Global Phone FAQs

It depends on what type of device you have.

1. Non-global ready (CDMA only) phones: This phone is designed to run on the network technology available in the US and more than 30 other countries (primarily in North America, the Caribbean and some Asian countries). However, it's not designed to roam in the majority of international countries. Also, it is an older network technology and many carriers around the globe are turning down their CDMA network so you really need to check the availability of coverage each time you travel internationally.
   
   
2. Global Ready™ devices: This type of device can be used in the US as well as in more than 220 other countries. It's built with one or more of the following technologies in addition to CDMA:
   
   • 4G LTE
   • Dual Band GSM
   • Quad Band GSM
   • UMTS capabilities

Visit our Global Phones and Devices shopping page.

To determine if your phone will work in a specific country, and to find out more about coverage and pricing information, visit our Trip Planner.

Although CDMA coverage is available in many areas in Canada and Mexico, Verizon's roaming carriers in those countries are turning down their networks as early as this year. For best performance and coverage we recommend a 4G Global Ready device.

• 4G Global Ready devices will automatically select GSM while in Canada and Mexico.
• For 3G Global Ready devices, you may need to manually select GSM through the settings on your device.
• Non Global Ready (CDMA only) devices may have more limited coverage and slower data speeds.

Prepaid phones have limited roaming capability. Visit the Prepaid International Roaming page for prepaid-specific roaming information.

Your coverage may vary by device. Visit our Trip Planner for device specific coverage maps.

Global Ready 4G LTE devices are capable of roaming at 4G LTE speeds where available. In other countries, data service will be on either our roaming partner's GSM or CDMA network at 3G/2G speeds.

Notes:

• Visit our Trip Planner to determine if your phone is capable of 4G LTE global roaming and to find out more about coverage and pricing.
• Refer to our Global Coverage Map to see where 4G LTE roaming is available.

If your device won't work as you desire while traveling, visit our Global Travel Program FAQs for information about using another device from Verizon Wireless while traveling.

With Global Services, you use the same phone to make and receive calls, whether you're in the US or traveling to more than 220 countries.

For more information, including coverage and pricing, visit our Global Services page.

International Services let you call or send messages to other countries from the US. For more information on calling rates, visit our International Long Distance pricing page. For more information on messaging rates, visit our International Messages pricing page.

Note: With The MORE Everything Plan℠, International Messaging is included at no additional charge. Visit The MORE Everything page for more information.

In order to use your device outside the US, you need to add a Global Services feature to your account and be a customer with 90 days of good account standing.

Before traveling with your Global Ready device, visit the My Global Device & Services page to change your global plan and settings. On this page, you can also check out our Trip Planner to determine if your device will work in the country to which you're traveling and provide rates and dialing information for the country you'll be in.

Note: If you have a 4G device, to help ensure your Global Services eligibility, update your device's software when you receive a notification that a new software update is available.

To add Global Services, go to the Change Plan page in My Verizon. Then:

1. Select the International and Global tab.
2. Scroll down to Global Services and select your plan by clicking on the appropriate box.
3. Click Continue on the right side of the page.
4. Select the date you'd like the change to go into effect, and click Next.
5. Review the changes to your account to ensure they are accurate, and click Submit Changes.
   

You've successfully added Global Services to your account.

Note: No changes to your 4G LTE SIM card are needed.

Visit our Global Services Plans and Pricing page for more information on available Global Services options.

If you are a business customer, visit My Business to add the Global feature.

Before traveling with your non-global ready (CDMA only) device:

1. Visit our Trip Planner to determine if your device will work in the country to which you're traveling. The Trip Planner will also provide rates and dialing information for the country you'll be in.
2. Call *611 from your mobile phone or (800) 922-0204 to check your international eligibility and add Global Services.
   

Note: To use your device outside the US, you must be a customer with 90 days of service in good standing. Non-Global Ready devices won't be able to add Global Services in My Verizon.

It could take up to 60 days for the charges to appear on your bill.

For coverage and rate information, visit our Trip Planner.

Yes, you can use your phone to make and receive calls while traveling on select cruise lines. For service availability and rate information, see the Cruise Ship Rates section on our Global Services Plans and Pricing page.

Features, emails and apps are subject to local capabilities and may not be available while roaming internationally. 

Visit our Global Device page to view a list of Global Ready devices. Besides phones, there are a variety of other global data devices, such as tablets, Mobile Hotspots/Jetpacks and USB Modems.

We currently support data use in more than 205 countries. Visit our Trip Planner to see if you'll be able to use global data where you're traveling.

Using Global Data can be expensive if you're paying as you go. We offer Global Data Options that can significantly reduce costs in more than 140 countries covered by it. Visit our Global Plans and Pricing page for more information.

Please review our Device Unlocking Policy for information on unlocking your device while traveling abroad:

Device Unlocking Policy

• Standard Monthly Device Unlocking Policy:
  
  We don't lock most phones or tablets that are activated with our standard monthly service, either during or after the term of your service contract or Edge installment sales agreement.
  
  We don't lock our 4G LTE devices, and no code is needed to program them for use with another carrier.
  
  We don't lock our 3G devices, other than our non-iPhone® Global Ready 3G phones. The simple code to program such 3G devices for use with another carrier is either "000000" or "123456." If the User Guide for your device doesn't provide instructions to access the programming menu, you can contact us for assistance at *611 from your mobile phone or (800) 922-0204.
  
  The SIM cards used in our non-iPhone 3G Global Ready phones are locked. We'll unlock those SIM cards at your request.


• Prepaid Device Unlocking Policy:
  
  We don't lock our 4G LTE prepaid devices, and no code is needed to program them for use with another carrier.
  
  We don't lock our 3G prepaid devices, other than our 3G Phone-in-the-Box prepaid phones. The simple code to program such 3G prepaid devices for use with another carrier is either "000000" or "123456." If the User Guide for your device doesn't provide instructions to access the programming menu, you can contact us for assistance at *611 from your mobile phone or (888) 294-6804.
  
  Our 3G Phone-in-the-Box prepaid phones are restricted for use with our prepaid service for 6 months after activation, and they're locked to the Verizon Wireless network for 12 months after activation. After 6 months, the restriction to our prepaid service is automatically removed. After 12 months, you can contact us at *611 from your prepaid phone or (888) 294-6804, and we'll provide you with the programming code so that you can unlock your phone. If the User Guide for your phone doesn't provide instructions to access the programming menu, we can help you with that as well.


• Unlocking Policy for Deployed Military Personnel:
  
  If you're a Verizon Wireless customer who's in the military and you're deployed, we'll unlock your device, at your request.
  
  
  • Standard Monthly Devices
    
    We don't lock our 4G LTE devices, and no code is needed to program them for use with another carrier.
    
    We don't lock our 3G devices, other than our non-iPhone Global Ready 3G phones. The simple code to program such 3G devices for use with another carrier is either "000000" or "123456." If the User Guide for your device doesn't provide instructions to access the programming menu, you can contact us for assistance at *611 from your mobile phone or (800) 922-0204.
    
    The SIM cards used in our non-iPhone 3G Global Ready phones are locked. We'll unlock the SIM card for you if you provide us with information from your military/blanket orders.
    
    
  • Prepaid Devices
    
    We don't lock our prepaid devices, other than our Phone-in-the-Box prepaid phones. The simple code to program such prepaid devices for use with another carrier is either "000000" or "123456." If the User Guide for your device doesn't provide instructions to access the programming menu, you can contact us for assistance at *611 from your mobile phone or (888) 294-6804.
    
    Our Phone-in-the-Box prepaid phones are restricted for use with our prepaid service for 6 months after activation, and they're locked to the Verizon Wireless network for 12 months after activation. We'll remove the restriction and unlock the device if you provide us with information from your military/blanket orders.
    

Note: Carriers typically use different frequencies and air interface technologies to provide wireless network access. Accordingly, a device that works on one carrier's network may not be technologically compatible with another carrier's network. "Unlocking" a device refers only to disabling software that would prevent you from attempting to activate a device designed for one carrier's network on another carrier's network, even if that network is technologically compatible. In other words, "unlocking" a device will not necessarily make a device interoperable with other networks - a device designed for one network is not made technologically compatible with another network merely by "unlocking" it. Additionally, unlocking a device may enable some functionality of the device but not all (e.g., an unlocked device may support voice services but not data services when activated on a different network).

Dialing patterns vary by country. You can access the dialing pattern for different countries by using our Trip Planner or by visiting our Rates by Country page.

When arriving in your destination, you'll receive a free welcome text message from Verizon Wireless with information about calling, messaging and data use for that country.

It depends on your device. Some devices set global roaming off by default. See your User Guide for instructions to turn global roaming on.

If your device's default is global roaming on, your device to automatically chooses a global network when you’re roaming abroad. 

In the countries listed below, you may have to manually choose a global network to use global data on your device, depending upon the availability of voice/data in the network that you’re connected to. Please refer to your phone's User Guide for details on how to manually choose the network mode.

• Bangladesh
• Belize
• Canada
• Indonesia
• Macau
• Mexico
• Taiwan
• Venezuela
• Yemen

To access your Voice Mail, follow the steps below:

1. Call your Verizon Wireless phone number in international format (1 and then your 10-digit number).
2. Interrupt your greeting by pressing # and follow the prompts to navigate your voice mailbox.
   

Note: You'll need to use the International Dialing Instructions format for dialing back to the US from the country you're in.

Call the Global Support Team to get assistance while traveling:

• Inside the United States: Call (800) 711-8300.
• Outside the United States: Enter the exit code for the country you're in, and then enter (908) 559-4899.

If your device is lost, stolen, broken, or you experience a device issue while you're traveling abroad, you'll be able to reach our Global Support Help Desk toll-free from any landline phone in those countries where a Global Support Toll-Free number is available.

Visit our Toll-Free Numbers page to view a list of the toll-free numbers available by country.