Keep Your US Number No Matter Where You Live.
Your US +1 is tied to your banks, the IRS, your cards and your contacts. Don't let roaming or a carrier suspension take it. Keep a real US mobile line (non-VoIP) working from anywhere.
Get your US number that works abroad
From $5.60/month · Activated 100% online · Cancel anytime
Keep getting your codes from
This is for you if...
You’re moving abroad
Don’t cancel the number your whole financial life points to. Keep your US line and bring it with you wherever you settle.
You travel for months at a time
Carriers throttle or suspend US lines after about 90 days of continuous roaming. A US number while traveling shouldn’t depend on a SIM that lapses.
You bank and invest in the US
2FA codes from Chase, USAA and Fidelity still need a US line. Keep your American number abroad and the codes keep arriving.
You file US taxes
The IRS and ID.me want a US phone for verification. A US number for expats keeps you out of the video-call backup queue every tax season.
VNumber vs the alternatives
| Feature | VNumber | US SIM on roaming | Local number abroad | Google Voice |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Line type | Real mobile (Non-VoIP) | Real mobile | Real mobile | VoIP |
| SMS from US banks & IRS | Yes | While active | Blocked (foreign) | Rejected (VoIP) |
| Survives long-term abroad | Yes | Throttled / suspended | Wrong country | Yes |
| Keeps your existing US number | Yes (porting) | Only if you pay full plan | No | Needs a US number |
| Monthly cost | From $5.60 | $50–80+ | Separate plan | "Free" |
Already have a US number? Keep it for life.
Don't hand your T-Mobile or AT&T number back to the carrier when you move abroad. Bring it to VNumber and keep the number everyone already has for you, for a fraction of the price.
How to bring your own number
Pick a new number from our list and complete checkout to get started right away.
Message our support team and let them know you want to keep your existing US number.
A porting specialist handles the rest. We move your lifelong number over, and the service runs on the number you've always had.
What our customers say
Trusted by thousands of Americans keeping their US line from abroad.
"I urgently needed a US number to receive verification codes from my bank. I got it fast, the process was super simple and everything worked perfectly."
"First company where I've seen SMS forwarding actually work, and brilliantly. The text content reaches my email in under 10 seconds. The monthly payment is just as straightforward."
"It made it possible for me to deal with my US banks. Thank you so much."
"Excellent service. I tried other providers and they don't work. I'm very happy, it helps me a lot with communications and messages in the US."
"A genuinely useful service for anyone who doesn't live in the US but still has accounts there. Efficient and reliable."
"Setup took minutes and the codes started arriving right away. Exactly what I needed to keep my US accounts reachable."
How to keep your US phone number while living abroad (2026)
When an American loses their US number overseas, more breaks than you'd expect: bank logins, the IRS, healthcare portals, the contacts everyone has for you. Here's why it happens and how to keep the number alive from anywhere.
Why your US number matters more than you think
Your US number is the quiet key to your American life. It's the second factor on your bank logins: Chase, USAA, Bank of America and Fidelity all text a code before they trust you. It's the phone the IRS and ID.me expect for identity verification. It's the number your healthcare portals and insurers send codes and appointment reminders to, and the line your US business contacts and old colleagues already have saved for you.
Lose it, and a quiet chain of lockouts starts, usually at the worst possible moment, like when a verification text has nowhere to go and you're staring at a frozen account from another time zone.
How expats lose their US number
For the first few weeks abroad it's fine. You're still on T-Mobile or AT&T roaming and the texts come through. Then reality sets in. Roaming caps kick in: data gets throttled, costs spike, and many plans were never meant for permanent use overseas.
Worse, carriers suspend or cancel a line after roughly 60 to 90 days of continuous international use, which their terms of service flag as a violation. Or you cancel the plan yourself to stop paying for a SIM you barely use, and the number is released and eventually recycled. Either way, the line every account points at goes dark, and you keep your American number abroad only if you act before it's gone.
Port your old number or get a new one
You have two ways to keep a US line alive with VNumber. The first is to bring (port) your existing number: move the number everyone already has for you onto VNumber so your banks, the IRS and your contacts never notice a change. Start by picking a number at checkout, then message support to begin the port and a specialist handles the rest.
The second is to pick a fresh US line, ideal if you never had a US number, or you want a dedicated line for your American accounts separate from a number that's already been compromised. Either way, your OTPs forward to the app and your email within seconds, from any country, over Wi-Fi or data.
US number while traveling vs living abroad
The need shows up two ways. On short trips: a few weeks of travel, a long work stint, a slow tour through several countries. You mostly want your codes to keep arriving without juggling SIM cards or paying roaming fees at every border. A US number while traveling that lives in an app handles all of it with no SIM swap.
When you're living abroad long-term, the stakes rise: this is your permanent second factor and the only line your US institutions will text reliably, year after year. VNumber covers both: no SIM tray, no roaming, no carrier suspension counting down in the background, so the same line works whether you're passing through or putting down roots.
Who keeps a US number with VNumber
A few of the situations we see most often among American customers abroad:
- A retiree spending winters abroad — Draws Social Security, manages investments through Fidelity, and refuses to lose access just because they're overseas half the year. The line stays active whether they're abroad or back in the States.
- A remote worker traveling long-term — Paid into a US checking account, runs every login through 2FA, and changes countries every few months. The US number keeps payroll, brokerage and cards reachable without a SIM swap at each stop.
- A new expat who just moved — Ported their existing US number before canceling the old carrier, so banks, the IRS and every contact still reach the line they've always had.
- A frequent business traveler — Lives between US clients and overseas projects. Keeps a dedicated US line for work contacts and account security so codes never get stranded at a customs gate.
Sound familiar?
Setting it up
No US address, no SIM mailed to your door, no trip back to the States. The whole thing is done online from wherever you are.
Pick your number. Choose a fresh US line at checkout, or pick one to start a port of your existing number.
Port or activate. To keep your old number, message support to begin the port, otherwise your new line is ready right away. From $5.60/month, cancel anytime.
Receive your codes anywhere. Install the VNumber app and your bank, IRS and contact texts forward to the app and your email, no roaming, on any time zone.
Questions about keeping your US number abroad
Can I keep my existing US number (porting)?
Yes. You can port your current US number to VNumber and keep the line everyone already has for you. Pick a number at checkout, then message support to begin the port and a specialist handles the rest.
Will US bank 2FA and IRS ID.me still work?
Yes. VNumber is a real US mobile line (Non-VoIP), so banks like Chase, USAA and Fidelity, and government portals like the IRS and ID.me, accept it for SMS security codes. The code lands in the app within seconds, wherever you are.
What happens to my number if I cancel my US carrier?
Once you cancel a US carrier, the number is released and eventually recycled, and every account pointing at it loses its second factor. Porting it to VNumber first keeps the number alive permanently for a flat monthly fee.
Does it work over Wi-Fi with no roaming?
Yes. Your US number lives in the VNumber app and works over Wi-Fi or data from any country. No US SIM, no roaming charges, no carrier suspension after 90 days abroad.
Do I need to be in the US to set it up?
No. Activation is 100% online from anywhere in the world. No US address, no SIM shipping, no trip home. The number is live in the app in minutes.
Keep your US number from anywhere
A real US line, activated online from any country. Port your existing number or get a new one. Cancel anytime.
Get your US number that works abroad
From $5.60/month · No contract
