As the COVID-19 epidemic policy is relaxed and borders have reopened, traveling or working abroad has become somewhat of a popular and frequent activity in the past few years. However, before you travel, there is one essential preparation you should make which is to ensure you have mobile data overseas, since a good overseas data roaming plan is significant for you to travel easily. Fortunately, with Data Passport, the days of bill shock and bad data roaming have been gone. In this article, we’ll show you what Data Passport is and how to activate it to make your trip hassle-free.
What is an M1 Data Passport?
Data Passport is a data roaming service issued by M1 in 2015, allowing you to seamlessly work with your existing mobile plans from M1 and save your costs during the trip. Data Passport is now available in over 70 destinations worldwide, with a monthly subscription of $15 per destination and an activation fee of $5, you can use your mobile plan’s data bundle for surfing overseas. From Malaysia to far-flung Iceland, you can easily stay connected on preferred networks with your M1 App. Find out more here and get roaming!
The Charge of the M1 Data Passport
M1 Data Passport allows users to use the local data as their overseas data roaming. The Data Passport is valid for a month from activation and can be activated via the My M1+ app. Additionally, M1 also provides an option for users to select, which is the recurring Data Passport. Data Passport (recurring) will be valid on a monthly recurring basis until deactivated. If you fully utilize your local data under Data Passport, the excess data will be charged at $11.99/GB. A one-time activation fee of $5 and a monthly subscription for the selected data passport will apply. M1 also has an option called Unlimited Data Roaming where you pay $15 to $25 per day for unlimited data overseas.
At present, M1 Data Passport has reached agreements with some telecom operators in over 48 countries. But it is noted that check the M1 website to find out which telecom operators are available If you decide to subscribe to the Data Passport.
Here are the prices and services offered by M1 Data Passport, including going to a single country or multiple destinations.
| Plan | Price | Validity | Countries |
| Single Destination $15 Data Passport | $15 | One month from the date of activation | Bangladesh, Cambodia, Fiji, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Isle of Man, Laos, Macau, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand |
| Single Destination $35 Data Passport | $35 | Australia, Bahrain, Brazil, Canada, China, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Kuwait, Mauritius, Mongolia, Netherlands, New Zealand, Russia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, USA (includes Hawaii, Puerto Rico and US Virgin Islands, and excludes Alaska and Guam) | |
| Multiple Destinations $35 ASEAN Data Passport | $35 | Bangladesh, Brunei, Cambodia, China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Israel, Japan, Laos, Macau, Malaysia, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, United Arab Emirates, Vietnam. Data roaming service in Myanmar is temporarily unavailable until future notice. | |
| Multiple Destinations $65 Asia Data Passport | $65 | Bangladesh, Brunei, Cambodia, China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Israel, Japan, Laos, Macau, Malaysia, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, United Arab Emirates, Vietnam. Data roaming service in Myanmar is temporarily unavailable until further notice. | |
| Multiple Destinations $65 Europe Data Passport | $65 | Albania, Armenia, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Georgia, Greece, Guam, Guernsey, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Jersey, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Montenegro, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom |
How to Activate/Deactivate Data Passport?
There are 2 ways available for you to activate/deactivate the Data Passport, you can choose it according to your actual needs.
Method 1. Via My M1 / My M1+ app to Activate
Step 1: Download M1 / My M1+.
Step 2: After your plan has been successfully upgraded, log in to the My M1+ app with your M1 ID. Key in your email address, then tap on it.
Step 3: Access the Roaming tab, enter and choose the destination.
Step 4: Choose your preferred Data Passport.
Step 5: Tap One-month or Recurring on My M1 / Recurring on My M1+ app. Select Subscribe to confirm your subscription.
Step 6: Tap Good to go.
Step 7: Choose Confirm / Yes, I am sure to activate. You will receive a confirmation SMS once the service is activated.
Method 1: Via My M1 / My M1+ app to Deactivate
Step 1: Access the Roaming tab and select the subscribed Data Passport.
Step 2: Click on the Unsubscribed button.
Step 3: Select Confirm and OK to unsubscribe. You will receive a confirmation SMS when your Data Passport is unsubscribed.
Method 2. Via Manage My Account to Activate
Step 1: Select My Account.
Step 2: Expand Services and click on the Roaming tab.
Step 3: By default, the Data Passport tab will be shown. Select a country to begin.
Step 4: All available Data Passport for the selected destination will be displayed. Select the desired Data Passport by clicking on the toggle button.
Step 5: Select Confirm. You will receive a confirmation SMS once the service is activated.
Method 2. Via Manage My Account to Deactivate
Step 1: Select My Account.
Step 2: Expand Services and click on the Roaming tab.
Step 3: Click on the toggle button next to the Data Passport to be deactivated.
Step 4: Select Confirm. You will receive a confirmation SMS when your Data Passport is unsubscribed.
The Cons and Pros of the M1 Data Passport
When considering Data Passport, may you want to know why it is the best option. Here we listed the strengths and weaknesses of the M1 Data Passport, you can take it into account when you also have other choices.
Cons:
- Suitable for using a lot of data while on holiday.
- M1 is the 3 big telcos that guarantee the services.
- Easy activation before or during your trip.
- No bill shock with network lock.
- Protect yourself from unintended data charges.
Pros:
- Increased prices of the roaming bundle.
- Limited countries.
Frequently Asked Questions about M1 Data Passport
Q1: Do I need to activate any roaming services to use Data Passport?
A1: Yes, you must activate (1) a Roaming Subscription or Pay-Per-Use Roaming and (2) Data Roaming service.
Q2: What is the difference between one month and recurring Data Passport?
A2: Data Passport (one month) is valid for a month from the date of activation and expires automatically thereafter. Data Passport (recurring) will be valid on a monthly recurring basis until deactivated.
Q3: Can I subscribe to more than one Data Passport at the same time?
A3: Yes, you may subscribe to one or more Data Passport at the same time. However, you may only subscribe to either one month or recurring Data Passport for the same country/region at any one time. A one-time activation fee of $5 and a monthly subscription for the selected data passport will apply.
Q4: Which local data bundles can I use with Data Passport?
A4: You can use the local data that is bundled with your mobile plan.
Q5: Do I need to subscribe to Data Passport before I travel?
A5: You can subscribe to a Data Passport when in Singapore or overseas via My M1+ App. We recommend that you subscribe to Data Passport before reaching your travel destination.
Other Affordable Data Roaming in Singapore
Starhub DataTravel
Starhub DataTravel‘s data roaming options are the most intuitive and worldwide compared to other telcos’ plans. Since its program is mainly divided into Asia Pacific and Global (“Data Travel Asia Pacific” and” Data Travel Global”), one of the recently launched options is “Data Travel Everywhere”, but the vast majority of tourists will not need it as these are mainly more exotic destinations and regions. If you want to go to Bali for the weekend or Thailand for a day, the Bundled data of $6 for 1GB may be the best choice for you.
Singtel ReadyRoam
Singtel users have access to ReadyRoam which can be activated using the My Singtel app. They have a $5 for 1GB option, which looks better than the mentioned Starhub DataTravel’s “Data Travel Asia Pacific”, but it is only available in Malaysia, Indonesia, and Thailand. If you want to go to areas other than these three places, it will cost at least $18.
Buy a Special Roaming SIM Card
If you don’t want to download the application about data roaming, it’s possible to buy a “roaming SIM” before your trip. Only need to pop it into your phone upon reaching your destination, you can enjoy data roaming overseas. But you’ll need to spend some time doing research to find the Best SIM-only mobile plans in Singapore.
Conclusion
In general, we focused on the introduction of the M1 Data Passport in this article, which stands out for its powerful and efficient features, helping you maintain contact with your friends and family while you are traveling overseas. Alternately, we also provide other available options for you to choose from, you can subscribe for a data bundle with an existing telco according to your actual needs. What are you waiting for? Give it a try now!
Dolores Xiao