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Like many UK networks, Virgin Mobile offers inclusive roaming in select destinations on its plans. But while its offering is similar to other networks in a lot of ways, it’s not identical.
Every network offers different roaming terms, as while many allow for inclusive roaming in a similar selection of destinations, there are often differences, as well as differences in their fair usage limits.
So with that in mind you’ll find Virgin Mobile’s roaming offering and terms below, so you’ll know what to expect if you’re on the network or considering joining.
Note that this article is up to date as of November 2022, and roaming terms don’t often change so it will probably still be accurate whenever you read it, but if in doubt it’s always worth checking with Virgin Mobile directly.
Where does Virgin Mobile offer free roaming?
Virgin Mobile allows customers to roam using their standard allowances at no extra cost in 43 European destinations. Those are as follows:
Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canary Islands, Croatia, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, French Guiana, Germany, Gibraltar, Greece, Guadeloupe, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Madeira, Malta, Martinique, Mayotte, Monaco, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Reunion Islands, Romania, Saint Barthelemy, San Marino, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, The Czech Republic, The Netherlands, The French Antilles, and Vatican City.
The network doesn’t offer free roaming anywhere else, so you’re limited to European destinations.
Which Virgin Mobile plans include free roaming?
Free roaming comes as standard on all Pay Monthly phone and SIM Only plans on Virgin Mobile. It also comes as standard if you get a tablet on a contract.
What’s included in Virgin Mobile’s free roaming?
You have access to your standard allowances of minutes, texts, and data when roaming in the above locations on Virgin Mobile – subject to fair usage limits detailed below.
This includes both using your minutes, texts, and data in the country you’re visiting, and calling and messaging other phones (both mobile and landline) in the EU.
If you run out of any of your allowances then you won’t pay any more for additional minutes, texts, and data than you would in the UK.
What fair usage limits are there when roaming on Virgin Mobile?
Virgin Mobile’s fair usage policy is a bit more complicated than that of most networks, as it varies depending on your plan.
Handily though the company has provided a fair usage calculator that you can use to figure it out. Specifically, the calculation is twice your monthly airtime cost (before VAT) divided by the current EU data wholesale capped rate.
On top of that, Virgin Mobile also states in its terms and conditions that you should spend more days in the UK than the EU over a rolling four-month period.
What sort of costs can I expect when roaming in locations that aren’t free?
Roaming costs in other areas vary but they aren’t cheap, with data costing up to £12.50 per megabyte, depending on your location.
In the US for example you’ll pay £5 per megabyte, 50p per text, £2 per minute when making a call, and £1.50 per minute when receiving a call. Costs are the same in Australia and Canada, among other places, while in China and Japan the costs are the same except to make a call, which costs £2.60 per minute.
Virgin Mobile will however cap your data roaming usage at £51.50 unless you tell the company you don’t want that cap.
Does Virgin Mobile offer 5G roaming?
No, not many networks offer 5G roaming at the time of writing, and Virgin Mobile isn’t among those that do. So far it’s only Vodafone and some MVNOs using its network, such as VOXI and Asda Mobile, that do offer 5G roaming, and even then it’s only in a quite limited number of places.
If Virgin Mobile planning to introduce roaming charges in the EU?
Virgin Mobile claims that it has “no plans to reintroduce EU roaming charges,” so it seems unlikely any such charges will be added soon if at all.
