How to Keep Your Phone Number Alive While Abroad

Relocating to another country—or even staying for a few months—comes with its fair share of challenges: learning colectivos, surviving the paperwork maze, and tracking down your favorite empanada spot. But there’s one subtle obstacle travelers often underestimate: keeping your home-country phone number alive.

Why does this matter so much? Because your bank, credit card company, or even your tax portal will keep sending those crucial verification codes to that number. And if you let it lapse—or dock it with the wrong type of provider—you might find yourself locked out of your financial life.

Why VOIP Numbers Don’t Work for Banks

Many expats think: “Easy, I’ll just use Google Voice.” But here’s the catch:

• Major US banks (Bank of America, Wells Fargo, Chase, Capital One) block VoIP numbers from receiving 2FA codes.

• Google Voice, Skype, Twilio, and Sonetel are all in this category.

• You’ll still get personal texts or calls—but when your bank tries to send that all-important code? Nothing arrives.

What Actually Works Abroad

1. Stick With Your Carrier:
   Keep your number alive on a bare-minimum plan (AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, or an MVNO). It stays classified as a mobile line, which banks recognize.

2. Use an eSIM:
   Modern phones let you run two lines at once. Your Argentine SIM for local use, your US eSIM for those banking texts.

3. Google Fi: The Sweet Spot:
   Fi is technically a carrier (built on T-Mobile’s backbone), not a VoIP service. That means banks trust it, and you’ll still receive codes whether you’re in Buenos Aires, Mendoza, or Patagonia.

Smarter Alternatives to SMS

Some banks support safer, SIM-free methods:

• Authenticator apps (Google Authenticator, Authy, Microsoft Authenticator).

• Push notifications via the bank’s own app.

• Hardware keys (like YubiKey).

If your bank offers them, they’ll save you the stress of juggling SIMs.

✅ The bottom line for Argentina:

• Don’t rely on VoIP for financial access.

• Keep your original SIM alive—or switch to eSIM/Google Fi.

• Use authenticator apps where possible.

Because while it’s easy to get lost among jacarandá blossoms or tango nights, you don’t want to lose yourself at your bank’s login screen.

✨KnowArgentina Tip: Before flying, call your carrier and ask: “What’s the cheapest way to keep this number active abroad, just for SMS?” That one call can save you hours of frustration.

Discover more Expat topics in the Know Argentina editorial library.