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Google Voice abroad

Can you use Google Voice outside the US? Countries, travel and moving abroad

Part of: Google Voice alternatives: what replaces each part of it in 2026

By · Updated · 10 min read

TL;DR

Not with a personal account: the free plan and the paid single-user plans are sold only in the US [1]. Companies can add Voice to a paid Workspace plan, with numbers from Google in 14 countries [2], and for a US account on a trip Google lists seven places where calling from Voice is unavailable or limited [3]. If you live elsewhere, the services I compared for when Google Voice isn't available are the practical route.

Key facts

Is Google Voice available outside the US?

Only as a business product. Google's plan table marks the free plan and both paid standalone plans 'US only'; outside the US, Voice is an add-on to a paid Google Workspace subscription, run by an admin, with local numbers in 14 countries [1]. When I opened voice.google.com signed out, it sent me straight to the Workspace sales page [7].

Google Voice plans and where they are sold
PlanPriceAccount neededNumbers in
Google Voice (free)FreePersonal GmailUS only
Voice Starter or Standard (standalone)$10 or $20 a monthPersonal GmailUS only
Voice Starter, Standard or Premier (Workspace add-on)$10, $20 or $30 per user a monthPaid Google Workspace plan14 countries; only Premier adds numbers outside the home country

Google's plan comparison, read on [1]. Add-on prices come on top of the Workspace plan.

So the 'not available in your country' message is a rule, not a setting you can change: 'Google Voice is only available in the US' [4]. For an individual, the US sign-up with its ID check is the only door.

Which countries can use Google Voice?

For individuals, only the US. For companies, Google's own calling plan covers 14 countries, and a partner carrier (Carrier Link) or the company's own SIP trunk (SIP Link) stretches that to 34 [2]. India, Japan and Singapore are on neither list.

Google Voice for Workspace by country
RegionNumbers from GoogleOnly through Carrier Link or SIP Link
AmericasUS, CanadaArgentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Peru
EuropeBelgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, UKFinland, Norway, Romania
Middle East and AfricaNoneIsrael, South Africa
Asia PacificNoneAustralia, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, New Zealand, Philippines, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam

Google's table, read on [2]. The US row excludes Puerto Rico and the other US territories.

The right-hand column is no shortcut for individuals: Carrier Link means a certified local carrier supplies the numbers and bills the calls, and SIP Link means connecting your own carrier contract and a Session Border Controller [2].

Google Voice in Canada, the UK and Australia

None of the three lets a person sign up [1]. Canada and the UK are calling-plan countries, so a company there can give staff local Google Voice numbers through Workspace. Australia gets Voice only through Carrier Link or SIP Link; in Google's words, 'Google calling plans aren't available in Australia' [2].

Canada

From the US, a Google Voice account calls almost all Canadian numbers for free [5], but a Canadian can't open one at home. The nearest free substitute is TextNow, which gives a US or Canadian number [8] to people living in either country [9].

United Kingdom and Europe

In the UK and 11 other European countries, a company can buy Voice as a Workspace add-on and get its numbers straight from Google [2]. 'Domestic' and 'regional' calling then depend on the user's primary location, and Google names Europe as a region [1]. A UK user with only a Gmail account has no Google Voice option.

Does Google Voice work when you travel abroad?

Mostly, if the account was set up in the US before you left. Google lists only a few places where calling from Voice is unavailable to visitors [3], and voice.google.com runs in Chrome, Edge, Firefox and Safari [5]. What changes abroad is the price, and whether a call goes through Voice or through your mobile carrier.

What a US Google Voice account does on a trip
TaskWhat Google's help says
Call from a browser tabType the country code before the number [5], for example 44 for the UK, and drop the number's leading 0 [10][10]
Call from a phoneStart calls in the Voice app with 'Prefer Wi-Fi and mobile data' selected; the phone's own dialer uses your mobile plan [11]
Data useAbout 0.2 MB per minute [11]
Incoming calls in the browserOnly while you are signed in with the Voice window open [12]
Emergency callsNot on the free plan; use the phone's own dialer [5][13]

Read on . I did not sign in from abroad; this is what Google documents.

Where Voice calls don't work

Google names Crimea, Cuba, India, Iran, North Korea, Sudan and Syria; in India, only calls to Indian numbers are blocked [3]. Yet its article on transferring numbers says Voice 'can only be used in the US' [14]. I read that as the rule for living abroad, and the list as what applies on a trip.

Is calling home free?

Not according to Google's help. With a US number, a call you make while in another country is charged international rates, and free US and Canada calls are promised only 'when you're calling from the US' [5][6]. Per-country prices are in Google's rate card, explained.

  1. Before you go, look up the rate for the countries you will call and add credit; the balance can't go above $70 [6].
  2. On an international call, wait for Voice's message about cost or routing; without it, your carrier may bill the call [15].
  3. On a long trip, call or text from the number now and then, so it isn't reclaimed [16].

Keeping a Google Voice number after moving abroad

Google doesn't support it: Voice 'can only be used in the US', and you can't transfer a number to another Google account from outside the US [14]. Google may also reclaim a number after 3 months without calls or texts [16]. If the number matters, port it to another provider.

If you live outside the US

Pick by the job Google Voice did for you: WhatsApp Web calls other WhatsApp users for free [21], pay-per-minute browser dialers such as Yolla and TwinPhone call landlines and mobiles [22][23], and Sonetel and Zadarma sell local numbers in 69 and 110 countries, mainly to businesses [24][25]. I compare their sign-up rules and catches for people outside the US in my notes on replacements that work abroad.

Frequently asked questions

Why does Google Voice say it's not available in my country?

Because personal Google Voice accounts, free or paid, are sold only in the US [1], and no setting changes that. On a work account, Google's admin help says the message means the user is in a country or region where Voice is not supported yet. It adds that staff outside the company's home country can sign up only if it has Voice Premier, and that SIP Link covers countries without Google's own calling [26].

Can I get Google Voice in Canada?

Not as an individual: single-user plans are US-only [1]. A Canadian company can add Voice to Google Workspace and get Canadian numbers from Google [2]. For a personal line, TextNow offers free US and Canadian numbers to people living in either country [8][9].

Does Google Voice work in the UK?

Not for individuals: a UK resident with a Gmail account can't sign up, because single-user plans are sold only in the US [1]. The UK is one of 14 countries where a company can add Voice to a paid Google Workspace plan and get local numbers from Google [2]; the add-on costs $10 to $30 per user a month on top of Workspace [1]. The UK is not on Google's list of places where travellers can't call from Voice [3].

Can I use my Google Voice number while traveling?

Usually, if the account was set up in the US. Google lists seven places where calling from Voice is unavailable to visitors: Crimea, Cuba, India, Iran, North Korea, Sudan and Syria, though in India only calls to Indian numbers are blocked [3]. Elsewhere, call from voice.google.com or the Voice app over Wi-Fi or data; the phone's own dialer uses your mobile plan and may add roaming fees [11][15].

Is it free to call the US from abroad with Google Voice?

Not according to Google. Its help says that if you have a US number and make a call while in another country, you're charged international rates [5][6], and it describes free US and Canada calls only for callers in the US. Neither page gives the price of a call home from abroad, so I treat free calls home as unverified and would keep some credit on the account.

Can I sign up for Google Voice while visiting the US?

Google's pages don't say whether visitors qualify, so I treat it as unverified. Sign-up needs a code texted to a phone you already have [27] and an identity check with your legal name, a government-issued ID and an address [28]. Afterwards, Google says Voice 'can only be used in the US' [14].

Will I lose my Google Voice number if I move abroad?

You can, through inactivity: Google may reclaim a number that makes no calls or texts for 3 months [16]. A call, a text or a voicemail check before the reclaim date keeps it, and afterwards you have 45 days to claim it back [17]. To move it to another provider, unlocking costs $3, or nothing if the number was ported in [18].

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Sources

  1. Identify Google Voice subscription types - Google Voice Help · checked November 1, 2026
  2. Google Voice, SIP Link, and Carrier Link supported countries · checked November 1, 2026
  3. Fix problems with Voice calls - Google Voice Help · Google · checked November 1, 2026
  4. The end of legacy Google Voice for personal accounts - Google Voice Help · checked November 1, 2026
  5. Make a call with Google Voice - Computer - Google Voice Help · checked November 1, 2026
  6. Buy credit to make calls - Computer - Google Voice Help · checked November 1, 2026
  7. Google Voice (Workspace product page; target of the voice.google.com redirect) · checked November 1, 2026
  8. 5 Best Free Calling Apps in October – TextNow · checked November 1, 2026
  9. Terms of Use – TextNow · checked November 1, 2026
  10. Dialling procedures (international prefix, national (trunk) prefix and national (significant) number), position on 15 December 2011 - ITU · ITU · checked November 1, 2026
  11. Make Google Voice calls over the internet - Android phone & tablet - Google Voice Help · Google · checked November 1, 2026
  12. Set up your phone to make & receive Google Voice calls - Computer - Google Voice Help · checked November 1, 2026
  13. Call emergency services - Google Voice Help · checked November 1, 2026
  14. Transfer your Google Voice number - Google Voice Help · checked November 1, 2026
  15. Make international calls with Google Voice - Google Voice Help · Google · checked November 1, 2026
  16. Voice Acceptable Use Policy - Google Voice Help · Google · checked November 1, 2026
  17. Reclaim your Voice number - Google Voice Help · Google · checked November 1, 2026
  18. Port your Google Voice number - Google Voice Help · Google · checked November 1, 2026
  19. Quo Pricing · checked November 1, 2026
  20. Local numbers | Quo support · checked November 1, 2026
  21. Introducing Web Calling on WhatsApp, Plus More New Updates (WhatsApp Blog, July 28, 2026) · checked November 1, 2026
  22. Make Phone Calls from Your PC, Laptop, or Browser - Yolla · checked November 1, 2026
  23. Call a phone from your browser - TwinPhone · checked November 1, 2026
  24. Virtual phone number countries and cities | Sonetel help · checked November 1, 2026
  25. Virtual phone numbers | Zadarma · checked November 1, 2026
  26. Troubleshoot Google Voice | Google Workspace Help · Google · checked November 1, 2026
  27. Protect your verification code - Google Voice Help · checked November 1, 2026
  28. Learn about identity verification for Google Voice users - Google Voice Help · checked November 1, 2026