How To Get a U.S. Phone Number From Anywhere (Without a U.S. SIM Card)

If you live outside the U.S., you’ve likely run into this issue: you’re trying to sign up for a U.S.-only app, verify a bank account, or just stay reachable while traveling, and you hit a wall because you don’t have a U.S. phone number.

Fortunately, getting a U.S. phone number no longer requires being in the U.S. or signing a carrier contract. This guide will walk you through how to get a U.S. phone number and show you which ones actually work for verification.

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Why you might need a U.S. phone number

There are several reasons why you might need a U.S. phone number, even if you’re not currently living in the United States.

1. Accessing U.S.-only apps and services: Some services (like financial apps or U.S. government portals) require a U.S. phone number to access.
2. Passing SMS verification and two-factor authentication: Many two-step verification systems require an American phone number.
3. Staying reachable on a U.S. number while traveling abroad: This can help keep communication simpler.
4. Having a persistent number for banking and deliveries as an expat: A U.S. number ensures you can easily access your banking apps and receive automated calls for deliveries and other purposes.
5. Keeping a second line for signups, marketplace listings, and one-off contacts: A second line helps keep your primary phone number private.

That last point on having a second line is especially important. According to our Do Not Call report, Do Not Call complaints hit 2.6 million in 2025. That’s more than a 25% increase from the previous year, with increases in 49 states and Washington, D.C. Unfortunately, registering on a Do Not Call list won’t stop scam or spoofed calls because two-thirds of complaints involve robocalls. However, keeping a second U.S. number can help keep your phone number off spammer and telemarketer lists.

And the problem is getting worse, not better. The 2025 jump reversed three straight years of declining complaints. A big driver is data brokers, which continually buy and sell consumer phone numbers, so even after you register with the Do Not Call list, your number keeps ending up on fresh call lists. Giving out a separate number for signups, online forms, and marketplace listings helps keep your primary number out of that cycle.

Privacy experts back this up. As Sascha Meinrath, Palmer Chair in Telecommunications at Penn State, told All About Cookies: “Overall, the detriments of providing your personal contact information often outweigh the positives. However, since more and more services are now requiring this information, establishing a "throw-away" phone number (e.g., one of the many VoIP services, or an email address that acts solely as your "spam trap") is a good tactic to help maintain your personal sphere.”

How to get a U.S. phone number: the main options

There are several ways to get a U.S. phone number, each with its own cost and upsides. Only one of these truly works from anywhere without a U.S. SIM card (the eSIM route), but it's worth knowing all your options.

1. VoIP apps

VoIP stands for Voice over Internet Protocol. These apps make calls over the internet, and you can typically get a new number associated with them. They tend to be either free or fairly cheap and are a great way to get a second number for added privacy. Google Voice and TextNow are popular options.

There are some caveats, though. First, many of these services, including Google Voice, require you to be physically in the U.S. and already have a U.S. number to sign up (though once registered, you can use it outside the U.S.). Second, VoIP apps are frequently rejected by banks and other apps for verification purposes. They’re good for casual calls and texts, but may be unreliable for other use cases.

2. Prepaid SIM card

Most U.S. carriers offer prepaid plans in which you pay in advance for a set amount of data, along with talk and text. These come with real mobile numbers from U.S. carriers, but the catch is that you typically need to be in the U.S. to buy and activate them.

Occasionally, you might find U.S. SIM cards imported in other countries, but this is a relative rarity and shouldn’t be counted on. These plans can range from around $15 to $60 per month (or more), depending on the carrier and plan specifics.

3. Postpaid carrier plan

Postpaid plans are what most people probably think of when they think of a cell phone plan. You pay each month for your usage the previous month, and generally don’t need to renew in the same way you do with prepaid plans. This is probably the most reliable option, especially for use with banks or verification codes, because the service and number are stable.

The downside to postpaid plans is that you need a U.S. address and (usually) a credit history to sign up. Many of these plans also come with long-term commitments, although increasingly, carriers are moving to month-to-month plans with no contracts. Costs for postpaid plans vary widely depending on the plan and carrier, but tend to be higher than those for prepaid plans.

4. eSIM with a real U.S. number

eSIMs work similarly to physical SIM cards — just without the card part. This means they can be activated remotely, without needing to be in the U.S. For that reason, eSIMs are usually the best option for travelers and expats. An eSIM that includes a real U.S. phone number works well for verification, banking, and other tricky use cases.

You can get eSIMs directly from a carrier or using a service like Saily from the maker of NordVPN. Saily is one of the few eSIM providers specifically geared towards international travelers — it functions as a second line alongside your existing phone number and supports calls, text, and 2FA codes. Saily plans start at around $3.59/mo for the eSIM with a .99/mo add-on to get a phone number.

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Saily

• Offers flexible, prepaid data plans ranging from 7 to 30 days with no recurring fees
• Developed by the team behind NordVPN, with privacy and security features built in by default
• Avoid roaming costs while blocking ads and avoiding malicious websites

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Which option is right for you?

Choosing the right option for your U.S. phone number comes down to identifying your needs:

• If you just want a free second line for casual use, a VoIP app (like Google Voice) is fine.
• If you need to pass bank or app verification, avoid most VoIP numbers and choose a real mobile number (either an eSIM or a physical SIM card through a carrier).
• If you’re abroad or a non-U.S. resident, an eSIM with a real U.S. number is usually the most practical.
• If you’re settling in the U.S. long-term, a carrier plan makes the most sense. You can choose either prepaid or postpaid, depending on your preference.

If your main concern is privacy, any of these options works. The point is simply to hand out a number that isn't your primary one. Just keep expectations realistic: a second number limits how often your real number gets shared and sold, but it won't stop calls to a number that's already circulating, and it's not a substitute for the free National Do Not Call Registry at donotcall.gov.

Bottom line

Getting a U.S. phone number is easier than it used to be. You have multiple options, and choosing the right one largely comes down to what you need from your number: passing verification, staying reachable abroad, or simply protecting your primary number.

Start by identifying your needs, and then match your method to your main use case. If you need a real number that works for verifications without needing a U.S. SIM card, an eSIM like Saily is usually the fastest and simplest option.

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AllAboutCookies writers and editors score products based on a number of objective features as well as our expert editorial assessment. Our partners do not influence how we rate products.

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On Saily's website

eSim

Saily

• Offers flexible, prepaid data plans ranging from 7 to 30 days with no recurring fees
• Developed by the team behind NordVPN, with privacy and security features built in by default
• Avoid roaming costs while blocking ads and avoiding malicious websites

Author Details

Dave Schafer

About the Author

Dave Schafer has written about consumer cybersecurity and technology since 2014, with a focus on the products people rely on most to stay safe online — VPNs, password managers, and cloud storage. With more than a decade of experience covering consumer tech, he cuts through product complexity to help readers choose tools that protect their data. He has authored more than 60 articles for All About Cookies and has been published in MakeUseOf, SatelliteInternet.com, and HighSpeedInternet.com.