How to Activate International Roaming on your UAE number is worth sorting out before you leave, not after you land. Without activation, your phone may show full signal bars abroad but refuse to make calls or use data — or worse, you connect and start paying pay-as-you-go rates without a bundle. The good news is that activating roaming on Etisalat or du takes only a few minutes, and most of it can be done from your phone or your operator’s app.
This guide covers how activation works for both of the UAE’s main operators, the difference between activating roaming itself and turning on data roaming in your phone settings, and what to check before you fly. If you want to understand what roaming actually does behind the scenes first, start with our explainer on how mobile roaming works.
Quick Answer
To activate international roaming in the UAE: open your operator’s app (My Etisalat UAE/e& app for Etisalat, du app for du) and enable roaming for your line, or dial the operator’s activation code, or ask customer service or a store to enable it. Prepaid users should also top up enough balance. After activation, turn on data roaming in your phone’s mobile network settings so your phone is allowed to attach to networks abroad.
Before You Activate: Check These Three Things
A quick check now prevents most roaming problems later:
- Is your line eligible? Most postpaid plans include roaming by default, but some budget or corporate plans need it enabled. New prepaid lines sometimes need roaming activated manually.
- Is your destination covered? Both Etisalat and du publish roaming coverage lists on their websites. Popular destinations are nearly always covered, but confirm before you rely on it.
- Do you have enough balance or a suitable plan? Prepaid users should top up, since roaming charges are deducted from credit. Postpaid users should check their credit limit and consider a roaming bundle.
How to Activate International Roaming on Etisalat
Etisalat (e& UAE) gives you several ways to activate roaming. The exact steps can change when apps are updated, so treat these as the standard routes and confirm in the app if a menu name looks different:
- Through the app: open the My Etisalat UAE / e& app, go to your line’s settings or the roaming section, and enable international roaming. This is also where you buy roaming bundles and daily passes.
- By customer service: call 101 from your Etisalat line and ask the agent to activate international roaming.
- In a store: visit any Etisalat business centre with your Emirates ID and ask for roaming to be enabled.
Current roaming packs and rates are listed on the official e& website. If you are unsure whether your plan already includes roaming, check your account status in the app before assuming — our guide on how to check your telecom account status shows where to find it.
How to Activate International Roaming on du
du offers the same main routes:
- Through the app: open the du app, look for the roaming or travel section in your account, and activate international roaming. Roaming bundles and daily passes are purchased here too.
- By customer service: call 155 from your du line and request roaming activation.
- In a store: visit a du shop with your Emirates ID to have it enabled in person.
Roaming options and destination coverage are published on the official du website. As with Etisalat, verify the current bundles for your specific destination rather than relying on rates quoted in older articles.
Prepaid vs Postpaid: What Is Different
The activation process is similar, but the billing mechanics are not:
- Prepaid: roaming usually needs to be explicitly activated, and you must keep enough credit balance — every roaming call, text and megabyte is deducted immediately. If your balance runs out mid-trip, service stops until you top up. Top up before you fly, since topping up from abroad can be awkward.
- Postpaid: roaming is often active by default, and charges appear on your monthly bill. The risk here is bill shock rather than disconnection, so a roaming bundle or daily pass is especially worthwhile. Keep an eye on your bill while travelling — see how to check roaming charges for where to find them.
Activating Roaming Is Not the Same as Data Roaming
This is the step people miss. Operator-side activation (what you do with Etisalat or du) permits your line to roam. Separately, your phone has a data roaming toggle in its mobile network settings. If that toggle is off, your phone will make calls and send texts abroad but will not use mobile data — which is exactly what some travellers want, and exactly what frustrates others who expected data to work.
- iPhone: Settings → Mobile Service → your line → turn on Data Roaming.
- Android: Settings → Network & Internet → SIMs / Mobile network → turn on Roaming (labelled “Data roaming” or “Roaming”).
If you want to keep calls working but block all mobile data abroad, leave the operator roaming active and switch the phone’s data roaming toggle off. For more control over this, read our guide on how to disable data roaming. Note that with data roaming off, you can still use Wi-Fi normally — at the hotel, just connect to Wi-Fi and confirm it is actually passing traffic with our guide on fixing Wi-Fi that connects but has no internet.
What to Do After Activation
Once roaming is active, do these three things before you board:
- Buy a roaming bundle if you need data. A daily pass or travel bundle is almost always cheaper than pay-as-you-go data rates. Buy it for the countries on your itinerary.
- Turn off automatic app updates and cloud photo backup over mobile data, or restrict them to Wi-Fi. Background sync is the most common cause of surprise roaming bills.
- Test before you fly. Some travellers activate roaming and immediately check their status in the operator app to confirm it shows as enabled. If you want a full rundown of everything to watch out for, see how to avoid unexpected roaming charges.
Should You Turn Roaming Off When You Get Home?
Once you are back in the UAE, your phone returns to your home network automatically and domestic rates apply again — there is nothing you must switch off to stop roaming charges. Still, many travellers prefer to disable the data roaming toggle in their phone settings when they are home, purely as a safety measure so nothing ever uses a foreign network accidentally near border areas. Operator-side roaming can simply be left enabled; it costs nothing on its own and saves you repeating the activation before your next trip. If you bought a roaming bundle for the trip, check its expiry in the operator app so it does not renew — some daily passes auto-renew, and cancelling an unneeded renewal is cheaper than disputing it later.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
How long does roaming activation take?
Usually it is immediate or takes effect within a few hours. If you activate it the day before your flight through the app and it shows as enabled, you are normally fine. Activating at least 24 hours before departure gives you a buffer in case anything needs a second attempt.
Does activating roaming cost anything by itself?
Activation itself is typically free — you pay for the roaming usage, bundles or passes you choose. That said, some older plans or specific roaming products may carry their own fees, so check the terms shown in the app when you activate.
Can I activate roaming while already abroad?
Sometimes, but it is unreliable — if roaming is not active, your phone may not connect to a network at all, which means you cannot receive the activation confirmation. Always activate before departure.
Will I lose my UAE number while roaming?
No. Roaming keeps your existing UAE number; callers dial you exactly as they would if you were in the UAE. That is the main advantage of roaming over buying a local SIM.
Do I need roaming for Wi-Fi calling abroad?
Wi-Fi calling works over an internet connection rather than the mobile network, so it does not require roaming to be active. Many travellers use hotel Wi-Fi for calls and messaging and keep roaming only for times they are away from Wi-Fi.
The Bottom Line
How to Activate International Roaming boils down to three steps: enable it on your line through your operator’s app, customer service or a store; make sure your account can pay for it (balance on prepaid, a bundle on postpaid); and flip the data roaming switch in your phone’s settings. Do all three before you fly, and roaming will simply work when you land — no surprises, no scrambling for a store at the arrivals hall. For the full background on what happens after you land, see our how mobile roaming works guide.
Last Updated: 8 October 2026
About the author: Zaviyar Sultan is a UAE-focused writer at Paxi, covering driving, visas, banking, insurance and everyday UAE life. His guides are researched from official UAE government and regulator sources and updated regularly.
Paxi is an independent informational website, not affiliated with the UAE government or any agency mentioned; content is general information only, not legal, immigration or financial advice; verify critical details with official sources before acting.