What to Do With Your U.S. Phone Number When Moving to Spain

When preparing your move to Spain, one important detail many people overlook is what to do with their U.S. phone number. Losing access to your American number can create unexpected problems, especially when dealing with banks, investment accounts, and professional contacts back home.

Here’s how to manage your phone setup smoothly before relocating.

Why You Should Keep Your U.S. Number

Even after moving abroad, your U.S. number remains important for:

• Receiving bank and credit card verification codes (2-factor authentication)

• Accessing financial and online accounts

• Calling U.S. customer service without expensive international fees

• Staying in touch with family members who don’t use messaging apps

• Applying for remote U.S. jobs

• Making an eventual return to the U.S. easier

Canceling your number without planning ahead can cause access issues later.

Ideal Setup: Use Google Voice and Tello Together

The best solution for most Americans moving abroad is to combine:

✅ Google Voice for everyday calls and texts
✅ Tello as a low-cost U.S. carrier line for banking and verification

Why use both?

Google Voice is ideal for:

• Making and receiving calls worldwide

• Sending and receiving texts via internet

• Keeping your U.S. number without paying monthly phone bills

• Using your number from phone or computer

However, Google Voice is a VoIP service, and some banks and online services may block VoIP numbers for verification texts.

That’s where Tello helps.

Tello works better for:

• Bank verification codes

• Investment accounts

• Government portals

• Services that reject VoIP numbers

Using both services gives you maximum reliability and flexibility.

Recommended Transition Plan

Step 1 — Port your current number to Google Voice

Do this a few days before departure. The transfer usually takes 1–3 days.

Step 2 — Get a Spanish mobile plan upon arrival

Spanish mobile plans are affordable, typically €10–20 per month with generous data.

Step 3 — Get a Tello plan with a new number

Use this number mainly for banking and account verification.

Step 4 — Use both numbers

• Spanish number → daily life in Spain

• Google Voice → U.S. calls & texting

• Tello → banking & verification

Low-Cost Tello Plan Example

Many expatriates recommend Tello because it offers very affordable prepaid plans. For example, one common plan includes:

• 100 call minutes

• Free text messages

• No data included

• Cost: $5 per month

This inexpensive plan is enough to keep a real U.S. carrier number active for bank codes and important messages while you live abroad.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

⚠️ Canceling your U.S. line before porting your number
⚠️ Forgetting to update numbers on financial accounts
⚠️ Arriving in Spain without mobile data access
⚠️ Relying only on a VoIP number for banking verification

Practical Final Recommendation

The most reliable setup when moving to Spain is:

• Port your existing number to Google Voice for calls and texts.

• Get a Spanish mobile plan for daily use.

• Keep a cheap Tello line with a new number for banks and verification.

Using both Google Voice and Tello is the safest option, since some banks and services limit VoIP numbers for SMS and verification.

This simple preparation prevents many common headaches once you settle in Spain.