Using a travel esim while overseas and using wifi calling - is this possible without incurring roaming charges.

Forums › Mobile handsets › Using a travel esim while overseas and using wifi calling - is this possible without incurring roaming charges.

OldGeek

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#323840 23-Jan-2026 15:18

I have looked at a few topics here aswell as Apple support but I am still unclear whether what I wish to do is possible.

I have an Iphone SE 2022 running IOS 26. I am on 2D with an esim.

Normally heading off to Oz (for example) requires that air-plane mode be on to ensure there are no roaming charges. When connected to a WIFI network wifi calling works fine with air-plane mode on and wifi on. However this means I can only receive calls and texts while connected to a wifi network which usually means evenings in accommodation or from time to time when a wifi network can be connected to.

I am wondering whether a travel esim will allow me to have wifi calling on seemlessly 24/7 while overseas. This would require all data to go through the travel esim, but the 2D esim would need to be active to allow calls to be made as if I am wifi-connected. Can I set airplane-mode only for the 2D esim but use wifi calling via the travel esim (which connects to a local cellular data service)?

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#3455458 23-Jan-2026 16:35

A 2degreee Travel SIM is for people coming into New Zealand and traveling around

Jase2985

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#3455460 23-Jan-2026 16:39

Linux:

A 2degreee Travel SIM is for people coming into New Zealand and traveling around

Stop, read, read again, then post.

OldGeek

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#3455461 23-Jan-2026 16:41

2D is my NZ provider. I am looking at travel sims usable outside NZ, such as bcengi.

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Jase2985

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#3455462 23-Jan-2026 16:43

Just get a local sim if going to Australia.

OldGeek

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#3455466 23-Jan-2026 16:55

Jase2985:

Just get a local sim if going to Australia.

Been there, done that multiple times. Sim cards get lost or expire. Hence a non-expiring esim is what I am looking at and most reasonably-priced ones are data only. This is why I was fairly specific with my OP, leveraging wifi calling with a data-only esim (that cannot be lost and does not expire).

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OldGeek.

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Jase2985

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#3455468 23-Jan-2026 17:11

Who cares if it gets lost or expires? its immaterial in the scheme of things. Just get a new one.

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SpartanVXL

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#3455470 23-Jan-2026 17:17

Yes iPhone is possible as long as carrier allows it overseas (2D does).

The gist is to set your 2D sim to manual network selection. When you land overseas it will fail to connect as 2D doesn’t exist, the sim will fallback to whichever data connection is available. If you have another active (e)sim then it will use that or wifi if connected.

You can disable data roaming on the 2d sim just in case, whatever you do don’t turn off manual selection when your overseas.

CamH

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#3455473 23-Jan-2026 17:29

As someone who sells data only eSIMs, I wouldn't bother getting one of these for AU. Get an Amaysim AU 10GB eSIM for $10. Then you can use it for calling and TXTing.

But to answer your question, theoretically, yes. It'll work. You get a data eSIM, you turn roaming off on the 2D SIM and it should work as WiFi calling.

DjShadow

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#3455482 23-Jan-2026 18:50

SpartanVXL:

Yes iPhone is possible as long as carrier allows it overseas (2D does).

The gist is to set your 2D sim to manual network selection. When you land overseas it will fail to connect as 2D doesn’t exist, the sim will fallback to whichever data connection is available. If you have another active (e)sim then it will use that or wifi if connected.

You can disable data roaming on the 2d sim just in case, whatever you do don’t turn off manual selection when your overseas.

The instructions above will also work for One NZ but not Spark/Skinny who do not support the use of Wifi Calling when overseas

OldGeek

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#3455550 24-Jan-2026 08:32

SpartanVXL:

Yes iPhone is possible as long as carrier allows it overseas (2D does).

The gist is to set your 2D sim to manual network selection. When you land overseas it will fail to connect as 2D doesn’t exist, the sim will fallback to whichever data connection is available. If you have another active (e)sim then it will use that or wifi if connected.

You can disable data roaming on the 2d sim just in case, whatever you do don’t turn off manual selection when your overseas.

Thanks - will give it a try.

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Stu1

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#3455557 24-Jan-2026 09:40

I got an Optus sim 65gb (now 60) $13 couple of weeks ago free calling and text . It’s 39 the second month but just cancelled it when I got back to nz

https://www.optus.com.au/deals#prepaid

I switched off the 2d to wifi calling only I got charged 5 days of roaming where it should have been only 2 days . They have reversed it though seems a bit hit and miss

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CYaBro

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#3455559 24-Jan-2026 10:05

We have a 6 day trip to Aus coming up so am looking at this as well.
Anybody tried this?

https://www.optus.com.au/customer-extras/network-trial

Opinions are my own and not the views of my employer.

Stu1

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#3455569 24-Jan-2026 11:24

CYaBro:

We have a 6 day trip to Aus coming up so am looking at this as well.
Anybody tried this?

https://www.optus.com.au/customer-extras/network-trial

it’s good I went on the higher plan my wife and kids did the 7 day trail works great it’s an eSIM as well

SpartanVXL

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#3455571 24-Jan-2026 11:38

Stu1:

I got an Optus sim 65gb (now 60) $13 couple of weeks ago free calling and text . It’s 39 the second month but just cancelled it when I got back to nz

https://www.optus.com.au/deals#prepaid

I switched off the 2d to wifi calling only I got charged 5 days of roaming where it should have been only 2 days . They have reversed it though seems a bit hit and miss

Using the method I described before, you won’t get any charges aside from wifi calling usage (normal rates). The 2D sim never connects to a network (because it doesn’t exist) and roaming never activates. Because it is still ‘active’ it will fallback to using data from whichever connection is available.

The hassle is just to remember to set it before leaving. You can also select a network that your carrier doesn’t roam with but for Aus thats a bit difficult as pretty much every major carrier does roam with NZ providers.

Stu1

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#3455626 24-Jan-2026 15:05

SpartanVXL:

Stu1:

I got an Optus sim 65gb (now 60) $13 couple of weeks ago free calling and text . It’s 39 the second month but just cancelled it when I got back to nz

https://www.optus.com.au/deals#prepaid

I switched off the 2d to wifi calling only I got charged 5 days of roaming where it should have been only 2 days . They have reversed it though seems a bit hit and miss

Using the method I described before, you won’t get any charges aside from wifi calling usage (normal rates). The 2D sim never connects to a network (because it doesn’t exist) and roaming never activates. Because it is still ‘active’ it will fallback to using data from whichever connection is available.

The hassle is just to remember to set it before leaving. You can also select a network that your carrier doesn’t roam with but for Aus thats a bit difficult as pretty much every major carrier does roam with NZ providers.

I went into mobile then sims switched off 2D I was there for 8 days got charged for 5 three days worked as expected and didn’t get charged. I only left it on the 31st and when we came back on the 8th . So roaming only 2 days , they were good refunded three days

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