Millions of people in the UK have family in another country. Keeping in touch with a weekly call to parents in Poland, Romania, Bangladesh or India should not cost a fortune, but on many networks international calls are an expensive extra.
Lebara built its name on cheap calls abroad, and today every one of its SIM-only plans includes international minutes from the UK to over 50 countries. In this guide we explain how those minutes work, what is not included and how to choose the plan that fits the way you call. Prices were checked on lebara.co.uk in October 2026.
See Lebara plans with international minutes
In this guide
International minutes on every plan
All Lebara plans are 30-day rolling with no credit check. The difference between them is the data and the number of international minutes:
| Plan | Price a month | UK minutes | International minutes from the UK |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5GB | £5 | 1,000 | 100 to over 50 countries |
| 30GB | £10 | Unlimited | 100 |
| 50GB | £15 | Unlimited | 500 |
| 100GB | £20 | Unlimited | Unlimited + 1,000 minutes to India |
| Unlimited | £25 | Unlimited | 100 |
| Unlimited Plus | £30 | Unlimited | Unlimited + 1,000 minutes to India |
Included countries cover most of Europe, including Poland, Romania, Germany, Spain and Italy, as well as India, Bangladesh, China, the USA, Canada and Australia. Note that the Unlimited plan has unlimited data but only 100 international minutes. If calling abroad matters more than data, the 100GB plan is the better deal. Check the country list on Lebara’s site.
How many minutes do you need?
Think about a normal month. A 10-minute call home once a week is about 40 to 50 minutes, so the 100 minutes on the £5 or £10 plans is enough. A 20-minute call every other day adds up to around 300 minutes, which fits the 500 minutes on the £15 plan. If you call several relatives most days, go for unlimited international minutes on the 100GB or Unlimited Plus plan.
- Up to about 100 minutes a month: 5GB (£5) or 30GB (£10).
- Up to 500 minutes a month: 50GB (£15).
- More than 500 minutes, or lots of calls to India: 100GB (£20).
- You also want unlimited data: Unlimited Plus (£30).
Calling India: 1,000 extra minutes
India gets special treatment. On the 100GB and Unlimited Plus plans, you get 1,000 minutes to India on top of the unlimited international minutes to over 50 countries. India is also part of Lebara’s roaming zone, so when you visit, you can use your UK allowance there at no extra cost.
What is not included
International minutes cover normal calls from the UK to the countries on Lebara’s list. A few things are charged separately, so it is worth knowing them before you dial:
- Countries not on the list, or calls once your minutes run out: standard pay-as-you-go rates, so you need credit on your account. Pakistan and Nigeria, for example, are not among the included countries: pay-as-you-go calls to mobiles there cost 8p and 15p a minute.
- International premium numbers: the international rate plus 60p per minute.
- Calls to Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man: 25p per minute.
- Some special rural destinations have their own rates.
International minutes are for calls made from the UK. When you are travelling, calls from abroad are charged differently, so check before you go.
How to dial abroad correctly
To make sure your call counts as an international call from your allowance, dial the full international number. Start with 00 or press and hold 0 for the plus sign, then the country code, then the number without its first zero. For example, a mobile in Poland starts with +48, India with +91, Bangladesh with +880 and Romania with +40.
A simple trick is to save all your overseas contacts in this international format. That way your phone always dials them correctly, whether you are calling from the UK or using WhatsApp, and you avoid failed or wrongly charged calls.
A real example
Take Amira, who lives in Manchester. She calls her mother in Bangladesh for about 15 minutes three times a week, and her brother in Germany for half an hour at the weekend. That is roughly 300 minutes a month, and she uses about 20GB of data. The 50GB plan at £15 covers both her calls and her data with room to spare, and if she paid for 12 months up front it would be 10% cheaper.
Calls, apps and Wi-Fi Calling
Many people use WhatsApp or other apps for video calls, and that is fine on any Lebara plan because it simply uses data. But normal calls still matter: they work when the other person has a weak internet connection, they do not drain data, and older relatives often prefer a regular phone call. Lebara also supports Wi-Fi Calling, which helps when the mobile signal at home is weak.
Why Lebara for calling abroad?
Lebara runs on the Vodafone network, with up to 98% UK coverage. Its prices have not gone up since 2020, and it says there are no price rises planned for 2026. It has over 80,000 reviews on Trustpilot with an Excellent rating, and a UK customer team available from 7am to 11pm. Paying for 12 months up front saves another 10%.
Our tip
For most people who call family abroad a few times a week, the 50GB plan at £15 with 500 international minutes is the sweet spot. Heavy callers, and anyone calling India, get the most from the 100GB plan at £20. Because every plan is 30-day rolling, you can change your plan if your calling habits change. Get your free Lebara SIM.
FAQ
Which countries are included?
Over 50 countries. The full list is on Lebara’s international calls page.
Is there a contract?
No. All Lebara SIM-only plans are 30-day rolling, so you can change or cancel at any time.
Do I need credit to call abroad?
Only for calls outside your plan, such as countries not on the list, premium numbers or calls after your minutes run out.
