To keep receiving bank codes and calls abroad, keep your home SIM in the phone and add a travel eSIM for data. Set mobile data to the eSIM, keep the home line switched on for calls and SMS, and turn off data roaming on the home line. Incoming SMS while roaming is free with many carriers, but check yours before you go.
If you are relocating or moving between countries, your home number often stays important for months: banks, tax offices, delivery services and messaging apps still use it to confirm who you are. Losing access to it can lock you out of accounts at the worst moment. Here is how to keep it working, simply and cheaply.
Key takeaways
- A dual-SIM phone can run your home SIM and a travel eSIM at the same time: the home line for calls and SMS, the eSIM for data.
- Turn off data roaming on the home line so it never uses data at roaming rates.
- Incoming SMS are free while roaming with many carriers, but rules differ; check your carrier.
- Wi-Fi calling, where your carrier supports it abroad, lets you make and receive calls on your home number over the internet.
- Where your bank allows it, move logins to its app, an authenticator app or passkeys, so you rely less on SMS.
- Virtual and VoIP numbers are often rejected by banks for verification codes; do not count on them as a replacement.
How dual SIM works with a travel eSIM
Most phones that support eSIM can use two lines at once: either a physical SIM plus an eSIM, or two eSIMs. You decide which line handles mobile data, and which line is the default for calls and SMS.
eSIM Turista plans are data only, with no phone number. That is a deliberate fit for this setup: the travel eSIM gives you affordable data, and your home SIM keeps your identity.
| Line | Used for | Data roaming | Stays on? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Home SIM (physical or eSIM) | Calls, SMS, bank codes | Off | Yes |
| Travel eSIM (eSIM Turista) | Mobile data: maps, apps, WhatsApp, email | On | Yes |
Messaging apps such as WhatsApp keep working with your existing account and number, because they use whichever line provides data.
iPhone settings
- Install the travel eSIM at home; our eSIM installation guide shows each step.
- Go to Settings > Cellular (or Mobile Data).
- Tap Cellular Data and choose the travel eSIM. Leave Allow Cellular Data Switching off, so the phone does not fall back to the home line for data.
- Tap the travel line and turn on Data Roaming.
- Tap your home line and make sure Turn On This Line is on, but Data Roaming is off.
- Under Default Voice Line, keep your home line, so calls and iMessage continue on your number.
Android settings
Menu names vary by brand, but the logic is the same.
Samsung Galaxy
- Go to Settings > Connections > SIM manager.
- Make sure both SIMs are switched on.
- Under Mobile data, choose the travel eSIM. Under Calls and Text messages, choose your home SIM.
- Go to Connections > Mobile networks > Data roaming and allow it only for the travel eSIM.
Google Pixel
- Go to Settings > Network & internet > SIMs.
- Open the travel eSIM: turn on Mobile data and Roaming.
- Open the home SIM: keep Use SIM on, turn Mobile data off and Roaming off.
- Under Calls preference and SMS preference, pick your home SIM.
If an option is missing, search your settings for "roaming" or "SIM".
What does it cost to receive SMS and calls abroad?
This depends entirely on your carrier and plan.
- Incoming SMS are free while roaming with many carriers, including the bank codes you need.
- Incoming calls may be charged per minute in some countries and plans, especially outside your home region.
- Outgoing SMS and calls are usually charged at roaming rates unless your plan includes the country.
- Data on the home line is where large bills usually come from, which is why you turn data roaming off.
Before you leave, check your carrier's roaming page or app, and ask whether there is a fee just for keeping the line active abroad. Some carriers also limit roaming over long periods, which matters if you are moving for months.
Wi-Fi calling
Wi-Fi calling lets your phone make and receive calls and SMS on your home number over an internet connection instead of a mobile network. If your carrier supports it abroad, it can save money on calls and help where the local signal for your home SIM is weak. Some carriers treat Wi-Fi calls from abroad as calls from home; others charge or block them in certain countries. Check your carrier's rules.
Turn it on in Settings > Cellular > Wi-Fi Calling on iPhone, or search "Wi-Fi calling" in Android settings.
Rely less on SMS codes
SMS is convenient but not the most robust option when you travel: messages can arrive late on foreign networks, and your number can be targeted by SIM-swap fraud. Where your bank and other services allow it:
- Use your bank's app to approve payments and logins, if your bank offers in-app confirmation.
- Use an authenticator app for email, cloud storage and work accounts instead of SMS codes.
- Set up passkeys where supported; they are tied to your device and resistant to phishing.
- Save backup codes for important accounts somewhere safe, offline or in a password manager.
- Update your contact details with your bank, including an email address you can access from anywhere.
Do this at home, before you leave. Changing security settings from abroad can trigger extra checks. For more on protecting your number, read mobile security abroad.
What if you cannot keep your home SIM?
Sometimes keeping the old line is not practical, for example when a monthly contract is expensive to keep running. Options that exist in many countries:
- Move to a cheaper prepaid or low-cost plan with the same carrier or another one, keeping your number through number porting.
- Number parking services, offered by some carriers and specialist providers, keep a number reserved for a small fee.
- Keep a minimal prepaid top-up, if your carrier only requires occasional activity to keep the number alive.
Rules on how long an inactive number lasts vary a lot, so ask your carrier directly. Before you give up a number, update it everywhere it matters: bank, government accounts, email recovery, messaging apps.
A word of caution about virtual and VoIP numbers: they are useful for calls and some apps, but banks and many services often reject them for verification codes. Treat them as an extra, not a replacement for a real mobile number.
Quick setup summary
| Step | Where | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Before you leave | Bank and carrier | Check roaming SMS rules, add a PIN, move 2FA to app or passkeys where possible |
| Buy and install | eSIM Turista | Pick a plan, install the eSIM at home over Wi-Fi |
| On landing | Phone settings | Data to the eSIM with roaming on; home line on, data roaming off |
| During your stay | My eSIMs | Check remaining data, top up the same eSIM |
For the wider picture of staying online while you relocate, see how to stay connected when moving abroad, and our comparison of eSIM vs roaming vs local SIM.
Get your data eSIM
Keep your number, and let a travel eSIM handle the data. Choose your destination on eSIM Turista, for example Turkey from $4.90 or Europe from $4.90. No contract, no ID, just an email.
FAQ
Will I receive bank SMS abroad with a travel eSIM?
Yes, if your home SIM stays switched on. The travel eSIM handles data, and the home line receives SMS as usual. Incoming SMS while roaming are free with many carriers; check yours.
Should I turn off my home SIM abroad?
No, keep the line on but turn off data roaming for it. That way you receive calls and codes without paying roaming data rates.
Does WhatsApp keep my number with a travel eSIM?
Yes. WhatsApp is tied to your account, not to the line providing data, so it keeps working with your usual number over the eSIM's data.
Does an eSIM Turista come with a phone number?
No. Our eSIMs are data only. Your home SIM keeps your number for calls and SMS.
Can I use a virtual number for bank codes?
Often not. Many banks and services reject virtual or VoIP numbers for verification, so keep your real mobile number active where possible.
What if my phone has only one SIM slot?
Most eSIM phones support a physical SIM plus an eSIM, or two eSIMs. If your phone supports only one line at a time, you will need to switch between them, so moving 2FA to an app before you leave becomes even more important.
