How to Keep Your Australian Number Active Overseas With Airalo
Nearly twenty years ago I was part of the team at CommBank that made SMS verification mandatory for all customers. We were the first major bank in Australia to do it. At the time we thought about security. We didn’t think about what happens when you’re in Singapore and your Australian number is dark.
That’s the unintended consequence nobody planned for. Every bank, every government service, every supermarket app now sends a code to your Australian mobile number. It’s the security layer that protects everything. And if you’re overseas with the wrong setup, it locks you out of everything too.
Reader KC spotted this after reading our Airalo eSIM review and asked exactly the right question: do all Australian SIMs send SMS when you’re overseas without roaming charges? The honest answer is no — but some do, and the ones that do change everything. This article is the answer KC deserved.
I now travel with a setup that keeps my Australian number active for SMS anywhere in the world. On the way home from every trip I do my Coles online shop from the stopover lounge — SMS confirmation, substitution alerts, delivery window — so there’s fresh food waiting when I land. Full circle. Eating my own dog food.
Here’s the setup.
The Problem Nobody Warns You About
Australia has quietly become one of the most SMS-dependent countries in the world for security. CommBank started it. Every other bank, the ATO, MyGov, Centrelink, most super funds, and now every major supermarket followed. The verification SMS is no longer optional — it’s the key to everything.
Most Australians travelling overseas either pay $5–10 a day roaming on their Australian SIM, or swap it out for a local one and hope nothing important needs their Australian number while they’re away. Both options have problems. Roaming is expensive. Swapping the SIM means your Australian number goes dark — and dark means locked out.
The Setup
I run two SIMs simultaneously on my phone. The physical SIM is my Woolies Mobile plan on the Telstra network — SMS only, no data roaming. The eSIM is Airalo, loaded with a local data package for wherever I’m travelling. (Small referral our way if you use our link — doesn’t change your price.)
Woolies Mobile includes free global SMS. That means every bank verification code, every MyGov login, every two-factor authentication request that goes to my Australian number arrives normally. No roaming charge. No delay. No locked-out-of-my-account moment at 11pm in a hotel room.
Airalo handles everything else. Data, maps, messaging apps, email. Fast, cheap, no surprises.
The two don’t conflict. The phone knows which SIM handles calls and SMS — the physical Woolies SIM — and which handles data — the Airalo eSIM. You set it once at the start of the trip and forget it.
What You Need
✓ A dual SIM phone — one physical SIM slot plus eSIM support. Most modern iPhones and Android phones have this. Check your settings for an “Add eSIM” option to confirm.
✓ An Australian plan with free global SMS. Woolies Mobile on the Telstra network includes it. Vodafone also has free global SMS on some plans — check your current carrier before switching anything.
✓ An Airalo eSIM for your destination. Buy it before you leave Australia, install it before you board, activate it when you land.
How to Set It Up
How to Configure Your Phone Settings
The goal is simple: one SIM handles calls and SMS, the other handles data.
📱 iPhone
1. Settings → Mobile Data
2. Tap Woolies SIM → data roaming OFF
3. Tap Airalo eSIM → data roaming ON
4. Set “Mobile Data” to Airalo eSIM
5. Set “Default Voice Line” to Woolies SIM
🤖 Android
1. Settings → Network & Internet → SIMs
2. Set Woolies SIM as default for calls & SMS
3. Set Airalo eSIM as default for data
4. Tap Woolies SIM → data roaming OFF
5. Tap Airalo eSIM → data roaming ON
The Woolies Mobile Detail
Free global SMS is included on Woolies Mobile plans on the Telstra network. It’s not advertised loudly and most people don’t know it’s there. I use Woolies Mobile because it’s cheap, it’s on the Telstra network, and it does exactly one thing I need overseas — keeps my Australian number alive for SMS.
Whether it’s the right plan for you depends on what you’re already paying for your Australian service. Check your current carrier’s international SMS inclusions before switching anything. If you’re on Vodafone, check your plan — they include free global SMS on some plans. Optus and Telstra direct plans typically charge for international SMS.
What Airalo Does — and Doesn’t Do
Airalo offers data plans and some plans include calls — worth checking if that’s useful for your destination. I don’t pay for calls on my plan; WhatsApp and FaceTime over the Airalo data connection handles everything I need.
What I do pay for is an annual global plan at under $100 AUD a year. Four trips, one plan, one less thing to think about before every departure. Browse plans by country in the Airalo app — the annual plan is worth checking if you travel more than twice a year. (Small referral our way if you use our link — doesn’t change your price.)
The Cost Comparison
Daily roaming on a major Australian carrier typically runs $5–10 per day. A two-week trip costs $70–140 in roaming fees before you’ve done anything else.
I pay under $100 AUD a year for an Airalo annual global plan — four trips covered, nothing to buy before each departure, nothing to think about at the airport. The saving over a year of trips is significant. The convenience is worth at least as much as the money.
Airalo eSIMs work in 200+ countries. Browse plans by destination before you travel.
New users get 15% off — discount applies at checkout.
Frequently Asked Questions
Australia was one of the first countries to make SMS verification mandatory for banking — CommBank introduced it nearly twenty years ago and every other institution followed. The result is that your Australian mobile number is now the key to your bank, your tax, your super, your government services, and your supermarket delivery. If that number goes dark overseas, you’re locked out of all of it.
Free global SMS is included on Woolies Mobile plans on the Telstra network. Check your specific plan details at woolworths.com.au/mobile before travelling — plan inclusions can change.
Vodafone includes free global SMS on some of their plans. Worth checking your current plan inclusions rather than assuming — and worth knowing before you switch carriers unnecessarily.
Yes. Most modern iPhones (XS and later) and most recent Android phones support dual SIM — one physical SIM and one eSIM simultaneously. Check your phone settings for an “Add eSIM” option to confirm.
Some Airalo plans include calls — check the plan details for your destination. I don’t pay for calls on my plan and use WhatsApp and FaceTime over the data connection instead. For most Australian travellers that’s enough.
Yes — provided your Australian SIM is active and your carrier includes free global SMS. The verification code goes to your Australian number, which remains active for SMS regardless of which SIM is handling data.
Turn data roaming off on your physical Australian SIM in your phone’s mobile settings. Leave it on for the Airalo eSIM only. This is the most important step in the whole setup — miss it and your phone may route data through the Australian SIM and charge you accordingly.
Before you leave Australia, on wifi at home. Install it before you board. Most plans start counting from first use, not purchase date — so you can buy and install early without wasting any data. If you travel regularly, the annual global plan removes the need to buy before each trip.
Airalo covers 200+ countries. Browse plans by destination in the app before you travel. Singapore and most of Europe are well served with competitive pricing.
Your options are: use Airalo as your only SIM and accept your Australian number goes dark, pay roaming on your Australian SIM, or buy a local SIM at the destination. The dual SIM setup is the cleanest solution by far — worth checking if your phone supports it before ruling it out.
The principle is identical — one SIM for calls and SMS, one for data, roaming off on the physical SIM. The exact menu locations differ slightly between iOS and Android but the settings exist on both. See the configuration guide above for step-by-step instructions on each platform.
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