Best Uk mobile contract to live extensive periods in Europe

rs232

I'm currently with Giff Gaff and own my own mobile. Currently I'm allowed 2 months abroad before being charged. If I remember well this is part of the EU regulation *roam like at home* where you can be abroad for up to 50% of the monitored period, monitored period being 4 months as I understand.

Long story short, I need to be in Belgium for work.... for months, potentially even a year. What would it be a good solution for me considering staying on giff gaff is not an option?

I would expect very low usage on this mobile while abroad but still want to keep the number and especially be reachable.

I heard that 3 has free European roaming, does this come with a time limit as well?

Any other tip/consideration?


Thanks

JJ_Egan

Buy a sim / contract in Belgium ??

rs232

I will, but as mentioned I want to retain my UK number.


This is the latest I got:


- Giff gaff = max 60 days abroad
- O2 = max 60 days abroad
- EE - max 90 days abroad
- Vodafone = max 90 days abroad
- 3 max 120 days abroad

simax

They’ve all got restrictions in the EU/EEA - to prevent exactly what you’re trying to do.

Cisco001

PAC your existing phone to O2/ three PAYG such that you could use it when you back in UK.

Grab new sim in Belgium.

BTW, is it your UK company ask you to go to belgium for work? If so, you probably could ask for a work sim for working in belgium.

rs232

I'm not sure the limitations I published apply to PAYG, however Three seems the most convenient and an unlimited monthly contract with 4GB included costs 11GBP/month.


No it's a Brussels based company, I guess I can ask them the Belgiuan SIM card but my enquiry here it's about my UK situation.

Cisco001

rs232 wrote: »

I'm not sure the limitations I published apply to PAYG, however Three seems the most convenient and an unlimited monthly contract with 4GB included costs 11GBP/month.


No it's a Brussels based company, I guess I can ask them the Belgiuan SIM card but my enquiry here it's about my UK situation.

If you permanently based in Belgium, why do you want a uk monthly contract?

I assumed you want to keep your current UK number for friend and family to contact you?

If your company provide you with work mobile, you can ask if they allow you to use it for personal use.
If yes, your Belgium number will cover EU roaming when you back to UK (if we leave EU with a deal)

d123

rs232 wrote: »

I'm not sure the limitations I published apply to PAYG, however Three seems the most convenient and an unlimited monthly contract with 4GB included costs 11GBP/month.


No it's a Brussels based company, I guess I can ask them the Belgiuan SIM card but my enquiry here it's about my UK situation.

The limitations apply to PAYG just like contract, and as already been said it’s to stop people doing what you want to.

Put your UK number onto a PAYG sim and use a Belgian sim while working there.

Frozen_up_north

I have an ex pat friend who lives in Spain, they are there for up to 10 months in the year and around 3, 4 or 5 months at a stretch with a few weeks in between in the UK. They have a dual SIM phone (Samsung cheap phone, was about 150 euro), they use an O2 Classic PAYG SIM in the 2nd slot and have not had any problems with being cut off or had warning text messages. As far as I know, they only use the UK SIM for occasional incoming calls, perhaps a text or two to UK mobiles, otherwise they tend to use WhatsApp via the Spanish number. They also have a Spanish land line phone with quite a few UK mins included per month.


Also check out the Ringo app (ringo.co web site), some destinations have free calls from mobiles to landlines, for example in the UK I can call Spanish landlines for free...

Beware that some dual SIM phones only offer 2G in the second slot, not an issue with an O2 SIM but could be a problem in the future and is a problem if trying to use a Three SIM.

eDicky

d123 wrote: »

Put your UK number onto a PAYG sim and use a Belgian sim while working there.

With both SIMs in a dual-SIM handset, local calls in Belgium to your Belgian number, calls to/from UK on your UK number (for as long as service lasts).