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From Boost’s international roaming page:
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| Pack | Price | Data | Calls | Texts | Expiry | Per GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| INTL. Roaming Small | $20 | 2GB | 15 min | 15 | 3 days | $10.00 |
| INTL. Roaming Medium | $30 | 5GB | 30 min | 30 | 7 days | $6.00 |
| INTL. Roaming Large | $40 | 7GB | 60 min | 60 | 14 days | $5.71 |
Boost’s own banner puts the Large pack as “Roam for less than $3 a day! Roam to 42 countries on our $40 roaming pack with 14 day expiry.” That is fair on a per day basis, and $5.71 a gigabyte puts it mid table among Australian MVNOs.
Minutes are two way: “Call minutes include incoming & outgoing calls. Included calls and texts exclude premium, satellite and video calls and messages.”
The eligibility question, where Boost contradicts itself
This is worth quoting carefully because Boost says two different things on the same page.
The FAQ:
“Do I need to have an active recharge to be able to purchase an International Roaming pack? No. You don’t need to have an active recharge to be able to purchase an International Roaming pack.”
The “Things you need to know” section:
“You’ll need an active Boost Mobile SIM and an eligible Boost Mobile plan.”
Those are not the same requirement. The FAQ is more permissive than the terms. If you are relying on being able to buy a pack on a lapsed service, check with Boost before you fly rather than at the airport, because the answer depends on which of those two statements their system actually enforces.
The expiry clock runs on Australian time
Two quotes, and the second one is the one that costs people money:
“Your pack is active from the time of purchase and will expire at the same time on the last day.”
“The pack will expire at the same time that it was purchased. For example, if the pack was purchased at 10am then it will expire on the relevant date at 10am. The purchase date and time will be shown in AEST and won’t be adjusted to the local time zone.“
So the pack is a genuine rolling period rather than a calendar day, which is good, but it is anchored to Australian time. In Europe that means your 14 day pack expires mid morning local rather than at the end of your last day.
And Boost tells you not to buy before you fly:
“You may not be able to purchase an international roaming pack using the recharge option on the Boost website when you are overseas. If you choose to purchase a pack when you’re still in Australia, you will be able to purchase via the Boost website, but your pack will become active immediately so some of your expiry will be used up when you’re in transit.”
That is an honest warning and also a real problem. You cannot reliably buy overseas, and buying at home burns your flight time. The practical answer is the My Boost app, installed before departure.
Roaming is already on
“International Roaming is automatically turned on for all Boost customers so if you’re going overseas, you don’t need to adjust any settings or turn anything on within the My Boost app. Everything has already been done for you.”
Paired with: “International roaming only works when you buy an International Roaming Pack.” So the line is enabled but inert until a pack is active, which is a safe combination.
The other mechanics
Nothing rolls over. “International Roaming packs will expire on the applicable expiry date regardless of whether all the inclusions have been used or not. Unused data and other inclusions will not roll over.”
Packs stack. “Yes you can stack International Roaming packs, meaning you can have activate multiple active packs at once. The pack that has the soonest expiry will be used first.”
You get warned. SMS alerts at 50%, 85% and 100% of the pack allowance.
42 destinations. Canada, China, Croatia, Czech Republic, Fiji, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Nauru, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Samoa, Serbia, Singapore, Solomon Islands, South Korea, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Taiwan, Thailand, Tonga, Turkey, UK, USA, Vanuatu and Vietnam. Notably it includes Ireland and the Netherlands, which Kogan’s list does not.
When Boost is the better buy
Short trips where you want calls. The Small pack at $20 for 2GB plus 15 minutes and 15 texts over three days is reasonable, and it is on your own number.
If your Boost service has lapsed. Boost’s FAQ says no active recharge is needed, which no other provider in this comparison offers.
Two week trips with moderate use. $40 for 7GB over 14 days is the best value pack Boost sells and it is respectable.
When domestic coverage matters more than travel data. If you are on Boost because of the Telstra network reach at home, that is the right reason to be there, and the roaming pack is a convenient add-on rather than a reason to switch.
When a travel eSIM makes more sense
Here is the arithmetic on the destinations Boost covers, using our prices from 17 August 2026:
| Trip | Boost | Our plan | What you get |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bali, 14 days | $40 (7GB + 60 min) | $17.95 | 10GB, valid 30 days |
| Japan, 14 days | $40 (7GB + 60 min) | $19.95 | 10GB, valid 30 days |
| Thailand, 7 days | $30 (5GB + 30 min) | $16.95 | 10GB, valid 30 days |
| Vietnam, 14 days | $40 (7GB + 60 min) | $19.95 | 10GB, valid 30 days |
| UK, 14 days | $40 (7GB + 60 min) | $16.95 | 10GB, valid 30 days |
| USA, 7 days | $30 (5GB + 30 min) | $19.95 | 10GB, valid 30 days |
Trips longer than a fortnight. 14 days is the longest pack.
Destinations outside the 42. No Switzerland, no Austria, no UAE, nothing in Africa or South America.
When you need more than 7GB, which is the ceiling on a single pack.
Running both
Boost’s roaming only works with an active pack, so leaving the line on without buying one should not generate charges. Turn data roaming off on the Boost line anyway, leave the line itself on to receive texts, and let a travel eSIM carry the data.
Buy the eSIM before you fly, check your phone is compatible and unlocked, and install it on airport wifi after landing.
The verdict
Buy the Boost pack if you want call minutes on your own number, your Boost service has lapsed and you still want roaming, or your trip is a fortnight to a covered destination and 7GB is enough.
Buy a travel eSIM if you need more data, a longer window, or a destination outside the 42.
We have compared every Australian MVNO roaming pack side by side in every Australian MVNO roaming pack, compared on price per gigabyte.
Questions people actually ask
Do I need an active recharge to buy a Boost roaming pack?
Boost’s FAQ says no. Boost’s “things you need to know” section says you need an active SIM and an eligible plan. Both statements are on the same page, so check before you rely on it.
When does a Boost roaming pack expire?
At the same time of day it was purchased, on the final day, in Australian Eastern Standard Time rather than local time.
Should I buy before I fly?
Boost warns that buying at home means the pack activates immediately and burns expiry during your flight, but also that the website may not work overseas. Install the My Boost app before departure and buy on arrival.
Do unused inclusions roll over?
No. Packs expire on their date regardless of what is left.
Which network does Boost use?
Boost describes it as the full Telstra Prepaid mobile network.
How many destinations are covered?
42, listed on Boost’s roaming page.
Do I need to turn roaming on?
No. Boost enables international roaming for all customers by default, but it only does anything once you have an active pack.
Sources
Boost figures, destination list, terms and quotes retrieved 17 August 2026 from Boost Mobile International Roaming. Our prices from our own product pages, same date.
Written by Lachlan, who runs The SIM Shop from Brisbane and answers the support email himself.
