Verizon International Phone Plans: Countries, Coverage, Rates, and More

Verizon is one of the biggest players in U.S. wireless and is recognized for its extensive domestic coverage and reliable performance. Once you leave the U.S., you need an international phone plan, but unlike T-Mobile or Google Fi, global roaming perks aren’t included in most Verizon U.S. plans.

But you do have options, ranging from daily plan add-ons to cruise plans and inflight connectivity. Verizon’s coverage extends to more than 200 countries, and it supports international roaming on its myPlan options, including Unlimited Welcome and Unlimited Plus. You can pair any of these plans with a Verizon TravelPass or Monthly International Plan.

This guide explains Verizon international roaming, including pricing, data allowances, and where you can use Verizon service internationally.

Verizon International Phone Plans

Verizon has 6 options for international phone use, including a daily travel plan, a monthly plan, cruise and inflight plans, and pay-as-you-go pricing if you don’t sign up for a plan before using international roaming.

Verizon Unlimited Ultimate includes international data, talk, and text. Roaming in Mexico and Canada is included in all Unlimited plans with Verizon.

Here’s a look at all of the available options:

Pay as You Go

All Verizon customers are automatically enrolled in pay-as-you-go international data, texting, and calling. If you don’t enroll in an international plan or visit a destination beyond Verizon’s international coverage, you’ll be charged pay-as-you-go rates. These vary by country and can be extremely expensive, especially for data.

Typical rates are:

• Talk: $0.99 to $2.99 per minute, depending on the country
• Text: $0.05 to send, $0.50 to receive
• MMS: $0.25 to send, $0.50 to receive
• Data: $2.05 per megabyte

These prices are astronomical, and we don’t recommend relying on pay-as-you-go international coverage with Verizon. It can get very expensive very quickly.

For example, sending a 3MB picture message on Facebook Messenger would cost $6.15. Since modern smartphones use data in the background to fetch email, notifications, and more, you may be charged just for taking your phone out of airplane mode.

Hot Tip:

You can contact Verizon to disable pay-as-you-go international coverage on your account. We recommend doing so to avoid costly billing surprises.

TravelPass

Verizon’s TravelPass plan is ideal for short trips, allowing you to use your domestic talk, text, and data allowance in Verizon’s international coverage areas for a daily fee.

It costs $12 per line per day (billed in 24-hour increments) and includes unlimited talk, text, and data. The plan offers 5GB of high-speed data per 24-hour session and unlimited 3G speeds after that. It works automatically once added to your line, has a flat fee, and is much better than worrying about pay-as-you-go phone charges.

TravelPass is billed in 24-hour increments, so if you flew to Brazil and connected to data at 5 p.m. on a Monday, your single $12 fee would be valid until 5 p.m. on Tuesday. You’d be billed for another 24-hour increment if you continued using your phone after this initial period.

You can use this plan in any of Verizon’s more than 200 supported countries and roam in multiple countries on the same day without incurring extra charges.

International Monthly Plan

The Verizon International Monthly Plan is $100 per month per line, plus taxes and fees. You can set it up as a one-time 30-day plan or as a recurring monthly subscription.

The plan covers unlimited text and data and 250 minutes of calls. Call overages are billed at $0.25 per minute. After the first 20GB of high-speed data, the plan offers unlimited 3G data.

Like the TravelPass, this plan works in more than 200 countries and can be used across multiple countries if needed. Also like TravelPass, this plan is billed per line, so multiple lines can’t share the same International Monthly Plan.

Free North America Roaming

All Verizon Unlimited plans have free data, calls, and text roaming in Canada and Mexico. When traveling within Canada or Mexico, you can continue to use your phone as if you were in the U.S.

Cruise Daily Pass

Cruise roaming is separate from the TravelPass, which only works on land or inland waters. Once you’re 12 miles or more offshore, you need cruise phone coverage with Verizon. Verizon’s Cruise Daily Pass is available on many cruise lines, including Azamara, Carnival Cruise Line, Celebrity Cruises, Disney Cruise Line, MSC Cruises, Norwegian Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean International, and Virgin Voyages.

The Cruise Daily Pass is $20 per day per line and offers unlimited text, calls, and data. Like the TravelPass, the Cruise Daily Pass is billed in 24-hour increments. High-speed data is limited to 0.5GB per pass (24 hours), with 3G speeds after that. You can add it to your line by texting “CRUISE” to 4004 from your Verizon mobile number. You’re only charged for the days you use Cruise Daily Pass at sea, so you don’t need to remove the coverage once you get home.

In-flight Daily Pass

Verizon’s In-flight Daily Pass works on participating international flights. If Verizon In-flight Daily Pass is available on your flight, you’ll automatically receive a welcome text and can reply with “FLIGHT” to add a daily pass to your line.

The In-flight Daily Pass is $20 per 24-hour period and offers unlimited data, calls for $1.99 per minute (when available), and costs an additional $0.50 to send texts and $0.05 to receive texts. Coverage does not continue once you disembark the flight and enter the country you’re visiting.

Which Verizon International Phone Package Is Right for You?

With multiple options for international mobile data on Verizon, here’s how to find the right fit for your travel plans

Stick With Pay-as-You-Go Access if You:

• Don’t plan on using your smartphone and will purchase a local SIM card upon arrival. We don’t recommend this option, as it’s too risky. It’s better to disable pay-as-you-go pricing to avoid accumulating international phone charges.

Subscribe to TravelPass if You:

• Are only traveling for up to 8 days, as after that, a monthly plan makes sense.
• Need access to your full data plan and U.S. phone number when traveling abroad.
• Have a data plan with a high or unlimited data limit.

Buy an International Monthly Plan If You

• Plan to travel for 9 days or more and a TravelPass would cost just as much.
• Don’t need to make lots of calls, as you’re limited to 250 minutes per month.

If you’re taking a cruise or flying on a qualifying flight, it can make sense to use Verizon’s coverage if it’s cheaper or offers more talk, text, or data than the cruise or airline’s connection.

Bottom Line: Consider how often you’ll need to use your phone while traveling and select a plan accordingly. You may be better off buying a local SIM card if you need to use your phone extensively for multiple days, as this will save you money in the long run.

How To Sign Up for a Verizon International Phone Plan

Enrolling in an international phone plan with Verizon is simple.

You can enroll in TravelPass by texting “TRAVEL” to 4004 from the phone line you’d like to enroll. Then, a new TravelPass will be added every time you use your phone abroad. We recommend doing this before your trip to avoid possible pay-as-you-go charges.

Alternatively, you can enroll using the Trip Planner tool on the Verizon website, which is where you can enroll lines in an International Monthly Plan.

For the Cruise Daily Plan, you can text “CRUISE” to 4004 from your Verizon mobile number. For In-flight Daily Pass, you get an automatic welcome text if coverage is available, and you can reply with “FLIGHT” to add a daily pass to your line.

Hot Tip:

Consider the Verizon Visa^® Card to get an auto pay discount of up to $10 per eligible line. The card earns 4% on Verizon purchases and has no foreign transaction fees.

Verizon’s Supported Countries

Like many carriers, Verizon has international coverage in most parts of Europe and Asia, with some coverage in South America, Africa, and Australia. However, it’s always wise to check that Verizon covers the country you’re visiting before you depart.

Verizon posts its full list of supported countries on its website, which includes more than 200 countries. Every tourist destination we could think of was listed on the Verizon website, so you should have no issue connecting during your travels.

However, this could cause problems if you visit off-the-beaten-path locations.

Pros and Cons of Verizon’s International Phone Plans

Verizon offers good international phone coverage, but it’s not particularly flexible or cost-effective. Daily fees quickly add up, especially if you’re using multiple lines, and high-speed data caps are lower than those offered by competitors.

Still, Verizon’s coverage in more than 200 countries, combined with a reliable domestic network, can make it workable for short trips and occasional travel. If you plan to travel frequently, you’re probably better off with Verizon’s Unlimited Ultimate plan, which includes international talk, text, and data.

Pros of Verizon’s International Data Plans:

• Free roaming in Canada and Mexico
• Monthly international plans available for longer trips
• TravelPass automatically enabled once you enroll
• Cruise and inflight options
• Works with your existing number and plan

Cons of Verizon’s International Data Plans:

• Low high-speed data limits
• Daily fees that add up fast and costly cruise and inflight passes
• Expensive pay-as-you-go rates
• International coverage included only with Unlimited Ultimate plan

Hot Tip:

Compare Verizon with other carriers, including AT&T, T-Mobile, and Google Fi to see which carrier works best for your travel style.

Final Thoughts

Verizon’s international coverage is broad and reliable, and it supports more than 200 destinations worldwide. If you have a Verizon phone, it’s worth considering.

TravelPass and the International Monthly plan are convenient for Verizon customers, but they aren’t the most cost-effective way to connect your phone while traveling abroad, especially if you’re doing multiple-day travel or need to cover multiple lines. Daily fees and relatively small high-speed data allowances make Verizon better suited to short trips or light mobile use while traveling.

If you rely heavily on mobile data or travel internationally several times per year, you should consider the Unlimited Ultimate plan, which includes international phone, text, and data. Competitors such as T-Mobile and Google Fi may offer better value with built-in international roaming on many of their plans. Airalo, GigSky, Jetpac, and other e-SIMs are a flexible and low-cost option, or you can get a local SIM card for heavier usage.

Still, if you’re already a Verizon customer and want a simple, predictable way to use your phone while traveling internationally, TravelPass and the International Monthly Plan can get the job done without you having to juggle SIM cards or change numbers.