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Keeping your Australian number active when you move to the UK is one of those things nobody really warns you about — until you’re locked out of your MyGov account because an OTP went to a number you cancelled. Here’s exactly how to keep your Australian number in the UK and what I did at the airport on the way out.
Why You Need to Keep Your Australian Number in the UK
Your Australian mobile number is tied to more accounts than you realise. Think about everything that uses SMS verification:
- MyGov and the ATO
- Australian bank accounts
- Superannuation funds
- Medicare
- Centrelink
- Every Australian app you’ve ever signed up to
Cancel your number and you lose access to all of these. Some accounts let you update your number remotely — many don’t, especially government ones. The safest move is to keep your Australian number active indefinitely while you’re overseas. It costs almost nothing and the alternative is genuinely painful to fix from the other side of the world.
What I Did — And What Actually Worked
Before I left for London I transferred my Australian number to Amaysim and activated their roaming settings. I did the whole thing at the airport before boarding — it took about 20 minutes.
The reason this works is simple. With roaming enabled in the Amaysim app you can receive SMS messages on your Australian number from anywhere in the UK. When a banking app or MyGov sends you an OTP it arrives on your phone in London just like it would at home.
For just receiving SMS you don’t even need a roaming pack — Amaysim lets you receive SMS overseas for free as long as international roaming is turned on in your app settings. I went one step further and added the $20 AUD roaming pack which gives you 100 minutes of calls and 100 SMS for a full year — useful if you occasionally need to call an Australian number directly.
The basic plan to keep your number alive costs around $15 AUD per year. That’s it.
The Two Best Options
Amaysim — Best Overall
Amaysim runs on the Optus network and is the most popular choice among Australian expats for keeping a number active overseas. A basic plan keeps your number alive for a year for around $15 AUD and you can receive SMS overseas for free without needing a roaming pack — just make sure roaming is enabled in the app settings before you board. Whirlpool
If you need to make occasional calls back to Australia the $20 AUD roaming pack adds 100 minutes and 100 SMS valid for a full 365 days.
The one thing to know: Some users report needing to manually select a network when they land rather than waiting for automatic connection. If your SMS isn’t coming through try going to your phone’s network settings and manually selecting a local UK carrier.
Best for: Most Australians who mainly need to receive SMS verification codes overseas.
Aldi Mobile — Best on Telstra’s Network
Aldi Mobile runs on Telstra’s network — Australia’s largest by geographic coverage and launched eSIM support in October 2025 making it just as convenient as Amaysim for dual SIM setups. ALDI MobileALDI Mobile
Aldi Mobile also supports wifi calling overseas which means you can receive calls on your Australian number over a wifi connection without paying roaming rates. That’s a genuine advantage if you need to take Australian calls regularly.
Best for: Australians who want Telstra network coverage or need to receive actual phone calls on their Australian number.
How to Set It Up Before You Leave
Step 1 — Transfer your number
If you’re with Telstra, Optus or Vodafone you can port your number to Amaysim or Aldi Mobile before you leave. You’ll need your current account number and your number transfer authorisation code — get these from your current provider. The transfer takes a few hours.
Step 2 — Enable roaming in the app
Once you’re on Amaysim go into the app and enable international roaming in your settings. Don’t skip this step — roaming needs to be switched on before you land or your number won’t connect to UK networks.
Step 3 — Test before you board
Send yourself a test SMS from another number and confirm it arrives. Five minutes of testing at the airport saves hours of headaches in London.
Step 4 — Set a reminder to recharge
Set an annual calendar reminder to recharge your plan. Let it lapse and you risk losing your number permanently.
What Happens If You Don’t Do This
If you cancel your Australian number without sorting this first you’ll likely face at least one of these in the UK:
- Can’t log into MyGov because the SMS code goes to a dead number
- Can’t access your Australian bank account without calling the bank
- Can’t verify your super fund account
- Can’t receive ATO notifications
Some are fixable with a phone call. Some — particularly MyGov — are genuinely painful to sort from overseas. It’s not worth the risk for $15 a year.
Once you’ve sorted your Australian number the next thing to tackle is your UK SIM card and banking setup — here’s our guide to the best UK SIM cards for Australians and how to bank in the UK from day one.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a roaming pack to receive SMS on Amaysim overseas?
No. You can receive SMS on your Amaysim number overseas even without an active roaming pack — just make sure international roaming is enabled in the app. You only need a roaming pack if you want to make calls, send SMS or use data.
Do I need a dual SIM phone?
To use both your Australian SIM and a UK SIM simultaneously you need either a dual SIM phone or a phone that supports eSIM. Both Amaysim and Aldi Mobile support eSIM so you can run both on a single modern iPhone or Android without needing two physical SIM slots.
How long can I keep my Australian number active?
Indefinitely as long as you recharge periodically. Both Amaysim and Aldi Mobile offer annual plans that keep your number alive for 12 months per recharge.
Can I set this up from the UK if I forgot before I left?
Yes. You can port your number to Amaysim remotely — you don’t need to be in Australia. Contact Amaysim support with your current account details and they’ll walk you through it.
What if I lose my phone?
Because both providers support eSIM you can transfer your Australian number to a new device without needing a physical SIM card sent to you in the UK.
The information in this article reflects one person’s experience and is for general guidance only. Mobile plan pricing, roaming coverage and features change frequently — always verify current pricing and terms directly with Amaysim and Aldi Mobile before making any decisions.
Important: Enabling international roaming on your Amaysim account allows you to receive SMS for free. However, if data roaming is also enabled on your phone’s own settings, background apps can use mobile data overseas and incur significant unexpected charges — even without a roaming data pack. Always turn off data roaming in your phone settings separately unless you have purchased a data roaming pack. Go to Settings → Mobile Data → Mobile Data Options → Data Roaming on iPhone, or Settings → Connections → Mobile Networks → Data Roaming on Android and set it to OFF if you only want to receive SMS.
Number porting can cause temporary service interruption. Always port your number with enough time before departure and test SMS reception before you board. This article is not financial or legal advice.