How to Keep Your US Phone # When You Move Abroad

When you move abroad, you’ll need to obtain a local phone number, but you’ll also want to keep your US number, and here’s why. While WhatsApp, Signal and Zoom are great apps for keeping in touch with friends and family, and for some business uses, they can’t fully replace having a US phone number.

If you are keeping your bank, investment accounts, credit cards and other financial institutions in the US — and it’s highly recommended to do so — you’ll need a US phone number. Two-factor authentication (2FA) is required to access financial accounts as well as the Social Security Administration and Medicare. This means you’ll need to receive a phone call or text from the financial institution with a number to verify your identity. Most US-based financial services won’t call a number outside of the US.

You may also want to keep your US phone number if you still have a business in the US, or you want to make it easier for friends and family to reach you.

Options for keeping your US phone number

An international plan from your mobile carrier is fine when you are spending a few months abroad, although they can be quite pricey. If you are changing your residency to another country, US carriers will not keep your plan. So what are your options, especially if you want to keep your same phone number?

Google Voice used to be a popular solution, and can still be used for making calls from abroad. However, the consensus is this free service should not be used for two-factor authentication as it can expose you to unnecessary risks. Since your phone number is tied to your Google account, if you lose access, you won’t be able to log into any of your banking and other apps requiring verification. And many banks and government portals won’t accept Google Voice numbers for verification because it is used by scammers and bots.

The best solution is to use a reliable cellular carrier. Two companies have risen to the forefront of this market, both providing a variety of affordable options for keeping your US phone number and receiving two-factor authentication. And both use the T-Mobile network.

Neither of these companies is a sponsor of my blog. This information is based solely on my own experience and research, as part of my desire to help those who want to move abroad.

Tello

Tello is what I have been using since I moved full-time to France. They offer several plans starting as low as $5 plus tax. You can choose from a variety of plans based on how much data you need and how many minutes of talk you require. Unlimited texting is free with all their plans.

Since I already have a good data plan on my French cellphone and only plan to use Tello when I am on my home Wi-Fi, I chose the most basic plan with no data and 100 minutes a month of Wi-Fi talk time. I have free calling to the US and Canada on my French landline, so I only use Tello for two-factor authentication, and for calling places, like Medicare, who will not accept calls from outside the US.

Tello is a reliable choice for augmenting your local phone service, two-factor authentication and keeping in touch with folks back home. It gives you a lot of flexibility in options at affordable price points. When I travel back to the US, where I won’t have access to my French phone number, I plan to add data and possibly additional talk time.

I highly recommend Tello as it has proven to be reliable and they have excellent customer support via online chat, email and phone. I’ve called their 800 number several times and I’m amazed at how quickly I've reached a representative who helps me resolve any issues I’m having.

Porting my US phone number over to Tello was easy, and I didn’t have to be in the US to do it.

Comparing Tello with Mint Mobile

Another popular option is Mint Mobile. They currently have plans for new customers starting at $15 a month. Both are pre-paid carriers, but with Mint Mobile you need to lock in and pay for a plan for three, six or 12 months, whereas Tello is paid month to month. So if you are only spending a few months abroad, Tello would be a better choice.

Mint Mobile may be a better choice for family plans as Tello offers no multi-line discount. They also provide more hot spots than Tello. But they have a higher starting price point and fewer customizable options. Mint Mobile gives you calling to over 180 countries, and Tello to over 200 countries. Mint Mobile’s customer service is well rated and available via chat or phone, but not by email.

If you’re moving abroad full-time or spending a few months abroad each year and need an inexpensive, but reliable way to keep your US phone number, access accounts with two-factor authentication and call back to the US, I think Tello is your best bet. But it’s worth investigating both companies to see which one meets your needs.

Dual-SIM phones and other considerations

The first step is to determine whether or not your phone number and cellphone are locked by your current carrier. You’ll need an unlocked phone in order to port your number to a new cellphone carrier. Check with your current carrier. If you are on a pre-paid plan you should be fine. But some carriers will lock you into a year-long deal with a new phone. Avoid these if you're planning to move abroad in the near future.

Having a dual-SIM phone makes sending and receiving calls much easier. There aren’t that many dual-SIM phones on the market, but phones with an eSIM are becoming more popular. My Samsung Galaxy has one physical SIM card for my French phone number and one eSIM for my US number. Or you may choose to have two cell phones.

As global travel increases and more and more Americans choose to live abroad, new cellphone carriers will emerge to address this growing market. If you are living or traveling abroad, let me know what cell phone service you are using. Comment below.