Bank SMS & TAN Abroad 2026: What Actually Works

Quick answer: Most banks no longer send TAN or 2FA codes by SMS at all. Sparkasse, the Volksbanken, ING and Postbank all retired SMS-TAN — their apps (pushTAN, VR SecureGo plus) deliver codes over the internet, so they work abroad on any data eSIM, no phone number needed. Only if your bank still uses SMS-TAN (Commerzbank, Deutsche Bank) do you need your home number reachable: keep the home SIM active with voice and SMS roaming on, turn its data roaming off, and run data through a travel eSIM. Incoming SMS is free while roaming on virtually every carrier.

First check which method your bank actually uses

This single question decides everything. A code delivered through a banking app travels over the internet and does not care which SIM provides that internet. A code delivered by SMS travels over the mobile network and needs your own number to be reachable. Most people worry about the second case when they are actually in the first.

Bank	Method	What it needs abroad
Sparkasse	S-pushTAN	Internet only — SMS-TAN retired in 2020
Volksbank / Raiffeisenbank	VR SecureGo plus	Internet only — SMS-TAN switched off in 2022
ING	Banking to go app	Internet only — SMS-TAN discontinued
Postbank	BestSign	Internet only — SMS-TAN removed in 2019
DKB	DKB-App / TAN2go	Internet only
N26, Revolut, Wise	In-app confirmation	Internet only
Commerzbank	photoTAN or smsTAN	photoTAN works offline · smsTAN needs your number
Deutsche Bank	photoTAN or mobileTAN	photoTAN works offline · mobileTAN needs your number

Frankfurter Volksbank states it plainly for VR SecureGo plus: the procedure "works independently of the mobile operator, because TAN messages are transmitted encrypted over the internet" — explicitly including "WiFi or the SIM card of a foreign mobile provider". A travel eSIM is exactly that.

Case 1: your bank uses an app — nothing to arrange

If you bank with Sparkasse, a Volksbank, ING, Postbank, DKB or a neobank, your TAN arrives through the app over any working internet connection. Install a data eSIM, and pushTAN or SecureGo plus behaves exactly as it does at home. You do not need a phone number, you do not need roaming, and you do not need your home SIM in the phone at all.

Two things are worth doing before you leave, while you are still on your home network:

Log into the banking app once so any device registration or re-activation happens at home, not at the airport.
Set up photoTAN as a fallback if your bank offers it. photoTAN generates the code from an on-screen image and needs no connection at all — the one method that still works when the network does not.

Case 2: your bank still sends SMS — keep your number reachable

SMS does not travel over your data connection. It uses the mobile network's own signalling channel, which is why a text arrives even when mobile data is switched off entirely. That fact is what makes the standard travel setup work:

Keep your home SIM active in the phone, with voice and SMS roaming enabled.
Turn data roaming off on that line — this is what would otherwise cost money.
Add a travel eSIM as a second line and set it as your data line.

Your bank texts your home number, the message arrives over the local network your home carrier roams onto, and all your browsing runs through the eSIM at local rates. Receiving SMS while roaming is free with virtually every carrier, inside the EU and outside it — you are charged for sending, not receiving.

Where this genuinely fails: some foreign networks filter bulk business SMS (so-called A2P traffic) to block spam, and bank codes occasionally get caught in that filter. It is rare but real, and it is the reason app-based TAN is worth switching to before a long trip. If a code does not arrive within a few minutes, request it again — a second attempt often routes differently.

What does not work: a data-only eSIM on its own

This is the most common misunderstanding, so it is worth stating without hedging. A data-only eSIM has no phone number and can never receive a text message. We explain the technical reason in detail in does an eSIM give you a phone number? That is not a limitation of any particular provider — a data plan simply is not assigned an MSISDN. If somebody sells you a "travel eSIM" and you remove your home SIM, SMS-TAN stops arriving. Data-only eSIMs are excellent for internet; they are not a replacement for your number.

The other half of the problem: verification codes from WhatsApp, Google and exchanges

Bank codes are one thing. The codes that actually strand people abroad come from somewhere else: WhatsApp asking you to re-verify, Google querying a new login location, an exchange or marketplace demanding SMS confirmation. These do not go to your banking app — they go to a phone number, and often to one in a specific country. Our step-by-step guide covers this case: how to get a number for WhatsApp verification.

This is where a second number earns its place, and where a data-only plan cannot help. An eSIM that includes a real number receives those codes on the device itself, in the normal messages view, with no separate app:

Number	Network	Price	Typical use
United States +1	AT&T	$14.99 / 30 days	US-only services, exchanges, marketplaces
United Kingdom +44	Three	$9.99 / 30 days	UK sign-ups, everyday verification
Europe +33	Orange	with the Europe plan	Travelling across the EU with calls included

Renewing keeps the same number, which matters more than it sounds: a number you register for two-factor authentication is worthless if it changes next month.

The short version:

App-based TAN (most banks): a data eSIM is all you need. Nothing else to arrange.
SMS-TAN (Commerzbank, Deutsche Bank): keep the home SIM in, SMS roaming on, data roaming off, data over the eSIM.
WhatsApp, Google, exchanges: those need a real number — either your home one or a second one that stays yours.

Before you fly: a five-minute checklist

Open your banking app once at home and confirm which TAN method is active.
If it is app-based, log in once so device registration is done.
If your bank offers photoTAN, activate it as a backup — it needs no connection.
Enable Wi-Fi Calling on your home line while still in your home country; it cannot be switched on from abroad on most carriers.
Note your bank's international support number separately from your phone.

Travelling and want both — cheap data and a number that receives codes? Simbye data plans start at $1.99 and cover 190+ countries, and our eSIMs with a real number give you a +1, +44 or +33 line that receives SMS directly on your phone. 5% cashback on every order.

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Frequently asked questions

Do I need roaming enabled to receive bank SMS abroad?

Yes, for SMS-TAN. Your home line must have voice and SMS roaming active — but you can leave data roaming off on that line, which is where the costs would come from. Receiving SMS while roaming is free with virtually every carrier.

Can I receive an SMS on a data-only eSIM?

No. A data-only eSIM is not assigned a phone number, so there is nothing for a message to be addressed to. You need either your home SIM active alongside it, or an eSIM that includes a real number.

Does pushTAN work abroad?

Yes. pushTAN, VR SecureGo plus and comparable apps transmit the code encrypted over the internet, independently of which network provides that internet. A travel eSIM, hotel WiFi or a foreign SIM all work.

Why did my TAN SMS not arrive?

Three usual causes: SMS roaming is not enabled on your home line; the foreign network filtered the message as bulk business traffic; or your bank blocked the login because it came from an unexpected country. Request the code a second time first — a repeat attempt often takes a different route.

Is it safer to use an authenticator app while travelling?

Generally yes. App-based procedures do not depend on the mobile network at all, so they sidestep roaming, filtering and coverage problems entirely. If your bank offers both, switch before a long trip rather than during it.

Which phone numbers can I get with an eSIM?

Simbye offers a US number on AT&T at $14.99 for 30 days, a UK number on Three at $9.99, a Thai number, and a French +33 number included with the Europe and Worldwide plans. All of them receive SMS directly on the phone, with no separate app.

Related guides

Prices and bank procedures checked in August 2026. Bank methods change — confirm yours in your banking app before travelling.

Receiving Bank SMS and TAN Codes Abroad: What Actually Works in 2026