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UK data roaming for Irish travelers: Everything you need to know
While travelling from Ireland to the UK continues to be pretty easy, staying connected isn’t always as straightforward as it used to be. Since Brexit, UK mobile roaming rules have changed, and free data roaming is no longer guaranteed for Irish travellers.
Depending on your mobile provider and plan, you may need to pay extra for data, buy an add-on, or look for an alternative to avoid unexpected charges.
In this guide, we’ll explain how UK data roaming works for Irish travellers. We’ll also introduce the Wise card, which can help you spend in GBP while you’re in the UK.
Spend directly in GBP
with the Wise card 💷
Do I need data roaming in the UK?
Whether or not you need data roaming for visits to the UK will depend on your Irish phone provider.
Previously, the UK adhered to the EU's "Roam Like at Home" scheme, which gave people a fair usage amount to use for calls, texts and data, without extra roaming fees, while travelling between participating EU and EEA countries.
Post Brexit, that is no longer in place, and as a result you may need to buy a data package or add-on to be able to access roaming data while in the UK.
Is data roaming free in the UK?
Some phone providers have a free data roaming allowance, others have packages or add-ons you need to purchase.
The question of whether data roaming is free in the UK for Irish people really comes down to the terms and offers of your telecom service.
How much does data roaming cost in the UK with Irish companies?
To give you an idea of what UK roaming can cost, here’s how some of the main Irish providers tackle data roaming for personal customers on a prepaid or contract plan.
| Provider | Free allowance | Charge by the MB | Add-ons |
|---|---|---|---|
| Three¹ | N/A | 0.14c per MB for UK data | Roaming Day Pass offering €5.99 per day with 2GB of data. After that, it is 0.06c per MB |
| Vodafone² | Bill pay customer can access their home data allowance Pay as you go customers can access their home data, or 45 GB of data if on an unlimited data plan | Bill pay customers who go above their data allowance will be charged for extra data at the home rate Pay as you go customers who go above their data allowance will be charged for extra data at the home rate, except for unlimited plans which will be charged at 0.0013211c per MB after the 45 GB allowance | N/A |
| Eir Mobile | Supports Roam Like Home in the UK³ | After the allowance billpay customers get 250MB per day for 99c, then pay 2c per MB thereafter⁴ After the allowance prepay customers get 100MB per day for 1.99c, then pay 2c per MB thereafter⁵ | N/A |
As you can see each company handles roaming data in their own way, with some offering much better value than others.
e-SIM fees for roaming in the UK
As an alternative to roaming with your mobile phone provider, you could get an e-SIM. An e-SIM is downloaded directly to your phone, usually through an app, and works using the device’s embedded SIM.
This is what’s on offer from some of the more well-known international e-SIM providers for UK data:
| Provider | Offers |
|---|---|
| Airalo⁷ | Standard data packages for 3, 5, 7, 10, 15 or 30 days, with allowances between 1 GB and 50 GB, starting at €4.00 Unlimited data packages for 3, 5, 7, 10, 15 or 30 days, starting at €10.50 |
| Holafly⁶ | Unlimited data with a rate that varies based on the number of days, starting at €3.79 per day |
| Sailey⁸ | Standard data packages for 7 or 30 days, with allowances between 1 GB and 20 GB, starting at €4.49 Unlimited data packages for 10, 15, 20, 25, or 30 days, starting at €34.99 |
Keep in mind: e-SIM plans mostly only support data. If you need roaming calls and SMS, your choice of providers will be more limited.
Spend in GBP and +40 currencies with your Wise card
If you’re looking for a cost effective way to spend overseas in different currencies then the Wise card is a great option.
The card is linked to the Wise Account - which allows you to hold, convert, send and receive money in multiple currencies (including GBP), and applies the mid-market exchange rate for currency conversions.
Check out some of the benefits of using a Wise card:
- Spend in +150 countries, in store or online
- Spend directly from +40 currencies - e.g if you already hold GBP in your account you won’t pay anything extra (no Wise fee or currency conversion)
- Option to create free virtual cards
- Compatible with major digital wallets, like Apple Pay and Google Pay
- Able to withdraw up to 200 EUR cash a month for free*
- Manage your card via the Wise app, including freezing it in a few clicks
- One-time fee of 7 EUR to order the physical card.
Wise will not charge you for these withdrawals, but some additional charges may occur from independent ATM networks.
How to set up your data roaming for UK: Step-by-step
- Check your current phone plan to see whether UK roaming is included, and what data, call and text allowances apply.
- Ensure data roaming is enabled on your phone. It’s a toggle switch usually found in your phone’s network settings, and once turned on it will allow your phone to automatically connect to a partner network once you arrive in the UK.
Sources used:
- Three - Roaming Rates and Add-Ons
- Vodafone - Get support for all your roaming questions here
- Eir - eir mobile International Roaming
- Eir - eir mobile International Roaming Bill Pay
- Eir - eir mobile International Roaming Prepay
- Holafly - UK
- Airalo - United Kingdom eSIM, from 4.00 €
- Sailey - UK
Sources last checked on date: 16 January 2026
*Please see terms of use and product availability for your region or visit Wise fees and pricing for the most up to date pricing and fee information.
This publication is provided for general information purposes and does not constitute legal, tax or other professional advice from Wise Payments Limited or its subsidiaries and its affiliates, and it is not intended as a substitute for obtaining advice from a financial advisor or any other professional.
We make no representations, warranties or guarantees, whether expressed or implied, that the content in the publication is accurate, complete or up to date.
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