AI illustration: a fictional traveller checks a phone at a hotel. No bank account or working OTP is shown.
A travel data connection and the Indian number registered with your bank are different things to check. Before departure, confirm that the registered number is still correct, the Indian line is available for the services you need and the bank has a support route if a message does not arrive. Neither a roaming pack nor this checklist guarantees OTP delivery.
Start with the number registered at the bank
As a named banking example, ICICI Bank’s NRI Internet Banking FAQ says its OTP is sent to the registered mobile number for certain actions. It says that if several OTPs are requested, only the latest is valid, and repeated incorrect entries can temporarily disable its SMS OTP facility. These are ICICI NRI Internet Banking conditions, not a rule for every bank or resident account.
Our editorial preparation is to check your own bank’s registered number and official support instructions before travel. Do not change the registered number merely because you bought a travel data plan. A replacement number and continued use of the existing number are separate decisions to discuss with the bank.
Jio prepaid example: free incoming SMS is a price statement
Jio’s prepaid international-roaming FAQ says: “All incoming text messages are free in international roaming (IR).” This is a named Jio incoming-SMS fee example. It does not establish that every bank message will arrive, that every destination or network works, or that the entire account has no charges.
Jio’s activation-check instructions direct customers to MyJio, Mobile, International services, then International Roaming Activation. Check the actual number rather than assuming that a domestic connection is ready abroad. Confirm destination, supported partner network and the required account or pack validity with Jio.
Activation and validity are not the same check
Jio’s prepaid activation FAQ says IR services are activated after recharge along with the IR pack, and the pack activates when first usage happens at the foreign location. Its separate FAQ headed for the ₹1,101/₹1,102 packs says those packs stay queued until an international call, data or SMS at the destination, or an included international SMS sent while still in India. Do not turn these statements into a universal rule for all packs or assume that buying a pack fixes the travel dates.
Read the terms for the exact pack and number. In particular, ask about the difference between service activation, pack start, account validity and expiry. This guide does not recommend buying either named pack or quote a current pack price.
Keep home-number and travel-data choices separate
Apple’s Dual SIM guide, published 22 October 2026, says one number at a time can use cellular data and explains how to label plans and choose the data number. On a supported iPhone, its route is Settings, Cellular or Mobile Data, Cellular Data, then the chosen number. Device and carrier eligibility still apply.
If you intend to keep the Indian line available while using another plan for data, check both lines’ settings and carrier instructions. Do not turn off the home line as an assumed step in setting up travel data. Apple describes call-related limitations, including occasions when the other line can show No Service; two active plans are not a promise of uninterrupted availability.
If a message does not arrive
Jio’s prepaid network-selection FAQ says the device normally connects to partner networks and gives a manual partner-network selection route if there are connectivity problems. Use its instructions for the actual device; this is not permission to enable chargeable data just to test SMS.
The ICICI NRI FAQ tells customers with continuing OTP problems to check for SMS delays or contact bank customer care. Follow your own bank’s current instructions rather than repeatedly requesting and guessing codes. Never share an OTP with a driver, helper, caller or this website. ICICI’s FAQ explicitly says not to share it even with bank representatives.
Before you leave: a private check
Our editorial checklist is to confirm the registered number, roaming-service state, destination/network support, exact validity terms and official bank support route. Keep these checks private. Do not store OTPs, passwords or card details in a shared travel checklist. Test the bank’s supported access method before the journey without treating that test as a guarantee of overseas SMS delivery.
Sources and scope
Read 27 October 2026: the linked Jio prepaid FAQs, Apple Dual SIM guidance and ICICI NRI Internet Banking FAQ. This is one carrier example, one bank-product example and device-specific guidance. Other banks, accounts, operators and devices require their own checks.
A Miranda House graduate and lawyer who traded courtrooms for slow travel. Cheshta travels with the batches we host ourselves, with a soft spot for travelling alongside elders.
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