Cannot send messages, make calls or use mobile data abroad (Pay As You Go)

Taknyosnero — Sun, 18 Oct 2026 13:15:37 GMT

I had to relocate abroad (EU) and decided to change my number from monthly payments to PAYG. I made the change via Customer Service once I was already abroad.

However, since I relocated, I have not been able to make any calls, send text messages, or use my mobile data add-on using the EE SIM. Even trying to send a text message to 150 results in error.

After some searching, I have found out that because my SIM was changed from a contract to PAYG once I was already abroad, I have not connected to the UK network yet thus roaming is not enabled on my SIM.

Any solutions to this? I can only contact CS using a foreign number which is costly so I thought I'd ask here first!

(Roaming is enabled on my phone and I was able to use the SIM abroad previously when I had a contract, I also receive the "Welcome to" text messages from EE so I'm pretty sure that the issue is with changing the SIM once I was already out of the UK.)

Re: Cannot send messages, make calls or use mobile data abroad (Pay As You Go)

Northerner — Sun, 18 Oct 2026 13:40:44 GMT

Hi @Taknyosnero

As you have mentioned and as you have identified via searching there is no alternative way around this activation process which needs to be on the UK EE network for EE PAYG.

Thanks

topic Re: Cannot send messages, make calls or use mobile data abroad (Pay As You Go) in Roaming

Cannot send messages, make calls or use mobile data abroad (Pay As You Go)

Re: Cannot send messages, make calls or use mobile data abroad (Pay As You Go)