International Roaming

Roaming in Dubai: Costs, plans, and alternatives

Avoid expensive Dubai roaming charges with travel passes, local SIMs, and travel eSIMs. Compare your best options now.

Many UK standard phone plans do not include Dubai as an inclusive-roaming destination, even though it is one of the most visited destinations in the world. That said, you will still be able to purchase a roaming pass or add-ons to stay connected in Dubai, which can get expensive pretty quickly.

In this guide, we’ll cover roaming costs across major UK (Vodafone UK, EE, O2, Lebara, Three) and US carriers (AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile) in Dubai and introduce cheaper alternatives, including Holafly’s eSIM for Dubai.

Important to know: FaceTime, Skype, and WhatsApp voice and video calls are restricted in Dubai. You can use BOTIM, GoChat, Zoom, and Microsoft Teams instead.

In this article

Roaming charges in Dubai

Roaming costs in Dubai depend on the carrier and your home plan. If you’re on a roaming plan with Dubai as an included destination, you’ll be able to use your data, call, and text allowances abroad. With other plans, you may have to buy roaming passes, add-ons, or risk paying as you go.

Disclaimer: The data in this article is accurate as of 24 July, 2026, and is subject to change.

Vodafone UK roaming in Dubai

As a Pay Monthly customer, you’ll have to pay between £6 and £8 per day, depending on when you purchased your plan.

If you’re on a Pay As You Go plan, you’ll have to pay standard roaming rates for Dubai:

Make calls: 60p per minute
Receive calls: 36p per minute
Text messages: 8p per text
MMS: 66p per text
Data: 12p per MB

Finally, if you’re a Pay as you go Plus user, you’ll have to buy a roaming extra. This includes two options:

8-day Around the World Extra: 150 MB, 25 minutes, 150 texts for £35
8-day Around the World Extra (data-only): 150 MB for £15

Check out our dedicated Vodafone UK roaming in Dubai guide for more details.

EE roaming in Dubai

If you’re on an EE Full Works plan that started after 29 August 2024, you can roam in Dubai freely after enabling data roaming in your phone’s settings.

However, if your plan started before 29 August 2024, Dubai roaming is not automatically included, and you have to purchase a roaming pass to use your allowances:

24-hour roaming pass: Calls to the UK & local, receive calls, send texts, and use data for £5
7-day roaming pass: Calls to the UK & local, receive calls, send texts, and use data for £25

As an All Rounder Plan user, you can choose the Roam Abroad Pass to get inclusive roaming in Dubai. If not, you’ll have to pay £5 per day or £25 for 7 days to use your UK allowances.

For Pay As You Go users, roaming charges are:

£1.80 per voice minute (making/receiving calls)
60p per SMS
48p per MMS

Data must be purchased as an add-on. For the full overview as an EE user, check out our EE roaming in Dubai guide.

O2 roaming in Dubai

If you’re on an O2 Volt or Plus plan, you’re eligible for the O2 Travel Inclusive Zone Ultimate. This means you’ll be able to use unlimited data, texts, and calls at no extra cost in Dubai. However, your data speed will be limited to 2 Mbps.

If you’re on any plan that doesn’t include the O2 Travel Inclusive Zone Ultimate, you can use the O2 Travel Bolt On, which includes unlimited texts, data, and minutes for £7 per day.

If you don’t activate this service as a Pay Monthly customer, you’ll be subjected to standard rates:

Making calls: £3/minute
Receiving calls: £3/minute
Sending texts: £1/minute

Data bundles include 1 GB for £9, 3 GB for £20, and 5 GB for £29.

As an O2 Pay As You Go user, standard roaming rates are different:

Making calls: £2/minute
Receiving calls: £2/minute
Sending texts: £0.50/minute
Data: £7.20/MB

Check out our O2 Dubai roaming blog for more information on your plan, roaming rates, and what to expect.

Three roaming in Dubai

Three offers various Dubai roaming options for Pay Monthly users on different plans.

Advanced plan: You can use your call and text allowances, plus up to 12 GB per month, with a Go Roam pass or a £7 daily roaming pass.
Lite plan: You can unlock call and text allowances and up to 12 GB per month with a Go Roam pass or a £7 daily roaming pass.
Value: You have built-in roaming in Dubai for 28 days if you joined or upgraded your plan before June 22, 2025. If you joined or upgraded after June 22, you can unlock your allowances with a £7 daily roaming pass or a Go Roam pass.
Complete: You have built-in roaming in Dubai for 56 days if you joined or upgraded your plan before June 22, 2025. If you joined or upgraded your plan after this, built-in roaming isn’t available.

After your allowances are exhausted, you’ll be subjected to additional roaming charges:

1p per MB
3p per voice minute to the UK and £1.40 per minute to a Go Roam Around the World destination
2p per text to the UK and 35p per text to a Go Roam Around the World destination

As a Three Pay as you go user, you’ll have to pay standard roaming rates in Dubai:

Make calls: £3/minute
Receive calls: £1.25/minute
Text messages: 35p per text
Data: £6/MB

For more details on getting roaming passes or data add-ons, visit our dedicated Three Dubai roaming guide.

Lebara roaming in Dubai

Lebara does not include the United Arab Emirates in its Roam Like Home destinations. As a non-Roam Like Home destination, you can purchase roaming add-ons:

8-Day Add-On: 1 GB for £5
15-Day Add-On: 3 GB data, 50 roaming minutes, 50 roaming texts for £15

If you run out of allowances, you’ll have to pay standard rates to use your phone abroad:

Data: £93 per GB
Incoming calls: 49p per minute
Outgoing calls: 49p per minute
Incoming texts: Free
Outgoing texts: 49p per minute

For more information about roaming in other destinations, check out our blog on Lebara roaming.

AT&T roaming in Dubai

AT&T offers an International Day Pass that lets you use your allowances from your home plan in 210+ destinations, including the United Arab Emirates, for $12 USD per day.

This pass activates automatically, but if you disable this, you’ll be charged pay-per-use rates for anything you use:

$3 per voice minute in the UAE
$0.50 per SMS
$1.30 per MMS
$2.05 per MB

Our AT&T international roaming guide has more information on other destinations.

Verizon roaming in Dubai

Verizon offers roaming-inclusive monthly plans, such as the Monthly International Plan for $100 per month that includes roaming in Dubai. It includes unlimited data (with speed caps), unlimited texts, and 250 minutes.

If you’re not a part of this plan, you can opt for the TravelPass to roam in Dubai. The price is $12 per day for unlimited data (with speed caps), talk, and text.

Verizon’s Pay As You Go roaming rates are $2.05 per MB, $1.79 per voice minute, $0.50 per SMS, and $0.25 per MMS.

Our Verizon international roaming guide breaks down roaming rates, coverage, and what to expect for multiple destinations.

T-Mobile roaming in Dubai

T-Mobile offers monthly plans with inclusive roaming in Dubai. With Better Value, Experience Beyond & Go 5G Next, Go 5G, Magenta & One plans, you can get call, text, and data allowances for Dubai.

Check out our T-Mobile international roaming guide for more details.

If you’re not on any of these plans, you can opt for an International Pass instead:

1 Day Pass: $10 for 2 GB and free calls
10 Day Pass: $50 for 15 GB and free calls
30 Day Pass: $75 for 30 GB and free calls

T-Mobile’s pay-as-you-go roaming rates for Dubai are $0.25 per voice minute and $0.01 per MB. You’ll have to pay these if you don’t have a roaming-inclusive plan or international pass and want to use your phone in Dubai.

Enjoy unlimited data for less in Dubai with Holafly

If international roaming with your home provider seems expensive, especially for limited allowances, Holafly’s eSIM for Dubai offers unlimited data at affordable prices. You can get 24/7 customer support, connection to strong local networks, an online setup process, and internet access as soon as you land.

One major benefit is that Holafly’s eSIM for Dubai includes VoIP access, so WhatsApp, FaceTime, and other video calls work normally.

What’s more, you can keep your Holafly eSIM installed after your plan expires and get 1 GB of Always On monthly backup data at no extra cost in 150+ destinations.

For travelers staying longer or moving between countries, Holafly Plans offer a monthly subscription including unlimited data, unlimited hotspot usage, and coverage across more than 160 destinations.

How to avoid roaming charges in Dubai

You can avoid racking up a large roaming bill in the UAE by securing an affordable alternative, like a Holafly travel eSIM, or switching off data roaming before landing.

Get a travel pass: If you want to keep your regular number active for calls, buy a daily travel pass before or on arrival. This fixes your daily cost and prevents any standard roaming costs.
Use a travel eSIM: Cheaper than traditional roaming, an eSIM provides instant setup and unlimited data. Holafly’s travel eSIM activates before you land. No airport store visits or physical SIM swaps required.
Get a local SIM card: Local tourist SIMs are available at Dubai International Airport (DXB) arrivals from carriers like du and e& (formerly Etisalat). A valid passport is required for registration. Check out our Dubai SIM card blog to weigh your options.
Rent a pocket Wi-Fi device: Portable Wi-Fi routers work well for small groups traveling together. While more expensive and less convenient than an eSIM due to charging and pickup requirements, it keeps multiple devices connected. Our pocket Wi-Fi for Dubai guide includes a full breakdown.
Use free Wi-Fi: Dubai hotels, shopping malls, and major public spaces offer strong public Wi-Fi networks. It works fine for light messaging, but relying solely on public networks leaves you without navigation or internet access while you’re on the move.

Holafly eSIM vs. Dubai roaming

Still unsure about what to pick? Here’s how roaming options compare to Holafly’s eSIM for Dubai:

	Holafly eSIM	Dubai roaming
Price range	£2.45 to £6 per day (the longer your eSIM plan, the lower the price)	£6 to £25 per roaming pass or data add-on
Data sharing	Yes	Depends on the provider
Unlimited data	Yes	Depends on the provider
Calls/texts	No	Depends on the provider
24/7 customer support	Yes	No, for most providers

If calls and texts are not a priority, Holafly’s eSIM for Dubai offers a cheaper yet equally reliable way to get data, with the added advantage of VoIP access that standard roaming in the UAE doesn’t always include.

Frequently Asked Questions about data roaming in Dubai

Is Dubai included in UK roaming plans?

No, Dubai is not typically included in standard UK roaming plans. Using your regular home plan in Dubai without a pass or add-on may result in expensive roaming charges.

Which networks offer roaming in Dubai?

All major UK providers, including Vodafone UK, EE, O2, Three, and Lebara, offer roaming services in Dubai.

How much does roaming in Dubai cost for UK travellers?

Without a roaming pass or data add-on (£6-10+), pay-as-you-go rates can cost anywhere from 12p to £6 per MB.

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Mahnoor Bangush

SEO Content Writer

Born and raised in Queens, New York, I'm a Psychology graduate with a passion for writing that I've been nurturing since 2019. Over the years, I've enjoyed creating meaningful content across various niches, including sports, hospitality, and career development. At Holafly, I focus on crafting useful and inspiring pieces to make your adventures more effortless. One of the best perks of this role? Creating travel content always seems to inspire my next vacation destination!

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