International Roaming

Data roaming in New Zealand: Costs, plans, and alternatives

Planning a trip to New Zealand? Learn about your options for data roaming in New Zealand and how to stay connected with unlimited data.

Being disconnected while traveling abroad can mean missing important calls and texts, struggling to navigate, or losing touch with friends and family. While data roaming in New Zealand allows you to stay online through your current provider, you’ll need to know a few things to avoid high roaming charges.

In this guide, we’ll break down how international roaming in New Zealand works with major providers from the USA and Australia. If you’re looking for true peace of mind, we’ll also show you how an unlimited data travel eSIM can be the simplest way to stay connected in New Zealand.

In this article

Roaming charges in New Zealand

The cost for data roaming in New Zealand depends heavily on your provider, your plan’s eligibility, and whether you opt for international travel passes, roaming packs, or pay-as-you-go rates. Some carriers in Australia and the USA offer bundle roaming in New Zealand with your regular service. With others, you may have to pay additional charges.

Roaming costs in New Zealand for Australian travelers

For Australian travelers, roaming in New Zealand is possible with major providers like Optus, Telstra, and Vodafone AU. It’s crucial to check your plan, understand allowances, and be aware of any limits so you don’t face unexpected roaming charges in New Zealand.

Optus roaming in New Zealand: Costs and options

When it comes to Optus roaming for New Zealand, you have a few options. If you’re on any of the following Optus monthly plans:

Optus Choice Plus
Optus Plus Family
Optus Plus Promo
Business Choice Plus

You’ll have access to the Optus Daily Roaming feature for data roaming in New Zealand. For $5 AUD daily, you can get 5 GB data and unlimited calls and texts.

If you’re not on an eligible plan, you can choose a 24-hour Optus Roaming Pass: $10 per day for 1 GB data and unlimited calls and texts. Otherwise, you’ll have to settle for Standard Roaming ($1 AUD per MB, $1.50 per voice minute, and $0.50 per text).

Optus users with the prepaid service can get Talk, Text, and Data roaming packs. For more information, visit our guide on Optus international roaming.

Telstra roaming in New Zealand: Costs and options

As a Telstra user with an Upfront or a non-Upfront phone plan, you can get an International Day Pass for data roaming in New Zealand. You’ll have to pay $5 per day for 2 GB of data and unlimited talk and text.

If you’re on a prepaid mobile plan, you can choose one of three prepaid roaming packs:

Pack 1 (3-day validity): $10 AUD for 400 MB, 15 minutes, and 15 SMS
Pack 2 7-day validity):$15 AUD for 2 GB, 25 minutes, and 25 SMS
Pack 3 (14-day validity): $25 AUD for 4 GB, 50 minutes, and 50 SMS

Pay-As-You-Go only applies if you’re not on Telstra’s Day Pass plans or haven’t activated any prepaid roaming packs. Check out our Telstra New Zealand roaming guide for more details.

Vodafone AU roaming in New Zealand: Costs and options

Vodafone AU’s New Zealand roaming services offer a few options for Australian travelers to stay connected. If you’re on a Vodafone Infinite, Plus, or Vodafone Infinite Data Plan, you can use your existing allowances in New Zealand for $5 AUD daily.

If you’re on a non-eligible pay-monthly plan, you’ll be charged standard rates: $1 per voice minute, $0.75 per text, and $1 per MB of data.

For Vodafone AU prepaid users, you can choose between three roaming add-ons with varying talk, text, and data allowances.

Roaming costs in New Zealand for US travelers

If you’re traveling from the United States, data roaming in New Zealand can be more expensive compared to what Australian travelers pay. Major US-based providers like Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile offer a few options each to help you stay connected.

T-Mobile New Zealand roaming costs

If you’re on one of T-Mobile’s international roaming-inclusive monthly plans:

Experience Beyond Go5G Next: 256Kbps
Experience More, Go5G Plus, Max, and One Plus: 256Kbps

You won’t have to pay any additional roaming charges for New Zealand, but your monthly plan would be more expensive.. If not, you can opt for one of T-Mobile’s international passes:

One-day International Pass: $5 for up to 512 MB
10-day International Pass: $35 for up to 5 GB
30-day International Pass: $50 for up to 15 GB

If you’re not on a roaming-inclusive plan and choose not to buy an international pass, you’ll have to pay T-Mobile’s pay-as-you-go roaming rates, which are $0.25 a minute for calls and $0.01 per MB.

AT&T New Zealand roaming costs

While AT&T’s international roaming services include a monthly plan with roaming, but it only covers 20 Latin American countries. No use if you’re traveling to New Zealand as it is not an eligible destination.

If you’re with AT&T and want to be able to use your phone in New Zealand, you can opt for:

International Day Pass:

$12/day for the first line
$6/day for each additional line
Use your regular plan allowances abroad

Pay-per-use rates (if no pass is activated):

$3 per voice minute
$0.50 per text message
$2.05 per MB

Verizon New Zealand roaming costs

Verizon international roaming mobile services offer US-based travelers a few ways to stay connected in New Zealand: a roaming-inclusive monthly plan, a travel pass, or pay-as-you-go roaming charges.

International Monthly Plan

$100/month
Includes 210+ destinations, including New Zealand
Unlimited roaming data and text
250 voice minutes

Travel Pass

$12/day
Unlimited international data usage, unlimited calling, and text

Pay As You Go rates

$2.05 per MB
$1.79 per minute
$0.50 per sent text

Holafly’s eSIM for New Zealand: Unlimited data, peace of mind

Instead of paying extra roaming charges in New Zealand, Holafly’s eSIM for New Zealand gives you instant, reliable mobile data without limits and the drawbacks of traditional roaming services.

Here are a couple of reasons why you might find it a flexible alternative to data roaming in New Zealand:

Unlimited data: no more stressing over limited data allowances, unused data expires, or speed caps
No daily roaming fees: Skip the daily roaming charges and pay a fixed amount for the entirety of your trip
Instant activation: install the eSIM directly from your device settings and enjoy data the moment you land
Keep your home number active: use your regular mobile service for incoming and outgoing calls and SMS, and rely on the Holafly eSIM for roaming data
24/7 customer support: get help anytime through Holafly’s support team

With Holafly, you can use your phone overseas and enjoy unlimited data usage once you arrive in New Zealand. For extended travels or traveling in a group, consider Holafly Plans – a digital hotspot version of a pocket WiFi device with unlimited data plans.

How to avoid roaming charges in New Zealand

When traveling abroad, there’s always a risk of unexpected charges and expensive roaming rates. Luckily, there are smart alternative ways to stay connected and avoid high roaming charges. Here are some practical tips:

Swich to airplane mode whenever possible to save up your data allowance
Buy a local New Zealand SIM card to access local mobile services at local rates. Choosing an eSIM over a physical SIM card is even better to avoid the SIM swapping and registration process.
Turn off background data by disabling automatic updates, video autoplay, or cloud syncs.
Download maps, directions, guides, and entertainment before your trip. This will help reduce your data allowance use.

Data roaming New Zealand vs. eSIM for New Zealand

Here’s a brief comparison of roaming options vs using Holafly’s eSIM for US and Australian travelers:

Option	Data	Calls and texts	Costs	Downsides
Option	Data	Calls and texts	Costs	Downsides
Roaming with US and AU carriers	Limited and unlimited data allowances	Limited and unlimited call and text allowances	$5+ USD/AUD	High daily costs, limited high-speed data, risk of surprise charges
Holafly eSIM for New Zealand	Unlimited data	Use apps like WhatsApp for calls, texts, and video calls	From $7.90/day	Requires an eSIM-compatible phone

With Holafly’s eSIMs, you avoid the stress of roaming charges in New Zealand, enjoy unlimited mobile data, and have internet access from the moment you arrive. An eSIM offers peace of mind, better value, and more freedom compared to traditional international roaming packs.

If you’re exploring Oceania and planning to continue your trip to East Asia, you may find the information about these destinations useful:

Plans that may interest you

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!

Read full bio