Lyca Mobile UK: the plans, the SIM, and what it costs abroad

What Lyca Mobile UK plans were on sale on 10 November 2026?

Lyca Mobile is best known in the UK for cheap calls abroad, and its plans still include international minutes. Its pay as you go plans are bundles that last 30 days, with no contract and no credit check. When the 30 days are up you renew the same plan or choose another. Lyca also lists 12 and 24-month pay as you go options and pay monthly plans, which we did not price.

These were the 30-day Lyca Mobile UK plans on the SIM only deals page when we read it:

Every plan in the table includes 100 international minutes. Unlimited allowances are subject to a fair usage policy.

Several of those prices are first-month offers. Lyca's own product data, read on its homepage, showed:

UK Plan Unlimited

£12.50 for the first 30 days ("50% off first month"), against a base price of £25

National Plus

£5 for the first 30 days, against a base price of £10

UK Plan Smart

£3.50 for the first 30 days ("30% off first month"), against a base price of £5

We could not confirm whether the Super Extra and Mega Plus prices were also introductory. The offers are listed for new customers. No end date was shown.

This is desk research from Lyca Mobile's own pages. We have not bought or tested a Lyca Mobile plan.

Can you get a free Lyca SIM card?

This is one of the most searched questions about Lyca, and we could not confirm a free-SIM-only offer on lycamobile.co.uk on 10 November 2026. The pages we read sell the SIM with a plan: you choose a plan, choose a SIM type, and activate it. Lyca's terms for its pay monthly plans say a new SIM is posted by Royal Mail free of postage and may take up to 5 working days. We did not find equivalent wording for pay as you go.

Third-party sites still describe free Lyca SIMs. We could not check those offers on Lyca's own site, so we treat them as unconfirmed.

Does Lyca Mobile UK have eSIM?

Yes. The plans page advertises instant eSIM, and Lyca's eSIM page sets out how it works. After you order online with a bundle, Lyca emails a QR code. You scan it with your phone's camera, and an SMS then tells you your new mobile number. You can also keep your existing number.

One rule matters for visitors: Lyca says its eSIM must be activated in the United Kingdom unless the terms say otherwise. Once it is active, you can use it abroad according to your plan. Buy it before you leave, not from a beach in Portugal.

Which network does Lyca Mobile UK use?

Lyca's own coverage text says only that it works through a partnership with "a major UK carrier", with 4G and 5G depending on location. Telco Magazine reported on 30 June 2023 that Lyca had partnered with BT Wholesale to move its whole UK customer base to EE's 4G and 5G network. We could not find EE named on Lyca's own site, so treat it as reported rather than confirmed.

Does Lyca Mobile roaming work in Europe?

Yes. Lyca says that since 17 July 2023, all current pay as you go and pay monthly plans include EU roaming at no extra charge. Its EU Roaming Zone covers the 27 EU countries plus Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway.

The fair usage caps, which reset every 30 days, are:

The Smart plan's cap is its own 5GB. Several plans also name India in their roaming allowance, which is unusual among UK networks and useful for anyone visiting family there.

If you go beyond your allowance in the EU, Lyca charges 25p a minute for calls to the UK, 23p a text and 15p per MB of data. Switzerland and Turkey were not in the EU Roaming Zone list.

What does Lyca Mobile roaming cost in the USA?

Outside the EU you need a roaming add-on or credit. Lyca's roaming checker showed two USA add-ons when we read it:

Both cover the USA and Puerto Rico. Without an add-on, pay as you go rates in the USA were 80p a minute for calls home or to local numbers, 25p a minute to receive calls, and 48p a text. You need credit on your account to use them.

When is a travel eSIM cheaper than a Lyca Mobile SIM abroad?

In the EU, Lyca's included roaming is hard to beat: even the £5 first-month National Plus plan carries 12GB you can use in Spain.

In the USA, a travel eSIM gives more data for similar money. Here are travel eSIM prices we verified on each seller's own site in August 2026:

Airalo

5GB for 7 days at $12.50, or 10GB for 7 days at $21.50

Saily

3GB for 30 days at $8.99, or 10GB for 30 days at $22.99

Nomad

10GB for 30 days at $25

Lyca's 3GB for 7 days at £10 buys less data for a shorter period than Airalo's 5GB week or Saily's 3GB month. Our USA SIM card guide, India guide and cheapest eSIM table compare more options.

Who does Lyca Mobile UK suit?

Lyca suits people who call abroad often, want no contract and no credit check, and travel to the EU or India. It suits North America travellers less well. For other no-contract UK SIMs, compare Lebara and the UK SIM card comparison.