Benefits: This is typically the cheapest way to prevent losing your number if you don’t anticipate making many calls or want to use a local SIM for daily communication. It’s ideal for safeguarding your number for banking, government services, and online accounts.
Considerations: Functionality is usually limited to receiving calls (often as voicemail) and texts. Outgoing calls or extensive text messaging might not be supported or could incur extra charges.
International Roaming (Short-Term/Temporary)
For short-term stays abroad, or immediately after moving, international roaming with your existing carrier might be an option.
How it works: You activate international roaming on your current phone plan before leaving your home country. Your phone will then connect to japan phone number list partner networks in the new country, allowing you to make and receive calls and texts using your existing number.
Benefits: It’s convenient as it requires no new setup or number changes initially
Considerations: This is almost always the most expensive option for extended periods. Roaming charges for calls, texts, and especially data can accumulate very quickly, leading to shockingly high bills. It’s generally not a sustainable long-term solution for living abroad.
Dual SIM Phones and eSIMs
While not a method for retaining your home phone number iran country number per se, using a dual SIM phone or eSIM technology is an excellent way to manage communication when living abroad alongside one of the above methods for keeping your original number.
How it works:
Dual SIM Phones: These phones allow you to use two physical SIM cards simultaneously. You can insert your home country’s SIM (potentially on a basic, minimal plan to keep it active for occasional use or emergency two-factor authentication) and a local SIM from your new country for daily calls, texts, and data.
eSIMs: Embedded SIMs allow you to activate a legal ways to collect numbers in the uae phone plan digitally without a physical SIM card. Many newer smartphones support eSIMs. SIM from your home country (again, on a minimal plan) and activate an eSIM from a local provider in your new country for your primary daily usage.
Benefits: This allows you to have a local number for convenience and affordability in your new country while still technically having your home country number active in the same device for critical purposes. You can switch between networks easily.