If you’re about to head abroad for a trip, you may be looking for the best roaming plan Malaysia has to offer. Being without data can be really inconvenient - you can’t easily communicate, navigate or tap to make mobile payments, which is not what you want when you’re abroad.
Get set up in advance with our full guide to the best prepaid roaming plan, and the cheapest roaming plan in Malaysia for postpaid customers.
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If you need a roaming sim card in Malaysia you may decide to stick with your regular telco provider, or pick a new prepaid option just for your travels. That means that comparing the packages on offer from a few different services can help you get the very best deal for your needs, whether you’re just heading away for a day or off on a long term trip to lots of different destinations.
We’ll look at the best roaming plans from each of these popular Malaysian providers in more detail in a moment. First, here’s a head by head comparison on some key features and fees:
| U Mobile | Maxis | Unifi | CelcomDigi | Hotlink | |
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| Price | Included in some postpaid packages1 10 - 26 MYR/day for prepaid2 | 29 MYR - 119 MYR depending on package and duration3 | 9 MYR - 145 MYR depending on package and duration4 | 25 MYR - 128 MYR depending on package and duration5 | Included in some postpaid packages 10 MYR - 99 MYR depending on package and duration6 |
| Duration | Prepaid available daily | 1 day to 30 days | 1 day to 45 days | 1 day to 45 days | 1 day to 45 days |
| Coverage | 12 - 55 countries depending on package | Single country, ASEAN or multi-country options | Singapore/ Thailand/ Indonesia, Middle East, ASEAN or global | Single country, multi-country Asia, or multi-country worldwide | Single country, neighbouring countries, multi-country |
| Add-ons | Some postpaid plans offer free incoming calls when overseas | Promotional packages may be available covering different countries and durations | Automatic activation for some postpaid customers | Postpaid customers can roam without a pass - but fees are higher | Lots of different package combinations covering different locations and durations |
Data roaming allows you to continue using your phone seamlessly to access apps, the internet and other services when you’re no longer in Malaysia. Your phone will connect to an overseas operator to continue to provide service when you’re abroad.
Different telcos offer their own approaches to data roaming for their customers. Some will allow you to buy a selection of packages depending on the destination and duration of your trip. Others offer some free roaming to postpaid customers as part of their regular contractual fee.
There are also some differences in how you activate your roaming - some companies let your phone automatically roam, without you adding a specific package, although there may be a fairly high fee for this service. Others require you to actively buy a package in the providers’ app, and connect to a partner network overseas before you can use your phone.
It’s useful to review the options available before you head abroad, in case you decide to buy a new sim before you leave, or on arrival in your destination, instead of using your Malaysian roaming options.
You can get access to international roaming in a few different ways -
- Buy a data roaming package from your Malaysian provider before you leave
- Buy a local SIM on arrival from a local telco in your destination
- Use a travel eSIM which is ordered and activated electronically
Different options have their own benefits and drawbacks. In this guide we’ve focused on roaming with Malaysian providers as this lets you keep your normal phone number and buy your roaming data in advance. Using a local SIM or eSIM will usually mean getting a new phone number, which can be a hassle - plus fees can be very variable depending on your phone and your destination.
If you’re looking for the cheapest roaming plan in Malaysia you’ll need to shop around. There’s no one size fits all so compare a few options to get the right one for your unique needs. Here are a few things to consider when you’re picking a plan:
- Sticking with your normal Malaysian provider means you keep the same phone number - check out their options first to see if any suit
- Some postpaid customers on Malaysian networks may get some free roaming as part of the package - check if this applies if you’re a postpaid subscriber
- All Malaysian telcos have varied packages covering different durations and destinations, so pick the lowest cost option which covers your specific needs
- Turn off your roaming data if you don’t want to use your phone overseas to avoid unexpected fees creeping in
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If you’re already a U Mobile customer with a postpaid plan it’s well worth taking a look at your contract to see what mobile roaming you may have as part of your package. Postpaid 68 customers have relatively low international cover, limited to local countries, whereas Postpaid 98 customers have broader options. If you don’t have post paid - or if your postpaid doesn’t cover your destination - you can still add on a roaming package from 10 MYR a day, depending on the country you’re heading to.
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Maxis has a really wide range of different roaming packages so you can pick the one that suits you, from a daily package for a single country if you’re on a day trip through to longer multi-country options. All Maxis customers pay for roaming, but your phone can automatically sign you up to a daily package in some cases. If you want longer cover you’ll need to actively buy a package or your phone will pay on a daily basis - which can work out more expensive in the end.
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Unifi has roaming packages for a few local countries, for all of ASEAN, the Middle East, or for global use. In many cases there’s no upper data limit although fair usage rules may apply which can mean your data slows once you reach a certain ceiling. While all Unifi customers will need to pay for roaming, some postpaid customers can have this automatically activated. If you’re a prepaid customer and don’t activate a package, you might find you pay very high fees for overseas data use.
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CelcomDigi customers - both postpaid and prepaid - can buy data roaming easily. If you have a postpaid contract and don’t buy a roaming package you can still use your phone overseas, but high fees may apply. There are a good range of different country combinations and duration options to suit different traveller needs, including a Hajj pass which lasts for 45 days.
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Hotlink has a particularly good range of roaming package options for both pre and postpaid customers. You can choose different combinations of countries and durations to suit your needs - and some postpaid customers may also have extra packages or free roaming thrown into their contract price. Choose anything from 1 to 45 days coverage, for total flexibility.
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Use this guide to save money on international roaming, can check out Wise to save on spending and withdrawals overseas7.
Open a Wise account before you travel, and order your Wise card, to spend with the mid-market rate and low conversion fees, all over the world.
Hold and exchange 40+ currencies and use your Wise card in 150+ countries. Simply add money to your account in MYR, and convert to the currency you need in your account in a few taps. Or for an even easier life, just leave your money in ringgit and your card can convert to the currency you need, instantly, whenever you spend or make ATM withdrawals.
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