Last updated: 14 October 2026
Tesco Mobile roaming is free in Europe and cheap in the USA, but very expensive almost everywhere else. With Home From Home, every Tesco Mobile customer, pay monthly or pay as you go, uses their UK data, minutes and texts in 48 destinations at no extra cost, with no data cap beyond your own allowance. In the USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa, data costs 1p per MB. Elsewhere, including Turkey, Egypt, Dubai and Thailand, data costs £5 per MB, which is more than £5,000 per GB.
So for Europe, Tesco Mobile is hard to beat and you need nothing else. Outside Europe and that long-haul group, do not use Tesco data at all: a travel eSIM is the obvious choice.
Going to Turkey? On Tesco Mobile, a single GB of data there costs £5,120. Two weeks of Turkey data with us, 1.5GB a day for 15 days, costs $13.99 (prices in US dollars).
Home From Home: what is included
Tesco says Home From Home works "just like you do at home":
- Your whole UK allowance. Calls and texts to UK numbers and to numbers in Home From Home destinations, and your data, come out of your monthly allowance or bundles. Tesco answers the question directly: "There's no cap/usage limit" beyond what you have.
- Run out and you pay UK rates. On pay monthly that is 10p per MB of data, 25p a minute for calls and 10p a text, the same as at home.
- Pay as you go too. Your bundles and Triple Credit are used in Home From Home destinations. Top up by calling 4444 free from abroad, or text BALANCE to 2112.
- Receiving calls is free in Home From Home destinations.
The 48 destinations are the 27 EU countries plus the Azores, Canary Islands, Madeira, French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Mayotte, Reunion, St Barts, St Martin, Gibraltar, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland, Monaco, San Marino, Vatican City, Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man. Ireland is included. That is wider than many UK networks: Switzerland and Monaco are often left out elsewhere.
Not included: Turkey and Northern Cyprus, the Balkan countries outside the EU (Albania, Serbia, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia, Kosovo), Andorra and Ukraine.
Did Tesco Mobile end free EU roaming in 2026?
No. Tesco says Home From Home "was set to stop in 2026", but it is keeping it: "We have no plans to bring in EU roaming fees anytime soon", with at least 30 days' notice to affected customers if that changes. Customers who took a Clubcard Price contract between September 2024 and September 2025 keep Home From Home for their minimum contract period either way.
The fair use rule: about two months in four
Home From Home is for people who live in the UK. Tesco's Home From Home fair usage policy watches where you are over a rolling four-month period. If you spend more than two months of it in Home From Home destinations, Tesco texts you, gives you two weeks to change, and then adds a data surcharge of 0.35p per MB on top of your normal use. Calls and texts carry no surcharge. You also have to use a new Tesco Mobile SIM in the UK before you can roam with it.
Outside Europe: three price levels
Outside Home From Home, nothing comes from your allowance. Tesco's price list (Q2 2026) puts every country in a roaming region:
| Region | Examples | Data | Calls to the UK | Receiving calls | Texts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Turkey, Northern Cyprus | £5 per MB | 69p a minute | 69p a minute | 40p |
| 3 | USA (including Alaska and Hawaii), Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa | 1p per MB | 89p a minute | 89p a minute | 40p |
| 4 | Egypt, United Arab Emirates, Thailand, Japan, Mexico, India and the rest of the world | £5 per MB | £1.49 a minute | £1.49 a minute | 40p |
The 1p per MB rate applies to pay monthly and pay as you go alike.
To stop a surprise bill, set a zero bill cap or safety buffer in the Tesco Mobile app or My Account. Once you reach it, you cannot use chargeable data or make chargeable calls abroad until you raise it.
What a trip costs with Tesco Mobile
- A week in Spain, France or Switzerland: nothing extra. Your UK allowance applies, with no roaming data cap.
- A week in the USA: 1p per MB is £10.24 per GB, so 5GB for the week costs £51.20. Every call costs 89p a minute, even one you only answer.
- Two weeks in Turkey: at £5 per MB, 100MB costs £500 and a single GB £5,120. Turn data roaming off on your Tesco line before you land.
- A week in Egypt, Dubai or Thailand: the same £5 per MB, and calls at £1.49 a minute both ways.
When a travel eSIM is cheaper
Be honest about Europe first: in 48 destinations, with no roaming cap, Tesco Mobile already gives you your UK plan for free. A travel eSIM adds nothing there unless your Tesco plan is small and your trip is data heavy.
A travel eSIM is the better buy when:
- You go to Turkey, Egypt, the UAE, Thailand or Japan. At £5 per MB, Tesco data is not a real option. A prepaid eSIM gives you a fixed amount for a fixed price.
- You use a lot of data in the USA, Canada or Australia. 1p per MB is fair for light use. For a long trip, video calls or hotspotting, compare a plan sized for the trip with £10.24 per GB.
- You are away for more than two months of every four in Europe, where Tesco's surcharge can start.
- Your Tesco plan has little or no data. Abroad you only get what your UK plan includes; some Tesco phone tariffs include no data at all.
A travel eSIM needs a phone that takes an eSIM and is not locked: check yours in 30 seconds. Tesco Mobile does not charge to unlock its phones, and says its handsets are now unlocked. For the general comparison, see travel eSIM vs international roaming.
Heading further? Our Egypt, UAE and Thailand pages cover the other Region 4 favourites.
How to use Tesco Mobile and a travel eSIM together
Keep your Tesco number for calls and texts, 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 Tesco line, turn data roaming off. Outside Europe and the 1p group, a few minutes of background data on the Tesco line can cost more than the whole eSIM.
- Set a zero bill cap or safety buffer before you fly.
- Make calls over the eSIM's data with WhatsApp or FaceTime. Tesco says Wi-Fi Calling and 4G Calling are not available outside the UK (and pay as you go has no Wi-Fi Calling at all), so a call on your Tesco number abroad is charged at roaming rates, and answering one costs 69p to £1.49 a minute outside Home From Home.
Tesco Mobile also offers its own line as an eSIM, so you can keep Tesco on a SIM card or an eSIM alongside the travel one. For longer stays in the USA, see our USA eSIM page.
Comparing networks? See how giffgaff, SMARTY, Sky Mobile, Lebara, iD Mobile and VOXI handle roaming.
FAQ
Is Tesco Mobile roaming free in Europe?
Yes. As of October 2026, Home From Home lets every Tesco Mobile customer use their UK data, minutes and texts in 48 destinations, including Switzerland, Monaco, Jersey and Guernsey, at no extra cost and with no roaming data cap.
Is Tesco Mobile ending free EU roaming?
No. As of 14 October 2026 Tesco says Home From Home was set to stop in 2026 but is continuing, with "no plans to bring in EU roaming fees anytime soon" and at least 30 days' notice if that changes.
Does Tesco Mobile work in the USA?
Yes, at roaming rates. As of October 2026 data in the USA costs 1p per MB (£10.24 per GB), calls to the UK 89p a minute, receiving calls 89p a minute and texts 40p, on pay monthly and pay as you go.
Does Tesco Mobile work in Turkey?
Yes, but Turkey is not a Home From Home destination. As of October 2026 data there costs £5 per MB, calls 69p a minute and texts 40p, so most travellers keep Tesco data off in Turkey and use a travel eSIM or Wi-Fi.
How much is Tesco Mobile roaming in Egypt, Dubai or Thailand?
£5 per MB of data, £1.49 a minute to call the UK or to receive a call, and 40p a text, as of Tesco's Q2 2026 price list. All three are in Tesco's Region 4.
Does Tesco Mobile Wi-Fi Calling work abroad?
No. As of October 2026 Tesco says Wi-Fi Calling and 4G Calling are not available outside the UK. You can still use Wi-Fi for apps such as WhatsApp.
How long can I roam in Europe with Tesco Mobile?
Home From Home is for periodic travel. If you spend more than two months of a rolling four-month period in Home From Home destinations, Tesco can add a data surcharge of 0.35p per MB after two weeks' notice.
Facts checked on 14 October 2026 against Tesco Mobile's own pages, its Q2 2026 price list and its roaming terms.