Travel abroad with ease using your Bell mobile phone or smartphone. With coverage in over 200 countries including over 170 countries for data, you are able to stay connected overseas without having to worry about changing phones or phone numbers.
Coverage and rates
Bell offers a variety of mobile phones and smartphones that can be used for roaming outside of Canada. Before travelling, we suggest you check to see which destinations are available for your particular device and the roaming rates for your desired destination.
HSPA phones and smartphones – view which networks and services are available and the roaming rate.
EVDO/1XTT phones and smartphones – select your device and the country you are visiting to view which networks and services are available and the roaming rates.
When you send a message while roaming internationally, you will be charged $0.60 for each message sent*. Sent messages are pay-per-use and are not included in Text Messaging bundles. Received text messages are charged the same as if you were in Canada.
Data usage while roaming internationally is charged at the rate of $0.05/KB ($51.20/MB) in 10KB increments and is not deducted from your data plan, which applies to data usage in Canada only.
Tip: Data roaming charges can add up quite quickly. We recommend you do not use data-intensive applications such as surfing the web, video streaming or downloading large email attachments while outside of Canada.
If you travel frequently, find out how you can save on roaming with Travel bundles.
Important information
Before you travel abroad with your EVDO phone, please contact Client support at 1 800 667-ROAM (7626), or visit a Bell store.
If you're travelling to Mexico with an EVDO phone, including the BlackBerry® 8830 World Edition, BlackBerry® StormTM 9530 or BlackBerry® TourTM 9630 and Samsung AceTM smartphones, please call Client Care at least 48 hours prior to your departure.
If you’re travelling to Japan or South Korea, only Bell HSPA devices that support 3G 2100 will work. Devices that will work include: BlackBerry® BoldTM 9000, BlackBerry® BoldTM 9700 and the Nokia 6350.
Roaming outside of Canada is available to Bell monthly plan customers only. Access to international roaming may be restricted to certain customers at Bell’s own discretion.
If your device and/or SIM card are lost or stolen while outside Canada, you must report this to Bell immediately to avoid your responsibility for roaming charges associated with any fraudulent usage of the device and/or SIM card.
*Premium text message charges are extra.
Making calls
Before you travel abroad with your EVDO phone, please contact Client support at 1 800 667-ROAM (7626), or visit a Bell store.
To make a local call or to call within a country, follow the dialling pattern of that country.
When making an international call while roaming on a HSPA+/GSM network, the international dialling code is not required. Simply begin your number with the "+" symbol. To get the "+" symbol on your mobile phone, hold the "0" key for a few seconds until "+" appears on the display. For some phones, you must press the ‘*’ key twice quickly to display the ‘+’ symbol. It is recommended that you store all your contacts using the + code format so that you are able to make calls easily when travelling.
For example, if you were calling a friend in the United Kingdom you would use (and save the contact) in the following format:
+ with the country code, area code and phone number.
+ 44 181 777 7777
While roaming on an EVDO network, please see the chart below for the international dialling code needed to place an international call from different regions.
| U.S., Bermuda, Guam and Caribbean |
011 |
| Hong Kong, South Korea, Thailand |
001 |
| Taiwan |
005 |
| Other EVDO countries |
00 |
Voicemail retrieval
With your EVDO phone you can retrieve voicemail messages while abroad by calling your own phone number as if you were placing a call to Canada. Once you hear your greeting, press #, and then enter your voicemail password.
If you have a Bell HSPA phone you can simply hold and press the ‘1’ key to retrieve your voicemail messages. You may be asked to enter your 10-digit mobile number first before entering your voicemail password. Note: roaming charges may apply. If you have a UMTS device, simply hold and press the “1” key. You may be asked to enter your 10 digit mobile number first before you enter your voicemail password.
Sending and receiving text messages
EVDO phones
To send a text message from abroad to a Calgary phone number, dial 403 XXX XXXX. To send a text message from France to a German mobile number, dial 011 49 XX XXX XXXX.
HSPA phones
To send a text message from abroad use the “+” key followed by the number.
Example: Abroad to a Montreal phone number, dial +1 514 XXX XXXX. To send a text message from Germany to a France mobile phone number dial +33 XX XXX XXXX.
When you send a message while roaming internationally, you will be charged $0.60 for each message sent*. Sent messages are pay-per-use and are not included in the Text Messaging bundles. Received text messages are charged the same as if you were in Canada.
Using email and Internet
When abroad on an HSPA or GSM network, your device will automatically connect to a network. In the event that this does not occur and data is available in that country, you will need to manually switch the device to another network. Refer to the user manual for instructions. Please confirm data availability and network partner for the country or countries you are visiting in the Coverage and Rates section.
Emergency Service
While you are in North America, you can contact local emergency services by dialing 911. If you are travelling outside North America, you can contact the countries local emergency service by dialing 112 on a HSPA+/GSM network.
TIP: Don’t forget to bring your charger and electrical adapter with you when you travel.
Where to call for assistance
For 24/7 client support when travelling abroad, call free of charge from your mobile phone: +1 514 420-7748. When roaming on the EVDO network replace "+" with the international dialling code.
You can also reach us free of charge from a landline in 21 countries using our international toll-free number +800-328-2123-3, where + is the international country code.
Not all EVDO-capable phones and smartphones will have access to all EVDO networks for voice or data use. Should you plan to travel with your phone or smartphone to a EVDO country for the first time, please verify that your phone or smartphone is compatible by calling Bell Client Care before you leave Canada.