Skip to Content

Roaming with Tracfone: What You Need to Know

Are you planning on going out of the US for a well-deserved trip and are thinking of bringing your Tracfone phone or SIM card with you? Before you do so, you should be aware of certain things, which I will cover in this post.

Can I roam with Tracfone?

International roaming is not possible with Tracfone. Although you can call international numbers, all calls must originate from the US or Puerto Rico. You cannot call from non-US locations.

You can also get a local SIM card or an international SIM card like OneSimCard, SimOptions, Surfroam, BNESIM, or SimCorner if you want to use your phone while abroad.

SimCorner Banner

No idea how roaming works? I made this comprehensive guide about what roaming is and how it works. It is worth the read – promised!

Within the US, Tracfone roams on the Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile, as it is a Mobile Virtual Network Operator that does not own nor maintain its own network infrastructure.

Roaming within the US does not cost the user anything extra besides the usual charges.

What is Tracfone Basic International?

Basic International allows you to call hundreds of international destinations for the same price as a local call. You can activate it by following the instructions after dialing 305-938-5673.

There are no additional costs when using Tracfone Basic International. International minutes will be treated as a regular call. The calls, however, have to originate in the United States, Puerto Rico, or the US Virgin Islands and does not offer international roaming.

hand with flags of country in it

Can I call to mobile phones with Tracfone International Basic?

International calls to cellular phones is possible to 19 destinations. Below is a list of the 56 International Basic destinations. The letter C in brackets shows that cellular calls to the destination are available.

Tracfone International Basic destinations

  • American Samoa
  • Andorra
  • Argentina
  • Australia *
  • Bangladesh (C)
  • Belgium
  • Brazil
  • Bulgaria *
  • Canada (C)
  • Chatham Islands
  • Chile *
  • China
  • Christmas and Cocoas Island
  • Colombia (C)
  • Costa Rica
  • Denmark (C)
  • Dominican Republic
  • France

* Exclusions

Australia – Local Number
Bulgaria – Alternative Network, Bulgaria – Sofia
Chile – Audiotext, Chile – Rural
Israel -Palestine & Mobile Palestine
Morocco – Fix Wana & Satellite Wana Restraint Mobility
Pero – Rural Areas
Spain – Premium
Switzerland – Corporate
Turkey – North Cyprus
United Kingdom – NGN, United Kingdom – Personal Number (BT Only)
Indonesia – Jakarta & Surabaya Only
Kazakhstan – Almaty & Astana Only
Paraguay – Asuncion Only
Uruguay – Montevideo Only

How do I dial internationally with Tracfone International Basic?

To call internationally from a Tracfone, you have to follow these three steps:

  1. From your Tracfone, dial 305-938-5673 (within the US only, includes Alaska, Hawaii, and the US Virgin Islands)
  2. Select your language. Press 1 for English and 2 for Spanish. (Tip: instructions can be interrupted at any time, which allows you to get to step 3 quickly)
  3. Dial 011 + country code + city code + telephone number (For example, a cellular call to Denmark would be 011 + 45 + telephone number)

Make sure to wait to be connected and do not press any other key in the meantime, as Tracfone may disconnect you.

Congrats – you are making an international call now!

Red phone

What is the Tracfone $10 Global Calling Card?

The Tracfone $10 Global Calling Card allows you to call to destinations not included with Tracfone Basic International. Unlike with Basic International, you can call to both overseas cell phones and landlines (most of the time).

The calls, however, have to originate in the United States, Puerto Rico, or the US Virgin Islands and does not offer international roaming.

The card has to be combined with another Tracfone service plan for it to work.

Different rates apply per destination, and there is a rate difference between cellular and landline calls.

Tracfone $10 Global Card Destinations

Note: The first number represents the rate to landline phones. The second number shows the price to cellular phones. Example: $0.10/$0.05 means that calling to a landline phone to this destination costs you $0.10/min while calling to cellular phones costs you $0.05/min. All prices are in US Dollars. The tables are best viewed in landscape mode or desktop view (when on mobile)

Global Card Destinations A-L

DestinationRate (Landline/Cellular)DestinationRate (Landline/Cellular)DestinationRate (Landline/Cellular)
Afghanistan$0.23/$0.19Chile$0.05/$0.04Gibraltar$0.05/$0.21
Albania$0.14/$0.34Chile – Audiotext$0.90 Greece$0.02/$0.06
Algeria$0.11/$0.41Chile – Isla de Pascua$0.50 Greenland$0.56/$0.56
America Samoa$0.03/-Chile – Rural$0.75 Grenada$0.22/$0.24
Andorra$0.16/$0.16Chile – VoIP$0.50 Guadeloupe$0.08/$0.08
Angola$0.10/$0.11China$0.01/0.01Guatemala$0.15/$0.14
Anguilla$0.24/$0.22Colombia$0.03/$0.02Guatemala – Claro$0.04
Antarctica$2.80/-Comoros$0.46/$0.45Guinea$0.41/$0.38
Antigua & Barbuda$0.22/$0.23Congo$0.47/$0.41Guinea Bissau$0.45/$0.45
Argentina$0.02/$0.17Cook Island$3.50 Guyana$0.23/$0.15
Armenia$0.19/$0.22Costa Rica$0.04/$0.06Haiti$0.26/$0.31
Aruba$0.19/$0.22Croatia$0.07/$0.26Honduras$0.13/$0.15 
Ascension Island$1.28/-Cuba$0.77/$0.77Hong Kong$0.02/$0.03
Australia$0.02/$0.05 Curacao$0.08/$0.08Hungary$0.02/$0.08
Australia – Local Number$0.13 Cyprus$0.10/$0.09Iceland$0.03/$0.04
Austria$0.12/$0.23Czech Republic$0.03/$0.08India$0.01/$0.01
Azerbaijan$0.23/$0.33Denmark$0.02/$0.05Indonesia$0.05/$0.08
Bahamas$0.10/$0.14 Diego Garcia$1.16/-Iran$0.15/$0.15 
Bahrain$0.12/$0.13Djibouti$0.35/-Iraq$0.21/$0.21
Bangladesh$0.04/$0.04Dominica$0.21/$0.23Ireland$0.02/$0.08
Barbados$0.14/$0.22Dominican Republic$0.04/$0.11Israel$0.02/$0.18
Belarus$0.55/$0.55East Timor$0.62/-Israel – Palestine $0.20/-
Belgium$0.03/$0.37Ecuador$0.12/$0.12Italy$0.02/$0.25
Belgium – Alternative Network$0.13 Egypt$0.11/$0.12Ivory Coast$0.28/$0.35
Belize$0.24/$0.24El Salvador$0.12/$0.19Jamaica$0.27/$0.23
Benin$0.30/$0.30Equatorial Guinea$0.39/$0.37Japan$0.03/$0.06
Bermuda$0.05/$0.05Eritrea$0.26/-Jordan$0.15/$0.17
Bhutan$0.16/-Estonia$0.05/$0.30Kazakhstan$0.06/$0.14
Bolivia$0.10/$0.17Estonia – NGN$0.53 Kazakhstan Service 1, 2, 3$0.09/-
Bosnia$0.30/$0.35Ethiopia$0.23/$0.23Kenya$0.12/$0.13
Botswana$0.22/$0.24Faeroe Islands$0.50/$0.50Kiribati$0.77/-
Brazil$0.02/$0.06Falkland Islands$1.11/-Korea (North)$0.49/-
British Virgin Islands$0.25/$0.30Fiji$0.39/$0.25Korea (South)$0.02/$0.04
Brunei$0.05/$0.05Finland$0.07/$0.06Kuwait$0.08/$0.08
Bulgaria$0.23/$0.35Finland – Helsinki$0.12 Kyrgyzstan$0.17/$0.15 
Bulgaria – Alternative Network$0.06 Finland – Personal$0.08 Laos$0.08/-
Bulgaria – Sofia$0.07 France$0.02/$0.06Latvia$0.36/$0.30
Burkina Faso$0.26/$0.30France – Globalstar (Cellular)$0.08 Latvia – Alternative Network$0.51
Burundi$0.68/$0.68French Antilles$0.11/$0.11 Lebanon$0.09/$0.17
Cambodia$0.07/$0.07French Guiana$0.55/$0.09Lesotho$0.38/$0.35
Cameroon$0.14/$0.41French Polynesia$0.30/-Liberia$0.36/$0.34 
Canada$0.01/-Gabon$0.41/$0.48Libya$0.31/$0.29
Cape Verde$0.24/$0.28Gambia$0.77/$0.77Lichtenstein$0.47/$0.48
Cayman Islands$0.15/$0.18Georgia$0.24/$0.27Lithuania$0.20/$0.40
Central African Republic$0.75/$0.75Germany$0.02/$0.03Luxembourg$0.17/$0.17
Chad$0.56/$0.56Ghana$0.29/$0.28

Global Card Destinations M-Z

DestinationRate (Landline/Cellular) DestinationRate (Landline/Cellular) DestinationRate (Landline/Cellular) 
Madagascar$0.63/$0.63Palau$0.39/-Swaziland$0.19/$0.19
Malawi$0.37/$0.30Palestine$0.22/-Sweden$0.02/$0.04
Malaysia$0.05/$0.03Panama$0.02/$0.12Switzerland$0.02/$0.67
Maldives$0.90/-Papua New Guinea$1.40/-Switzerland – Corporate$0.32
Mali Republic$0.27/$0.32Paraguay$0.04/$0.11Syria$0.15/$0.27 
Malta$0.03/$0.06Peru$0.02/$0.04Taiwan$0.02/$0.10
Marshall Islands$0.27/-Peru – Rural Areas$0.27Tajikistan$0.15/$0.15
Mauritania$0.50/$0.50Philippines$0.11/$0.14Tanzania$0.30/$0.32
Mauritius$0.15/$0.18Poland$0.03/$0.13Thailand$0.04/$0.04
Mexico$0.02/$0.02Portugal$0.03/$0.07Togo$0.30/$0.25
Micronesia$0.90/-Qatar$0.20/$0.20Togo – Moov$0.25
Moldova$0.33/-Reunion Island$0.15/$0.25Tokelau$2.24/-
Monaco$0.08/$0.33Romania$0.03/$0.04Trinidad$0.15/$0.16
Mongolia$0.09/$0.05Russia$0.07/$0.24Tunisia$0.54/$0.54
Montenegro$0.19/$0.34Russia – Beeline$0.24-Turkey$0.04/$0.17
Montserrat$0.24/-Rwanda$0.31/$0.31Turkey – North Cyprus$0.14
Morocco$0.03/$0.41San Marino$0.45/-Turkmenistan$0.16/-
Morocco – Fix Wana$0.08Sao Tome$1.00/-Turks$0.22/$0.22
Morocco – Satellite Wana Restraint Mobility$0.30Saudi Arabia$0.09/$0.12Tuvalu$0.79/-
Mozambique$0.12/- Senegal$0.20/$0.31Uganda$0.27/$0.30
Myanmar$0.09/-Serbia$0.21/$0.233Ukraine$0.19/$0.19
Namibia$0.10/$0.13Seychelles$0.78/-United Arab Emirates$0.16/$0.16
Nauru$1.35/-Sierra Leone$0.41/$0.42United Kingdom$0.01/$0.05
Nepal$0.19/$0.23Singapore$0.02/-United Kingdom – NGN$0.30
Netherlands$0.03/$0.05Sint Maarten$0.11/-United Kingdom – Others$0.24
Netherlands Antilles$0.12/$0.12Slovakia$0.03/$0.12United Kingdom – Personal Number (BT Only)$0.30
New Caledonia$0.20/-Slovenia$0.29/$0.20United States$0.01/- 
New Zealand$0.03/$0.06Solomon Island$1.00/-Uruguay$0.06/$0.17
Nicaragua$0.14/$0.24Somalia$0.41/-Uzbekistan$0.10/$0.10
Niger$0.31/$0.31South Africa$0.13/$0.13Vanuatu$0.95/-
Nigeria$0.10/$0.11South Africa – Proper & Vas$0.14Vatican City$0.10/-
Niue$1.00/-South Sudan$0.31/$0.31Venezuela$0.02/$0.08
Norfolk Island$2.24/-Spain$0.02/$0.04Vietnam$0.07/$0.08
North Macedonia$0.24/$0.35Spain – Premium$0.30Western Samoa$0.47/-
Norway$0.05/$0.05Sri Lanka$0.14/$0.21Yemen$0.14/$0.16
Oman$0.25/$0.28Sudan$0.19/$0.15Zambia$0.39/$0.35
Pakistan$0.05/$0.05Suriname$0.19/$0.20Zimbabwe$0.09/$0.35
Woman pointing at a destination on a map

What is Tracfone International Neighbors?

The Tracfone International Neighbors allows you to get three Mexican phone numbers at no additional charge. Your friends and family from Mexico can then dial that number without them having to pay for an international long-distance call.

Although it will not cost your friends from Mexico anything extra to call you, standard minutes will be deducted from your account when you receive a call from Mexico.

Are Tracfone's international services worth it?

If the destination you want to call to falls under the Tracfone International Basic category, then you will not be charged anything extra, which is neat.

The only downside is that of the 56 International Basic destinations, only 19 of them allow you to call to cellular phones at no additional cost. In a world of mobile phones, it would be nice if more destinations would be added to that list. Perhaps that feature will be added in the future, but we will have to see.

If the destination you want to call to falls under the Tracfone $10 Global Calling Card, then things start to become more expensive.

Not only do you have to pay for the card, but you also get charged per minute. This can be $0.01/min up to $3.50/min (to Cook Island, for example).

In short, if you are only calling to International Basic destinations, then international calls are worth it. If not, then there are cheaper alternatives like calling through WhatsApp, Skype, or Facebook Messenger.