How to Redirect Your Home Number to Your France eSIM (Verizon, AT&T, EE, Telstra, Optus)

You have landed a france esim with number, your Paris trip is booked, and you want zero gaps in your phone coverage. One problem stands between you and seamless communication: your friends, family, and colleagues back home are still going to call your regular number. They do not have your French +33 number saved. They are not going to remember to WhatsApp you first. They are going to call the number they have always called, and if you do not set up call forwarding before you leave, those calls are going straight to voicemail.

This guide solves that problem in full. It covers exactly how to forward your home number to your France eSIM number, with carrier-specific instructions for Verizon and AT&T in the US, EE in the UK, and Telstra and Optus in Australia. There are real code sequences, real workarounds for the restrictions each carrier imposes, and practical advice on timing so you do not get caught out at the airport.

TL;DR

Set up call forwarding before you leave, not after you land. Verizon and AT&T cannot forward calls to international numbers directly, so you need a bridging strategy such as a Google Voice number or a VoIP intermediary. EE in the UK can forward to international numbers using the GSM code **21*+33XXXXXXXXX#, which makes the process considerably more straightforward. Telstra officially restricts international forwarding to Australian numbers only, while Optus postpaid customers can forward to international numbers but face per-minute surcharges on top of the standard diversion rate. The smartest move is to set the forwarding up before you board, test it with a second phone, and make sure your French eSIM number is active and receiving calls before you switch anything on.

Why Bother With Call Forwarding When You Have a French Number?

A French eSIM with a +33 number is one of the most versatile tools you can carry into France. You can receive calls from French businesses, give out a local number to hotels, and avoid the eye-watering roaming fees that major carriers charge. But your home contacts do not have that +33 number. They have your Verizon number, your EE number, your Telstra number. Call forwarding is the bridge that connects those two worlds.

The other reason it matters is cost. If you leave your home SIM active and roaming without setting up a forwarding strategy, every incoming call you receive in France triggers a roaming charge from your home carrier. Depending on your plan, that could be anything from $0.25 a minute to $1.50 a minute, on top of whatever data charges you are already paying. Forwarding the calls before you leave means the call terminates at the French number, and your home SIM stays dark.

There is also a dual SIM angle worth considering. Modern iPhones and most flagship Android devices support two lines at once, meaning you can run your home SIM alongside your france esim with number on the same handset simultaneously. When both lines are active, incoming calls to your French number arrive directly. But you still want your home number’s calls landing somewhere useful, and call forwarding handles that cleanly.

The Golden Rule: Set It Up Before You Leave

This cannot be emphasised enough. Multiple carriers, including Telstra, explicitly state that call forwarding changes may not work reliably once you are already roaming internationally. The GSM codes that activate forwarding are processed by your home network. When you are connected to a foreign network, those codes sometimes get intercepted and interpreted differently, or simply fail to reach your home carrier’s system at all.

The process takes under five minutes. Do it the evening before your flight. Test it by having someone call your home number from a different phone while your French eSIM is active and receiving calls. Once you confirm calls are landing correctly, you are done.

How to Forward Your Verizon Number to a French eSIM

Verizon has a well-known restriction: you cannot forward calls directly to an international number. Their system only accepts domestic US numbers as forwarding destinations. If you dial *72 followed by a +33 French number, the system will reject it.

The workaround most travellers use is a free Google Voice number. You set up a Google Voice number (US based), forward your Verizon line to that Google Voice number using *72 + the 10-digit Google Voice number, and then configure Google Voice to ring through to your French eSIM number via the Google Voice app over data. It sounds complex but each step individually is simple.

To activate unconditional call forwarding on Verizon, open your dialler and call *72 followed immediately by the 10-digit number you want to forward to, then press send. You will hear a confirmation tone when it is active. To cancel it later, dial *73 and press send.

If you only want calls forwarded when you do not answer rather than immediately, use *71 followed by the forwarding number. This is conditional forwarding and it lets your Verizon phone ring first before redirecting the call after a set number of rings.

One important note: Verizon does not charge a monthly fee for call forwarding, but forwarded calls still use your plan’s minutes. If your plan does not include unlimited minutes, you will be billed for each forwarded call as if you had answered it yourself. Check your plan before activating.

How to Forward Your AT&T Number to a French eSIM

AT&T and T-Mobile use the same USSD code format for call forwarding. To activate unconditional forwarding, dial *21* followed by the 10-digit number, then #, and press send. To cancel it, dial #21# and press send.

AT&T shares Verizon’s restriction around international forwarding. The carrier’s system does not natively support forwarding calls to non-US numbers. The bridging strategy is the same: use a Google Voice number as the forwarding destination, then route calls from Google Voice to your French number through the app.

There is another route worth knowing about. AT&T’s Wi-Fi Calling feature lets your phone receive calls over an internet connection rather than the cellular network. If you keep your AT&T SIM active in a dual SIM setup, disable cellular data for the AT&T line, and enable Wi-Fi Calling, incoming calls to your US number can ring through to your handset over the same Wi-Fi connection your French eSIM is using for data. This avoids forwarding entirely and means you receive calls on both numbers simultaneously without any roaming charges on the AT&T side. Not every plan supports international Wi-Fi Calling, so verify this with AT&T before your trip.

How to Forward Your EE Number to a French eSIM

EE customers have the most straightforward path here. Unlike the US carriers, EE does support call forwarding to international numbers, which means you can point your EE number directly at your +33 French number without needing any intermediary service.

To set up unconditional call forwarding on EE using GSM codes, open your dialler and enter **21*+33XXXXXXXXX# where the digits after +33 are your French eSIM number, then press dial. This forwards every call immediately without your EE phone ringing first. To cancel it, dial ##21# and press send.

Alternatively, you can set it up through EE’s automated phone service by calling 150 from your EE handset and navigating the menu: option 1, then option 2, then option 4, then option 1.

There are two things to be aware of. First, call forwarding on EE is only available on pay monthly contracts, not pay as you go. If you are on PAYG, your only forwarding option is to voicemail. Second, if your EE SIM is abroad and roaming when the forwarding is active, standard roaming charges will apply to the forwarded calls. This is why setting up the divert before you leave matters: the call originates in the UK, gets forwarded to France from the UK network, and you avoid the roaming leg entirely.

How to Forward Your Telstra Number to a French eSIM

Telstra takes the most restrictive position of the five carriers covered here. According to their own documentation, call forwarding while using international roaming can only be directed to Australian numbers. They state this is a fraud prevention measure to protect customers whose phones might be stolen abroad.

This means a direct forward to your +33 French number will not work through Telstra’s standard system. The practical solution most Australian travellers use is a virtual Australian phone number as a bridge. Services like KoalaCalling provide an Australian virtual number that accepts incoming calls and forwards them internationally at rates that are typically much cheaper than Telstra’s international forwarding surcharge.

The setup process: forward your Telstra number to the Australian virtual number before you leave using **21* followed by the Australian number and #. Configure the virtual number service to redirect incoming calls to your +33 French eSIM. The caller dials your Telstra number, the call hits the Australian virtual number, and it is then pushed internationally to France. The call quality through a well-set-up VoIP bridge is usually excellent.

Telstra’s standard call forwarding codes for Australian destinations are **21*[number]# for unconditional forwarding and **61*[number]# for forwarding when unanswered. The ring delay defaults to 15 seconds but can be extended to 30 seconds by calling Telstra’s 132 200 support line.

One more note for Telstra prepaid customers: the carrier’s roaming behaviour means that if your Telstra SIM is in your phone while you are overseas, it may be treated as actively roaming even if you have not made or received a call on it. This can generate unexpected charges. The cleanest approach is to set the forwarding up before you travel and then disable roaming on the Telstra line in your phone settings, or remove the physical SIM if you are using it in a separate handset.

How to Forward Your Optus Number to a French eSIM

Optus postpaid customers can forward calls to international numbers, but the cost structure needs to be understood before you activate it. The standard diversion charge for postpaid customers is 11 cents per minute for the forwarded call. On top of that, international diversions carry an additional surcharge equal to Optus’s standard international calling rate to that country. These international surcharge minutes are not drawn from any included international calling allowance on your plan.

The activation codes for Optus use double asterisks where some carriers use single asterisks. For unconditional forwarding, dial **21*[number]# and press send. For forwarding when unanswered, use **61*[number]#. To cancel unconditional forwarding, dial ##21#.

Optus prepaid customers cannot forward calls to international numbers at all. If you are on a prepaid Optus plan, the same bridging strategy used for Telstra applies: forward to an Australian virtual number that then redirects internationally.

As with Telstra, set the forwarding up from Australia before your trip. Changing call forwarding settings from abroad while roaming on Optus is technically possible but unreliable, and any roaming activity on your Optus SIM while overseas may trigger daily charges depending on your plan.

Testing Your Setup Before You Travel

The test is simple. Have your French eSIM active and installed on your device. Set up the forwarding on your home number using the appropriate method for your carrier. Then call your home number from a landline or a friend’s phone. The call should ring through to your French line within a few seconds.

If it goes to voicemail instead, the most common causes are a mistyped forwarding number, a carrier restriction that blocked the setup silently, or the French eSIM not yet being fully activated. Double-check each of these in order.

If you are using a bridging service like Google Voice or a virtual Australian number, test that link independently too. Call the bridge number directly and confirm it forwards through to your French line before adding it into the Verizon or Telstra forwarding chain.

Getting Your French Number Ready Before You Set Up Forwarding

This is the step people sometimes overlook. Call forwarding only works if the destination number is active and accepting calls. A france esim with number can be activated immediately after purchase through QR code scanning, with the +33 number assigned and ready to use within minutes. Install and activate the eSIM profile before you attempt to configure any forwarding, confirm you can receive a test call on the French number, and then proceed with the forwarding setup on your home carrier.

eSIM activation does not require you to be physically in France. You can install and activate the profile from your home country, confirm the number is live, and then set up forwarding the same day. By the time you land in Paris, everything is already running.

What About SMS and Text Messages?

Call forwarding does not redirect text messages. This is true across all five carriers covered here. SMS sent to your Verizon, AT&T, EE, Telstra, or Optus number will sit on that number and not be forwarded to your French eSIM.

The practical solutions depend on your setup. If you are running dual SIM with both lines active, texts to your home number arrive directly on the home line and you can read and reply from the same handset. If you have disabled your home line while abroad, Verizon Messages and similar carrier apps allow you to access texts through a web interface or app over Wi-Fi without activating roaming. For Australian carriers, a third-party forwarding service that bridges SMS as well as calls may be worth investigating for longer trips.

A Note on Carrier Wi-Fi Calling as an Alternative

Some travellers prefer to skip call forwarding entirely and rely on Wi-Fi Calling from their home carrier instead. If your home carrier supports international Wi-Fi Calling and your plan covers it, you can receive calls on your home number over any Wi-Fi connection without the home SIM incurring roaming charges. EE, AT&T, and Telstra all support this feature on eligible plans.

The limitation is that your phone needs to be connected to Wi-Fi to receive those calls. The moment you step away from your hotel or a cafe, the calls fall back to either roaming (expensive) or voicemail (useless). For travel where you want uninterrupted coverage in transit, on trains, or on the street, call forwarding to your active French eSIM line is still the more reliable choice.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I set up call forwarding to a French number from inside France?

For EE customers, yes, the GSM codes work internationally when your SIM is roaming. For Verizon, AT&T, Telstra, and Optus, it is significantly less reliable once you are abroad, and in some cases officially unsupported. All five carriers advise setting up forwarding before departure, and this is the approach you should follow.

Will call forwarding use my home plan’s minutes?

Yes. Forwarded calls are billed by your home carrier as if you had answered the original call. For Verizon and AT&T this means the call counts against your minute allowance if you are not on an unlimited plan. For Optus, per-minute forwarding charges apply regardless of your plan’s inclusions. Check your plan’s call forwarding rates before activating.

Does call forwarding forward my text messages too?

No. Call forwarding redirects voice calls only. Text messages sent to your home number will not be forwarded to your French eSIM number. To access texts sent to your home number while abroad, use your carrier’s web-based messaging app or keep the home SIM active in a dual SIM configuration.

How do I know if my call forwarding is active?

The quickest way is to check using the status code for your carrier. For EE, dial *#21# to see unconditional forwarding status. For Verizon, check through the My Verizon app under Device Settings. For Telstra and Optus, dial #61# or *#61# respectively and your phone will display the active forwarding number if one is set. The most reliable test is always calling your home number from a separate phone.

Can I use call forwarding with a prepaid home SIM?

It depends on the carrier. EE PAYG does not support call forwarding to other numbers. Optus prepaid does not support international forwarding. Telstra prepaid behaviour varies. AT&T and Verizon prepaid customers should check directly with their carrier, as call forwarding availability differs by plan tier. Postpaid and contract plans universally offer better forwarding support than prepaid plans.

What happens if I turn off my home SIM while abroad?

If you have set up conditional call forwarding (forward when unreachable or when switched off), calls to your home number will forward automatically to your French number even when the home SIM is powered off or in airplane mode. This is the cleanest setup for travellers who want to cut home carrier charges completely while still catching incoming calls. Set conditional forwarding before you leave, disable roaming or switch off the home line when you land, and all incoming calls will route to your French eSIM.

Is a French eSIM with a real +33 number better than a data-only eSIM for this setup?

Yes, because it gives you a destination for the forwarded calls that works like a regular phone line. A data-only eSIM does not have an assigned number, so there is no line to forward calls to. To receive forwarded calls from your home number in France, you need an eSIM that comes with an actual French phone number assigned to it.