Why having an Australian Phone Number is important

Getting an Australian Phone Number is the first thing you need to do when you set down in Australia. Here is why and some great tips on how to get your phone ‘Australia ready’ before you leave. But while you’re still at home you should get your phone ready, unlocked and get a back up international sim card.  Keep reading for some tips on how to do this. 

Three Main Reasons you need an Australian Phone Number

1. Before doing your bank ID check to officially set up your bank account in Australia its recommended you get a phone number to add to your account. If you don’t do an ID check you cannot withdraw money from your account.
2. Applying for a job. Employers need a way of contacting you.
3. Using your phone as a Sat Nav. It is much cheaper if you buy a pay as you go sim with a big data plan than lugging a sat nav around. Your phone also connects to great apps that with a simple click can plan routes out for you. 

If you end up living in a car travelling up the coast of Australia, your phone is your lifeline, it’s your entertainment and your guidance, it is also your camera and advisor. With the best apps, your phone will be the most important item to travel with.

Tip: Before you leave the UK you need to get your device ready and as a backup, get yourself a Three Roaming Sim Card.

Get Your Device Ready

The best advice I can give you is to bring your phone or get a good one before you leave so that you can just pop in a sim card and go. Here are a few ways to check your device is ready:

• Knowing your phone will work: Many mobile phones used in North America are CMDA band phones only, and will not work in Australia. If your phone is marketed as “GSM”, “tr-band” or “quad-band” it’s a good bet your phone will work.
• Updating your phone – Make sure your phone has all the most up to date software updates. So that you can update your Banking Apps.
• Banking Apps: Download and sort out all your online banking through your app, but also make sure you pack your card reader in case your phone gets lost or broken.
• Emergency Phone Budget: I would stash some emergency money in your savings just in case you need to buy a cheap phone.
• Unlock your phone: Check your phone is not locked to your network if so try and get it unlocked before you leave
• Case: Buy a good,  waterproof case and battery pack charger.

How I got my O2 phone unlocked

• Click here to submit a form.
• Once submitted it can take up to 28 days to receive the unlock code but it is usually quicker – within 7 days.
• You will receive the code with instructions on how to complete the process with your specific handset, but in general, you insert a different networks sim card and enter the code when prompted. Click here for more information.

Buy a Three Roaming Sim Card – Back up international sim Card

I don’t know what I would do without my Three Sim Card. It works in 60 destinations including USA, Australia, France, Spain, Brazil and Singapore and is great for if you get stuck on your travels or decide to stop somewhere on the way before landing in Oz.

Also, it prevents confusion for your family as it’s a UK number that they can call you on. It is a great number to give your Grandparents.

Order one now, its free and only takes a few days to arrive: Click Here

It also always feels like £10 goes a long way when it means you can chat with your family.

Tip: Makes sure you activate, download the app and top it up before you leave the UK. It gets very tricky trying to do that outside the UK.

Know your Australian Networks

Before you buy a sim in Australia, make sure you know your networks.

Here are the three main ones:

• Vodafone – The Network I use. It has great top-up options and bonuses. But has been reviewed as limited coverage. We did struggle a bit, in remote areas but it was okay.
• Optus is the 2nd largest network in Australia – has great coverage.
• Telstra is known as Australia’s most expensive network.

Tip: Look into how far your network stretches. If you planning on driving across Australia you need a network that will work in the most remote places.

I used Vodafone. Travelling up and down the East Coast. It was great and only cut out in the very remote towns that we drove through in an attempt to drive from Sydney to Cairns in the shortest amount of time possible.

Vodafone also has some great deals for newbies. Click here to see the deals. 

Make sure you pick the one you want, then go into the store and ask for it.

Why you should not get a contract? 

Most contracts are no less than 36 months. If you are going to be in Australia for less than a year you may be better off buying a pre-paid/pay-as-you-go mobile phone where you buy in bulk minutes and data upfront. There are some great sim only plans in Australia.

How to get an Australian Sim Card

Don’t bother ordering one before you arrive. You want to go into a phone store the day you land and check out the Sim-only deals on offer. Make sure you get loads of Data and opt into international calling.

To just get a sim card you can go into your chosen phone store with your passport and an Australian address to buy a sim with the plan you want. They will just take a scan of your passport and/or passport details.

Having an address where your mail can go is important but if you are just getting a sim it is not that important it could be your accommodation. They won’t mail you anything. But it is worth changing your address if you get a forwarding address or settle somewhere for a while.

You should have to pay for the Sim Card just the top up amount. So when I started with Vodaphone I paid $40 for a month, with 1000 international minutes and 6GB of data.

Other Network Providers

Generally, the cheapest sim plans are Virtual Networks that are mostly Supermarkets.

• Aldi Mobile
• Amaysim
• Boost Mobile
• Coles Prepaid 
• Dodo 
• Gotalk
• Hello Mobile
• Lebara Mobile
• Virgin Mobile
• Woolworths Mobile
• Yomojo

Plan Comparison Websites:

• YouCompare.com
• WhistleOut.com