Roaming: Using mobile phones abroad

You can make calls, send SMS and surf the Internet abroad with your Mobile subscription or Prepaid credit. To do this, activate data roaming(opens in new tab) on your device and set cost limits for data roaming and for making calls while travelling. 

Use the tariff advisor to see everything included in your subscription at a glance and find out how much using your mobile will cost you in your chosen country. To view the tariffs that apply in specific countries, select your destination and your current subscription or Prepaid tariff.

You should ensure that the country code precedes any telephone number you dial (such as +49 for Germany) or it will not be possible to make the call. Note that this does not apply for emergency numbers such as 112. If you have blocked calls from Switzerland to other countries, then calls to foreign numbers will also be blocked when you are abroad. You can remove the block in My Swisscom.

Not all foreign short-dial and value-added service numbers can be called from abroad, but most Swiss short-dial and value-added service numbers can. When calling a service number, ensure that the country code precedes any telephone number you dial, but delete the initial ‘0’. Swisscom hotline number example: +4100800800 or Swiss Service number in Austria: +43810810840.

The new legislation means that mobile services are no longer available on ships, planes or via satellite. You can only surf, call and send messages when you are connected to the WLAN and using a messaging service.

Before travelling abroad, subscription customers need to set a roaming cost limitWith the cost limit, you define an upper price limit for additional roaming costs. For example, if you have used up your included data allowance and want to buy a roaming package, these costs must be within the defined cost limit. Otherwise the purchase is not possible. for calls, SMS/MMS and surfing abroad in the Swisscom Cockpit under ‘Costs’. You will not be able to make or receive chargeable calls/SMS/MMS or use data while travelling abroad otherwise. Please note that, when the set limit is reached, you will no longer be able to make or receive calls, and any active calls will be aborted. You can adjust the limits at any time. 

Set a cost limit(opens in new tab)

You can see your ongoing costs and purchase packages for surfing(opens in new tab) and calls/SMS/MMS abroad in the Swisscom Cockpit. This means you can keep track of your roaming costs at all times. Access to the Cockpit is always  free of charge and does not use roaming credit.

 Go to Swisscom Cockpit

If you stay near the Swiss border you mobile phone may automatically switch to a foreign mobile phone network. This can also happen some distance from the border, in the Lake Geneva area or in mountain regions (such as Jura, Alpstein, Grisons or Valais Alps). Since much lower radiation limits apply in Switzerland than in the EU, EU networks extend much further into Switzerland than vice versa. To avoid roaming costs, we recommend that you switch off the automatic network selection on your mobile phone.