Last updated: 20 October 2026
Vodafone Australia's $5 Roaming lets you use your plan's data, calls and texts in more than 100 destinations for $5 extra a day, charged only on days you use your phone there, and for up to 90 days a calendar year. Bali, the USA, the UK, New Zealand and Thailand are all on the list. It works on postpaid plans only: prepaid customers buy a roaming add-on instead, from $5 for one day. A week in Bali on $5 Roaming adds $35 to your bill.
For a longer trip, or if your plan's data runs short, a travel eSIM usually costs less. Our Indonesia plan gives you 40 GB for 7 days for US$11.99 (about A$17.16), and your Vodafone number stays on for calls and texts.
Australian dollar amounts for our plans use 1 US$ = A$1.4314 (European Central Bank rate, 19 October 2026). Your card may convert at a slightly different rate. Vodafone's prices are in Australian dollars.
What $5 Roaming includes
From Vodafone's international roaming page, checked on 20 October 2026:
| $5 Roaming | |
|---|---|
| Price | $5 extra a day, only on days you use your plan's data, make or receive a call, or send a text overseas |
| What you use | Your plan's included data, calls and texts |
| When your data runs out | Vodafone adds 1 GB automatically for $5 |
| Speed-capped data | Not available while roaming: only your full-speed data counts |
| Cap | 90 days of use in a calendar year |
| Who can get it | Vodafone Infinite, Plus and Infinite Data plans, and Ultra+ plans |
| Prepaid | Not available |
Vodafone says Ultra+ plans include unlimited mobile data on your phone while roaming, with $5 for each extra GB of hotspot data beyond 30 GB. $5 Roaming also works on select flights with participating international airlines, at the same $5 a day.
Two things to know before you go:
- Wi-Fi Calling does not work while roaming on Vodafone, according to its roaming FAQ. To call home without starting a $5 day, use WhatsApp, FaceTime or another app over Wi-Fi or over a travel eSIM's data.
- Background app data counts as data, so turn data roaming off on your Vodafone line if you do not want a day to start. Finder's guide, updated 12 October 2026, adds that receiving a text does not trigger the fee.
Where $5 Roaming works
Vodafone names New Zealand, Bali, the UK, the US and Thailand among its popular $5 Roaming destinations, and its full list covers more than 100. Finder's copy of the list, as of October 2026, also includes Japan, Indonesia (including Bali) and many European countries listed one by one, such as France, Germany and Greece. Check every country on your route on Vodafone's destination list before you go: Vodafone says destinations may vary.
Outside the list, you pay Vodafone's pay-as-you-go roaming rates, which Vodafone publishes on its roaming rates page.
Vodafone prepaid roaming
Prepaid customers cannot use $5 Roaming. Vodafone's roaming page lists Prepaid Roaming add-ons that expire after a set number of days:
| Add-on | Price | Lasts |
|---|---|---|
| 1-day | $5 | 1 day |
| 3-day | $15 | 3 days |
| 7-day | $35 | 7 days |
Each add-on comes with a set amount of data, calls and texts rather than your plan's own, for use on handsets only. Finder puts the data at roughly 200 MB to 285 MB a day, depending on the add-on: enough for messages and maps, not much more. Vodafone caps prepaid roaming at 90 days of use a calendar year. Check the current inclusions on Vodafone's prepaid roaming page before you buy.
What a trip costs: $5 Roaming or a travel eSIM
For data on one phone, on $5 Roaming (postpaid). Our prices in US dollars, with Australian dollars in brackets:
| Trip | Vodafone $5 Roaming | Our travel eSIM |
|---|---|---|
| 7 days in Bali | $35 | US$11.99 (A$17.16): 40 GB for 7 days |
| 15 days in Bali | $75 | US$21.99 (A$31.48): 60 GB for 15 days |
| 7 days in Japan | $35 | US$11.99 (A$17.16): 1.5 GB a day for 7 days |
| 15 days in Japan | $75 | US$17.99 (A$25.75): 1.5 GB a day for 15 days |
| 7 days in the USA | $35 | US$11.99 (A$17.16): 1.5 GB a day for 7 days |
| 7 days in Europe | $35 | US$11.99 (A$17.16): 1.5 GB a day in 30 countries |
$5 Roaming is good value for a short trip, for a lot of calls and texts back home, or if you are on an Ultra+ plan with unlimited roaming data. It is one of the simpler roaming deals in Australia: no zones, one price.
A travel eSIM wins on trips of a week or more, when your plan's full-speed data would run out (extra data costs $5 a GB on $5 Roaming), on prepaid, and when you have already used most of your 90 days for the year.
Using a travel eSIM with your Vodafone phone
- Check your phone takes an eSIM and is unlocked: does my phone support eSIM? and is my phone unlocked?
- Install the eSIM at home on Wi-Fi: iPhone or Android.
- When you land, set the eSIM as your data line and turn on data roaming for the eSIM only.
- Turn data roaming off on your Vodafone line, so background data never starts a $5 day. A normal call or sent text on the Vodafone line still starts one, and Vodafone's Wi-Fi Calling does not work abroad, so use WhatsApp or FaceTime over the eSIM's data where you can.
If the eSIM shows No Service when you land, see eSIM not working abroad.
Going to Bali?
Bali is the most common trip from Australia, and both $5 Roaming and a travel eSIM cover it. Our eSIM for Bali guide covers coverage on the island, buying a SIM at the airport and which plan fits your stay. Other places: Japan eSIM, USA eSIM and our Europe eSIM.
Comparing Australian networks? See Telstra, Optus, ALDI Mobile, amaysim, Belong and Boost Mobile.
FAQ
How much is Vodafone international roaming?
On postpaid, $5 Roaming costs $5 extra a day in more than 100 destinations, charged only on days you use your plan overseas, for up to 90 days a calendar year. You use your plan's own data, calls and texts. Outside the $5 list, Vodafone's pay-as-you-go rates apply.
Does Vodafone $5 roaming work in Bali?
Yes. Vodafone names Bali among its popular $5 Roaming destinations, so a week in Bali adds $35 to your bill, using your plan's full-speed data.
Does Vodafone roaming work on prepaid?
Not $5 Roaming. Prepaid customers buy a Prepaid Roaming add-on: $5 for 1 day, $15 for 3 days or $35 for 7 days, each with a set amount of data, calls and texts.
What happens when my data runs out on $5 Roaming?
Vodafone adds 1 GB automatically for $5. Speed-capped data is not available while roaming, so only your plan's full-speed data counts.
Can I use Wi-Fi Calling with Vodafone overseas?
No. Vodafone says Wi-Fi Calling is not available while roaming internationally. Use a calling app such as WhatsApp or FaceTime over Wi-Fi or mobile data instead.
Is a travel eSIM cheaper than Vodafone roaming?
For a week or more, usually yes. A week in Bali on $5 Roaming costs $35; our Indonesia eSIM gives 40 GB for 7 days for US$11.99 (about A$17.16), and your Vodafone number keeps working for calls and texts.
How do I avoid Vodafone roaming charges?
Turn data roaming off on your Vodafone line before you land, and avoid normal calls and texts on it. Use Wi-Fi, calling apps, or a travel eSIM for data.
Facts checked on 20 October 2026 against Vodafone's international roaming page (vodafone.com.au/plans/international-roaming) for $5 Roaming, Ultra+, the 90-day cap, prepaid add-on prices and Wi-Fi Calling; Finder's Vodafone $5 Roaming guide (updated 12 October 2026) for receiving texts, the destination list and prepaid data amounts; and our catalogue. Exchange rate: European Central Bank, 19 October 2026. Check your own plan in the My Vodafone app before you travel.