Having a UK phone number while living abroad

[Sean Tan]

I will be living abroad for one or two years. I conduct most of my business online i.e. via emails and instant messengers, but it will be good to be able to keep using my existing phone number. Before I left the UK, I converted my phone plan to a pay-as-you-go plan, so I can continue receiving sms for free, without having to pay monthly for a plan. However, the cost for making and receiving calls while abroad is exorbitant. Are there other affordable solutions, to be able to make or receive calls from abroad?

 

[TomJ83]

While abroad, will you be in EU or outside EU?

 

[Sean Tan]

While abroad, will you be in EU or outside EU?

Hi. Outside the EU.

 

[cjd]

I will be living abroad for one or two years. I conduct most of my business online i.e. via emails and instant messengers, but it will be good to be able to keep using my existing phone number. Before I left the UK, I converted my phone plan to a pay-as-you-go plan, so I can continue receiving sms for free, without having to pay monthly for a plan. However, the cost for making and receiving calls while abroad is exorbitant. Are there other affordable solutions, to be able to make or receive calls from abroad?

That's simple and cheap to do, you just need to port your number to a cloud based VoIP company then it doesn't matter where you are in the world, your phone works just like it did in the UK

£2 per month on a pay as you go, no contract basis. It costs £20 one-off to transfer the number. Call to the number are free. Calls from the phone are standard UK pricing.

 

[bijutoha]

Why not try Virtual Number? Here any phone number can become a Virtual Phone Number.

 

[Peter Bowen]

You can get an phone number on Skype. Pretty sure they offer UK numbers too.

 

[Sean Tan]

That's simple and cheap to do, you just need to port your number to a cloud based VoIP company then it doesn't matter where you are in the world, your phone works just like it did in the UK.

How do your port the number? Is the UK sim card still required? And is internet then become necessary to receive calls?

 

[Sean Tan]

Why not try Virtual Number? Here any phone number can become a Virtual Phone Number.

How does it work? Can you please elaborate where can one get a virtual phone number?

 

[cjd]

How do your port the number? Is the UK sim card still required? And is internet then become necessary to receive calls?

If you're only talking about mobile numbers, I don't believe you can do it.

You can easily get a UK landline number which you can divert to your foreign mobile but that would incurr a divert cost. If you answered the call using an internet phone or app on your mobile, the call would be free though.

Your UK mobile would obviously work when not in the UK and if you're in Europe the roaming charges have been abololished.

 

[Joe Robinson]

+1 for Skype. You can get a UK number and divert it to your mobile.

 

[JEREMY HAWKE]

Sean I would say speak to vonage they should be able to get you a UK number of your choice to divert to anywhere in the world but also make a call from their app from anywhere in the world using your UK number