is no 12GB limit: you can use your full allowance, so the Northern Ireland border never costs you.
- Unlimited calls and texts to the UK and within the EU, except on data-only plans.
- Need more data? Data add-ons (1GB for £1, 2GB £2, 4GB £4, 5GB £5, 10GB £9, 15GB £14) work in the UK and the EU and never expire while you are with SMARTY. On a plan bigger than 12GB, an EU Roaming Pass unlocks the rest of your UK allowance for 1 day (£3) or 3 days (£7).
- One phone setting first. SMARTY says your SIM "won't work abroad unless you make a one-off change to your phone settings": an APN update, with the steps on SMARTY's roaming setup page. Do it at home, before you go.
Which countries count
The EU list is the 27 EU countries plus the Aland Islands, Azores, Balearic Islands, Canary Islands, Madeira, French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Mayotte, Reunion, Saint Barthelemy, Saint Martin, Gibraltar, Iceland, Norway, San Marino and Vatican City.
Some near neighbours are not included and cost extra:
- Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man (SMARTY's "Roaming 1A"): data at 2p per MB, calls to the UK 10p a minute, receiving calls and texts to the UK included.
- Monaco, Turkey, Serbia and Montenegro ("Roaming 1"): 10p per MB, as below.
- Albania ("Roaming 2"): 25p per MB.
The 60-day rule
SMARTY's limit is about consecutive days, not a share of your time: if you spend 60 consecutive days abroad, SMARTY can suspend all services on your account, and days outside the EU count too. It sends an alert two weeks before. If you are stuck abroad for reasons beyond your control, contact SMARTY before that happens.
Outside the EU: out of plan add-ons
Outside the EU, data, calls and texts only work if you have out of plan add-ons on your account. You buy them in £5, £10 or £15 amounts in the app or dashboard; they never expire, and you can turn what is left into money off your next month. Use is then charged by band:
| Band | Examples | Data | Calls to the UK or local | Receiving a call | Texts to the UK or local |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roaming 1A | Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Channel Islands, Isle of Man | 2p per MB | 10p a minute | Included | Included |
| Roaming 1 | USA, Turkey, Egypt, Thailand, Mexico, Australia, Vietnam, Monaco | 10p per MB | 50p a minute | 5p a minute | 20p |
| Roaming 2 | Canada, India, China, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, South Africa | 25p per MB | £1 a minute | 30p a minute | 40p |
| Roaming 3 | United Arab Emirates, Japan, Jamaica, Barbados | £1 per MB | £2.50 a minute | £1 a minute | 40p |
| Roaming 4 | Maldives, Mauritius, Lebanon, South Korea and others | £5 per MB | £2.50 a minute | £1 a minute | 40p |
The £45 roaming data limit. SMARTY sets a worldwide roaming data limit of £45 on every account. Once you reach it, you cannot use data, make calls or send texts until it resets on the 1st of the month, even if you have more add-on credit. SMARTY texts and emails you as you get close. You can ask SMARTY to change the limit through its chat.
What a trip costs with SMARTY
- A week in Spain or Greece: nothing extra, up to 12GB of your plan.
- A week in the USA: at 10p per MB, 1GB costs £102.40. The £45 limit stops you at about 450MB of data, which is a day or two of maps and messaging for most people. Calls home cost 50p a minute.
- Two weeks in Turkey: the same 10p per MB, so the same £45 wall at about 450MB, unless you raise the limit and pay more.
- A week in Dubai: £1 per MB. £45 buys about 45MB, enough for a few messages and little else.
- Two weeks in Switzerland: 2p per MB, so 1GB costs £20.48. Calls and texts back to the UK are cheap there too.
When a travel eSIM is cheaper
Be honest about the EU: up to 12GB a month at no extra cost covers most holidays, and a travel eSIM adds little there. A travel eSIM is the better buy when:
- You go outside the EU and need real data. At 10p per MB in the USA or Turkey, a few GB costs hundreds of pounds, and SMARTY's £45 limit cuts you off long before that. A prepaid eSIM gives you a fixed amount for a fixed price.
- You go to Dubai or Japan. At £1 per MB, SMARTY data is for emergencies only.
- You need more than 12GB in Europe. Data add-ons are cheap, but for a long, data-heavy trip an unlimited Europe eSIM is simpler.
- Your trip runs past 60 days. SMARTY can suspend your account. A travel eSIM keeps you online, and you can keep your SMARTY number for texts until you are home.
A travel eSIM needs a phone that takes an eSIM and is unlocked: check yours in 30 seconds. For the general picture, see travel eSIM vs international roaming.
Our Turkey, UAE, Egypt and Thailand pages cover the other places where SMARTY bills per MB.
How to use SMARTY and a travel eSIM together
You can keep your SMARTY number reachable and let the eSIM carry the data.
- Install the travel eSIM at home, on Wi-Fi: iPhone or Android.
- When you land, set the eSIM as the line for mobile data and turn on data roaming for the eSIM only.
- On your SMARTY line, turn data roaming off, so it never spends your add-on credit on data.
- Keep a £5 out of plan add-on on your account if you want to make the odd call or send texts outside the EU: without one, nothing outgoing works.
- Make calls over the eSIM's data with WhatsApp or FaceTime. SMARTY says Wi-Fi Calling doesn't work while you're abroad, so a call on your SMARTY number outside the EU is charged at roaming rates.
SMARTY offers its own line as an eSIM too, so you can keep SMARTY on a SIM card or an eSIM alongside the travel one. Heading around Europe for longer? Compare our Europe plans.
Comparing networks? See how giffgaff, Tesco Mobile, Sky Mobile, Lebara, iD Mobile and VOXI handle roaming.
FAQ
Is SMARTY roaming free in Europe?
Yes, in 44 EU destinations, as of 14 October 2026: calls and texts to the UK and within the EU are unlimited, and you can use up to 12GB of your plan's data a month. Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man are charged extra.
What is SMARTY's EU roaming data limit?
12GB a month, or your plan's allowance if it is smaller, as of October 2026. In Ireland you can use your full allowance. On a bigger plan, an EU Roaming Pass at £3 for 1 day or £7 for 3 days unlocks the rest.
Does SMARTY work in the USA?
Yes, with an out of plan add-on. As of October 2026 the USA is in SMARTY's Roaming 1 band: 10p per MB of data, 50p a minute for calls, 5p a minute to receive one and 20p a text, within a default £45 monthly roaming data limit.
Does SMARTY work in Turkey?
Yes, with an out of plan add-on, at the same Roaming 1 rates as the USA as of October 2026: 10p per MB, 50p a minute for calls and 20p a text. Turkey is not part of SMARTY's free EU roaming.
Why is my SMARTY SIM not working abroad?
Check three things. SMARTY says the SIM won't work abroad until you make a one-off APN change in your phone's settings. Outside the EU you also need an out of plan add-on, and the £45 roaming data limit blocks use once reached, as of October 2026.
Does SMARTY Wi-Fi Calling work abroad?
No. As of October 2026 SMARTY's help centre says Wi-Fi Calling doesn't work while you're abroad. Calls on your SMARTY number are charged at roaming rates outside the EU.
How long can I roam with SMARTY?
SMARTY can suspend your account after 60 consecutive days abroad, inside or outside the EU, as of October 2026. It sends an alert two weeks before.
Facts checked on 14 October 2026 against SMARTY's own pages, its help centre and its price guide (version 42, 25 August 2026).