No signal?

[MKimberley]

Hello! 

I’ve got a question, so I’ve recently moved abroad and I have a new SIM card but I still require access to my UK number. I unlocked my phone before I left and I pay monthly for my UK sim but when I insert the UK SIM card into my phone, it says there is no signal and I can’t receive any texts or calls. Does anyone know why this might be the case? 

Thank you

[Christopher_G]

Hi @MKimberley 

Welcome to the community. I hope your move abroad went smoothly. 🙂

In order for an EE SIM card to work abroad, it needs to have been used in the UK to make a call or send a text message. The SIM won't work abroad until this has been done.

Chris

[MKimberley]

Hi Christopher, 

Thank you for replying. I had used the SIM card before, I’ve had it for nearly two years and used it many times back in the UK to text and call. But now I’ve moved abroad, it doesn’t work. 

The new SIM card I have now is a Korean one to use whilst I am here.

Thank you 

[Chris_B · Accepted solution]

@MKimberley   If that sim has been used within the UK you also need to activate roaming and that’s done by texting ROAMING to 150 before you leave the UK or by calling customers.   If the sim has been used within the UK and you didn’t activate roaming then you’ll need to call customer services to request roaming to be enabled.   

You say you pay monthly but you don’t say if this a contract or a PAYG sim as you can setup an automatic monthly payment for PAYG. 

[MKimberley]

Ah I thought I had done that before I left but must not have done. I will try and contact them. 

I pay monthly on a contract. 

Thank you 

[bristolian]

Regardless of any billing add-on, your ability to get coverage abroad (which calls, texts & mobile data rely on) is dependent on roaming being activated - which allows your phone to connect to foreign networks.

On PAYG, this is auto-enabled once your phone is used in the UK first.
On pay-monthly, this needs to be enabled manually - usually by texting ROAMING to 150 before leaving the UK. Did you do this?

If you are on pay-monthly and now find yourself abroad without having enabled roaming, your only recourse will be to contact CS to request it activated. You can either contact +44 7953 966150 from another working phone, or +44 800 9566000 using a web-calling app such as Skype over WiFi.