What it costs to keep your home number active
Live operator prices, updated 21 September 2026. Free to cite with a link to this page.
Keeping a prepaid number in your home country active from abroad costs as little as 4p a day (DR Congo, Airtel Democratic Republic of the Congo) and up to 70p a day (United Arab Emirates), based on the cheapest plan lasting 28 days or more in each of 11 countries on 21 September 2026. Data-only add-ons are excluded because they do not extend a line's validity.
Cost per day, cheapest plan of 28+ days
| Country | Operator | Plan | Lasts | Price | Per day | Per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DR Congo | Airtel Democratic Republic of the Congo | 1GB- 1J (1 Days) | 30 days | £1.09 | 4p | £13 |
| Sri Lanka | Mobitel | 2600 MB for 30 days | 30 days | £1.19 | 4p | £14 |
| Dominican Republic | Viva Dominican Republic Bundles | WhatsApp 6 Months | 180 days | £22.63 | 13p | £46 |
| Morocco | Maroc Telecom Bundles | 2GB Social Media | 30 days | £4.80 | 16p | £58 |
| Haiti | Digicel Haiti BR/CL Plan | MaLife Plan | 30 days | £6.47 | 22p | £79 |
| Senegal | Orange Senegal Data | 350 min - 100 SMS - 2.5GB | 30 days | £6.76 | 23p | £82 |
| Mexico | Movistar Mexico Bundles | 1.15GB data + UL calls and SMS | 30 days | £10.10 | 34p | £123 |
| Cameroon | Orange | 3 GB | 30 days | £10.14 | 34p | £123 |
| Algeria | Ooredoo | 30GB + 150Min + Calls | 30 days | £16.37 | 55p | £199 |
| El Salvador | Claro SuperPack | Superpack $15 All included USA | 30 days | £19.07 | 64p | £232 |
| United Arab Emirates | Etisalat UAE | Monthly IDD Pack 49 | 28 days | £19.66 | 70p | £256 |
Slashtel prices including our service fee. Per year assumes repeating the same plan. Operators set their own inactivity rules; check the country page.
Questions, answered
What is the cheapest way to keep a home SIM active while living abroad?
Buy the lowest-cost plan that lasts 28 days or more on your operator. On 21 September 2026 the cheapest was Airtel Democratic Republic of the Congo in DR Congo at £1.09 for 30 days. Operators also have their own inactivity rules, listed on each Slashtel country page.
Why do people keep their home number active?
Banks, payment apps and government services in the home country often send one-time passwords by SMS to the registered number, so the SIM needs to stay active even when you live abroad.