Vodafone Idea (Vi) is one of the largest telecom providers in India for both mobile and internet services. But if you are heading overseas, you may be wondering if you can take your local number with you. Vodafone-Idea offers international roaming plans for tourists, students, and NRIs. Learn more about these offers and how to use Vodaone’s international roaming packs.
Vodafone Idea (Vi) offers international roaming (IR) plans with coverage that range from 1 to 365 days. Subscribers can purchase a pack that has coverage in 70 to 105 countries, depending on the destination overseas. Here is a list of all Vodafone-idea international roaming packs.1
| Pack Cost | Validity | Data | Voice Calls | Available in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ₹695 | 1 day | 1 GB free After 1 GB, ₹1 per MB | Unlimited incoming and 120 outgoing minutes | 70 countries |
| ₹295 | 3 days | ₹10 per MB | 40 minutes outgoing and incoming calls | 102 countries |
| ₹2,695 | 4 days | 4 GB free After 4 GB, ₹1 per MB | Unlimited incoming and 120 outgoing minutes/day | 70 countries |
| ₹755 | 5 days | 1 GB free After 1 GB, ₹10 per MB | Outgoing and incoming rates ₹10 per minute | 101 countries |
| ₹995 | 7 days | 500 MB free After 500 MB, ₹10 per MB | 150 minutes outgoing and incoming | 102 countries |
| ₹3,495 | 7 days | Unlimited | Unlimited | 70 countries |
| ₹4,695 | 10 days | Unlimited | Unlimited | 70 countries |
| ₹1,495 | 14 days | 1 GB free After 1 GB, ₹10 per MB | 300 minutes outgoing and incoming | 102 countries |
| ₹5,195 | 14 days | Unlimited | Unlimited | 70 countries |
| ₹6,995 | 28 days | 15 GB free After 15 GB, ₹1 per MB | Unlimited incoming and 120 outgoing minutes per day | 70 countries |
| ₹495 | 30 days | ₹10 per MB | 50 minutes outgoing and incoming calls | 102 countries |
| ₹2,998 | 30 days | 5 GB After 5 GB, ₹10 per MB | 200 minutes outgoing and incoming | 101 countries |
| ₹2,997 | 365 days | 1.5 GB After 1.5 GB, ₹10 per MB | 125 minutes outgoing and incoming | 101 countries |
While Vodafone international roaming packs are available for all types of travelers, tourists going abroad can get plans that cover the length of their trip. Having mobile coverage when you travel makes it convenient to stay in touch with family, amend reservations and have data for using tools like Google Maps.
Vodafone plans range from 14 to 30 days and offer different coverage depending on the phone or data amounts you need. Here are some popular Vodafone-Idea international roaming plans for tourists:2
| Pack Cost | Validity | Data | Voice Calls |
|---|---|---|---|
| ₹1,495 | 14 days | 1 GB free After 1 GB, ₹10 per MB | 300 minutes outgoing and incoming |
| ₹5,195 | 14 days | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| ₹6,995 | 28 days | 15 GB free After 15 GB, ₹1 per MB | Unlimited incoming and 120 outgoing minutes per day |
| ₹495 | 30 days | ₹10 per MB | 50 minutes outgoing and incoming calls |
| ₹2,998 | 30 days | 5 GB After 5 GB, ₹10 per MB | 200 minutes outgoing and incoming |
Getting an international roaming plan for students going abroad can make settling in easier. An international plan can help them stay in touch with family and friends and get started at the university until they get a local number. Good internet access can help with logistics like finding housing or managing the first few weeks of classes.
Students will likely want to get a short-term plan just to provide coverage before getting a local SIM. Vodafone’s international student roaming plans cover up to 14 days. However, extended plans are available if required.
Here are some of the best Vodafone-Idea roaming plans for international students:3
| Pack Cost | Validity | Data | Voice Calls |
|---|---|---|---|
| ₹995 | 7 days | 500 MB free After 500 MB, ₹10 per MB | 150 minutes outgoing and incoming |
| ₹3,495 | 7 days | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| ₹4,695 | 10 days | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| ₹1,495 | 14 days | 1 GB free After 1 GB, ₹10 per MB | 300 minutes outgoing and incoming |
| ₹5,195 | 14 days | Unlimited | Unlimited |
Unlimited data plans may be ideal for students that expect heavy internet use as they begin their course.
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Non-Resident Indians (NRI) who have moved abroad are likely to still have services and bank accounts in India. Since many of these accounts require an OTP to sign in or verify the user, having your local Indian number active can make account management easier. Vodafone offers long-term international roaming packs for NRIs that want to keep their local number:
| Pack Cost | Validity | Data | Voice Calls | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ₹2,997 | 365 days | 1.5 GB After 1.5 GB, ₹10 per MB | 125 minutes outgoing and incoming | 101 countries |
While the incoming SMS facility is free, this plan charges ₹15 per outgoing SMS. NRIs can also use their Indian SIM cards to make calls to India.
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It’s easy to activate international roaming if you have an existing Vi account. You can log in to the Vi app on your Vi mobile and subscribe to your preferred international roaming pack. This is also available on the official Vodafone-Idea website. These packs are available for prepaid and postpaid subscribers and activating these international roaming packs is easy.4
Here’s how prepaid subscribers can get an international roaming plan:
Customers from Orissa, Bihar, Kolkata, and West Bengal circles can activate their IR pack by sending an SMS “ACT IR” to toll-free number 144. The International roaming services are already pre-activated for subscribers from all other circles.
Postpaid subscribers must enable the IR service before leaving India. They can do so using the Vi app or the official Vi website. Alternatively, you can call the toll-free Vodafone-Idea customer care to enable IR services by dialing 199.
Postpaid subscribers can start an IR plan up to 60 days in advance. This facility is not available to prepaid customers.
Vodafone IR packs remain active for the validity period mentioned on the pack. The plan gets disabled automatically after the pack’s expiry. So if you have a 30-day plan, the coverage will end after 30 days unless you extend it. However, you can recharge your Vodafone-idea IR pack and continue using it as long as needed.
Postpaid users can deactivate the IR pack through the Vi app or the official Vi website. You can disable the service by calling the toll-free customer care number 199.
All Vodafone-Idea plans offer free incoming SMS services. Hence, any Vodafone-Idea international plan is ideal for receiving OTPs abroad, which is a benefit when compared to other telecom providers.
Vodafone's VoWifi, Vi WiFi Calling service, is not supported on international roaming. As an alternative, you can use local Wi-Fi when traveling abroad to make calls using apps like WhatsApp and Messenger.
If your pack is about to expire or you need a longer plan than expected, you can recharge your Vodafone-Idea account abroad through the Vi app or the official Vodafone-Idea website. Local service providers like Ding enable recharging mobile services from abroad. Depending on your country, you can use such services when recharging your Vodafone-Idea account.
Vodafone-Idea offers 24/7 customer care support to its subscribers. You can contact the Vodafone-Idea customer care center by phone, chat, email, or WhatsApp:5
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Sources used for this article:
Sources verified on 29 January 2024.
Cover photo by Paul Hanaoka on Unsplash.
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