Operator roaming options, checked on each operator's own site, next to live eSIM prices by destination. Keep your home SIM for calls and texts; use the eSIM for data.
See every saving in one table →2degrees sells Daily Roaming on selected Prepay and Pay Monthly plans. It covers more than 100 destinations, uses your home plan's allowance and is charged per day of use. One NZ offers daily roaming on current Pay Monthly plans, excluding Mobile Broadband, across more than 165 destinations including Australia. Its Prepay Roaming bundles cover more than 70 destinations, with a weekly option of 7 days, 1GB and 100 minutes. Spark sells fixed-length packs: a Roaming Pack of 3GB with 300 minutes out, 300 minutes in and 300 texts over 10 days, a 30-day Roaming Pack of 20GB with the same call and text allowances, and a 30-day Roaming Data Pack of 20GB with data only.
2degrees texts you on arrival to say which roaming service you can use, and Daily Roaming activates automatically once your phone connects to a network in an applicable destination. A day runs from 00:00 to 23:59 NZ time, and calls, texts or mobile data trigger it. One NZ Daily Roaming needs no set up: the charge applies only on days you make or answer a call, send a TXT or use data, counted by NZ calendar day, for up to 90 consecutive days. Receiving TXTs is free and does not trigger the charge. Spark packs are bought in the Spark app by choosing your destination and swiping to confirm; a bought pack activates instead of Daily Roaming. Spark Daily Roaming covers 00:00 to 23:59 NZ time and is for Pay Monthly only, excluding Kids Plan and Prepaid.
2degrees reduces speeds to 128Kbps after 1GB of max speed data per day and texts you when data is low or expired. One NZ keeps data going at up to 1.2 Mbps on endless data plans once Max Speed Data is used. Spark texts at 80% and 100% of pack inclusions, and its Pay Monthly default casual roaming data cap stops data while calls and texts keep working.
A data-only eSIM carries mobile data while the home SIM stays in the phone for calls, texts and bank codes. Install it by QR code before the trip and switch it on when you land; network selection is automatic. Check the table on this page for the destinations where the eSIM costs less than the operator pack, and compare 2degrees roaming, One NZ roaming and Spark roaming pack by pack.
Facts checked 26 October 2026.