Switching from EE to Vodafone? It's a straightforward process to keep your existing phone number.

Step 1: Get a PAC Code from EE

If you’d like to move your phone number from EE to Vodafone, the first step is getting your Porting Authorisation Code (or PAC Code) from EE.

There are three ways to get a PAC Code from EE:

  1. Online: You can get a PAC Code from EE by logging in to the My EE website. Once you've logged in, go to Menu > Account settings > Leave EE.
  2. By Text Message: You can get an EE PAC Code sent to you via SMS text message. Text PAC to 65075 to receive a PAC Code from EE.
  3. By Phone: You can get a PAC Code by calling EE. To do this, call them on 150 using your EE handset. Alternatively, dial 07953 966 250 from any other phone. You'll need to call during EE's opening hours (Monday-Friday 8am-8pm, Saturday 8am-6pm, Sunday 8am-6pm).

Here are some key things to know:

  • A PAC Code is 9 digits long and follows the format ABC 123 456.
  • Your PAC Code is valid for 30 days. If you don't use it during this time, the PAC Code will expire and you'll need to request a new one.
  • You shouldn't close your account at EE: it'll be closed automatically when your phone number is transferred to Vodafone.

Still in contract with EE? If so, you may need to pay an early exit fee on your bill from EE. To find out how much this would be, text INFO to 85075.

Don’t want to keep your EE phone number? You can switch to Vodafone without taking your phone number with you. If you'd like to do this, get a STAC Code from EE instead.

EE STAC Code (Leave EE Without Keeping Your Number)

If you’d like to leave EE without keeping your phone number, you’ll need to request a STAC Code rather than a PAC Code. There are three ways to get a STAC Code from EE:

  1. Online: You can get a STAC Code from EE by logging in to the My EE website. After logging in, go to Menu > Account settings > Leave EE.
  2. By Text Message: You can get an EE STAC Code sent to you via SMS text message. Text STAC to 75075 to receive a STAC Code from EE.
  3. By Phone: You can get a STAC Code by calling EE. Call them on 150 using your EE handset. Alternatively, dial 07953 966 250 from any other phone. You'll need to call during EE's opening hours (Monday-Friday 8am-8pm, Saturday 8am-6pm, Sunday 8am-6pm).

Once you’ve gotten your STAC Code from EE, the rest of the process for joining Vodafone remains the same.

Step 2: Order your new phone or SIM card from Vodafone's website

You should now order your new phone or SIM card using the Vodafone website. Please select the type of tariff you're intending to move to:

If you're looking for a SIM card from Vodafone, the following deals from £7/month are currently most popular:

Network Data Monthly Cost
Vodafone
  • Unlimited mins
  • Unlimited texts
6GB
data
£7.00
per month
12 month contract
Monthly cost will rise each April by £1
See deal  
Vodafone
  • Unlimited mins
  • Unlimited texts
40GB
data
£8.00
per month
12 month contract
Monthly cost will rise each April by £1
See deal  
Vodafone
  • Unlimited mins
  • Unlimited texts
60GB
data
£10.00
per month
12 month contract
Monthly cost will rise each April by £1
See deal  
Vodafone
  • Unlimited mins
  • Unlimited texts
200GB
data
£28.00
per month
24 month contract
Monthly cost will rise each April by £1.80
See deal  
Vodafone
  • Unlimited mins
  • Unlimited texts
Unlimited
data
10Mbps max speed
£30.00
per month
24 month contract
Monthly cost will rise each April by £1.80
See deal  

For a full list of available tariffs and the latest Vodafone deals, please refer to this page on Vodafone's website.

Alternatively, if you're getting your Vodafone plan from a reseller, tap on their logo for more information:

Vodafone will assign you with a temporary phone number during the transition process. This will allow you to test out the service before you finally transfer your phone number to Vodafone.

Step 3: Give the PAC Code to Vodafone

Once your new phone or SIM card arrives from Vodafone, switch it on and make sure everything's working properly. If, for whatever reason, you need to return or change the handset or SIM card, it's best to do this before transferring your phone number.

Once you're happy to continue with the phone number transfer, contact Vodafone and provide them with your PAC Code from EE.

Your PAC Code should be entered on Vodafone's online form. Alternatively, you can give the PAC Code to Vodafone by calling 191 on your Vodafone handset. You can also call 03333 040 191 from any other phone.

If you have a STAC Code from EE rather than a PAC Code, this can be provided to Vodafone in the exact same way.

Providing your PAC Code to Vodafone
The PAC Code should be submitted through a form on Vodafone's website.

Remember:

  • You must provide the PAC Code to Vodafone within 30 days of it being issued by EE. If the PAC Code has already expired, you'll need to return to step 1 and request a new PAC Code from EE.
  • EE Pay As You Go customers: Try to use up your remaining credit as it can't be transferred to Vodafone.

Step 4: Phone Number Transferred (Next Working Day)

As long as you've submitted your PAC Code to Vodafone before 5pm, your phone number transfer will normally be scheduled for the next working day (Monday to Friday only, excluding English bank holidays). After 5pm, you'll need to wait one extra working day for your number to be transferred.

On the day of the transfer, you'll momentarily lose coverage on both mobile networks. When this happens, restart your handset on Vodafone. You should find that the Vodafone phone or SIM card will now associated with your original phone number.

  • If you see an error message (e.g. "SIM card registration failed"), this means it's time to restart your phone.
  • Once the phone number has been transferred to Vodafone, your account on EE will automatically be closed. You'll receive a final bill from EE for any outstanding charges.

Get the Latest Deals from Vodafone →

Any Other Questions?

In case of any problems during the transfer of your phone number, you should contact your new mobile network (Vodafone) with details of the problem.

If you have any other questions on using a PAC Code, please see my in-depth guide to transferring your phone number between networks. You can also read the comments below from other visitors to this website.

← Full Article: "PAC Codes - How to transfer your mobile number when switching networks"

Your Comments 1,966 so far

We'd love to hear your comments on transferring a phone number from EE to Vodafone. The comments below are from people who've made the same transfer. You can add your own comments here.

To view all 1966 comments about transferring a phone number, please visit the main PAC Code article.

  • Keela said:

    I currently have a personal EE contract but want to take my number to a Vodafone business contract, can I transfer from personal to business?
    Thanks

    • Ken replied:

      Hi Keela,
      Thanks for your comment. Yes, absolutely, you can move your phone number over from a consumer contract onto a business contract. There is no requirement for the new contract to be held in the same name as your original contract.
      Hope this helps,
      Ken

    • Ken replied:

      Hi Megan,
      Thanks for your comment. It’s normally advised that both phones are in the UK if possible. However, in practice, I have found that there is a little bit of leniency around this. I believe it should probably be fine as long as your new Vodafone handset is inside the UK, though of course I cannot give a definitive answer for this!
      Ken

  • Lee said:

    Hello,
    I’ve just ported over from EE to Vodafone last night. All seems well and good in the fact that I can send and receive calls and messages to friends fine. My issue appears to be with other things needing my number. I used to have whatsapp installed on my own devices, so want it again for the same number. Whatsapp never sends me a verification SMS or call regardless how many times I try it. I’ve rebooted the phone many times, installed the app numerous times. I’m now on iPhone and I’ve confirmed the message, FaceTime and phone settings all have this number. I thought it was a whatsapp issue, but I’ve just tried installing my tsb banking app, that too needs to make a call to authenticate the device, but the call never comes through? As mentioned I can receive and make calls.

    Any ideas?

    Ta,

    Lee

    • Ken replied:

      Hi Lee,
      It sounds to me like there might have been a problem transferring your phone number over to Vodafone. My recommendation would be to contact Vodafone Customer Services on 191 – they should be able to look into this for you.
      Ken

  • J kettle said:

    My mum just transferred from EE to Vodafone at a car phone warehouse shop so they took her PAC code and transferred data from her old phone to a new iPhone e 5s. Problem is she has No Service . Tried turning phone off and on but still no joy . Oddly The old phone from EE still works . Any help would be appreciated

    • Ken replied:

      Hi there,
      Thanks for your comment. It sounds like the new device on Vodafone might not currently be activated. I’d probably recommend double-checking this directly with the Carphone Warehouse (ideally switch it on in the store and make sure it’s working when you’re there).
      Ken

      • J kettle replied:

        Thank you . We went back to Carphone warehouse ! You were right the phone hadn’t been activated . We were told there was a glitch in the system and that everything should be up and running in 2-3 days !

  • Laura Fewtrell said:

    I transferred my number from EE to Vodafone but I have changed my mind about staying with them, rang up for a PAC code but I’ve been told I have to wait 30 days before I can get one. Not happy. Other providers can do this straight away – why can’t Vodafone??!

    • Catherine replied:

      Hi Laura, I’ve just been through the same thing – incredibly rude customer service person on the phone, I asked to speak to his supervisor and was told the same thing, which is an outright lie. I used to work in mobile phones and this is against Ofcom regs. I asked him to forward me the relevant T&C’s by email where it stated you have to wait 30days, he said he had (still haven’t received them – surprise!) and he hung up on me. I then spent another 30mins in webchat, threatened them with the ombudsman and was eventually told a PAC has been issued. Not received it yet but if I haven’t got it in the next two hours as per Ofcom regs will be issuing complaint. I also contacted via Twitter. Hopefully you can get yours resolved too.

      • Amanda replied:

        Now having the exact same issue with vodafone and wondering if any of you ladies managed to get a resolution to this or is ofcom the route to go down?

        • Catherine replied:

          Hi Amanda, I did get a resolution within a few days. But it was convoluted – bear with me!

          Around 24hrs after the webchat advisor said she’d issued a PAC I still hadn’t received it, so I called customer services yet again to voice my displeasure. Made it very clear how annoyed I was and that I was going to report to the communications ombudsman (if you end up needing to go this route, all the how to info is here: https://www.ombudsman-services.org/communications.html). I was told that it was actually a technical problem, which I initially took with a big pinch of salt – she told me I needed to wait a week for the system to be able to process it (still, better than the 30 days I was initially told).

          Then, I did a bit of online research and found a guy who was having a similar problem getting a PAC issued. He fixed it by registering for an online Vodafone account and then re-requesting his PAC. So that’s what I did too as I figured it was at least worth a shot. If you don’t have an online vodafone account you can register for one here, it’s free: https://www.vodafone.co.uk/myvodafone/faces/oracle/webcenter/portalapp/pagehierarchy/Page1.jspx#%40%3F_adf.ctrl-state%3D197wqi8wq5_40). Anyway, I waited another day, and this time I think I contacted them via webchat again, and they were able to issue it instantly – the PAC was texted straight to my phone while I was literally still talking to them.

          So the answer is that yes, I got my problem resolved within 3 or 4 days with a lot of haranguing. But I also registered for an online account once I found out that might have had something to do with it, and then re-requested the PAC – so maybe that was also part of the problem. I don’t know whether they were just initially bullshitting and finally gave in or whether there was a system error code preventing people who haven’t registered online being issued with PACs, but if you haven’t already registered, do it, because it costs nothing and at least there’s a chance that might fix it. Failing that go to the Ombudsman. Hope you get it resolved, they were distinctly unpleasant to deal with!

    • Ken replied:

      Hi Dariusz,
      There is no limit on how many times you’re able to transfer your phone number between networks. It’s also possible to transfer your phone number back to the same network. Hence, the scenario you suggested is most definitely possible!
      Ken

  • Freya said:

    Hi,

    So it’s been 3 working days since I paid to end my contract on EE and opened up a new one on Vodafone. I went from an iPhone 4 to a 6, it still hasn’t worked and all of my texts are going through to my old SIM and they have not transferred my number. It says on my iPhone 6 that I have no service and I have turned it off many times,

    Please help,

    Thanks.

    • Ken replied:

      Hi Freya,
      Sorry to hear about your problems transferring a phone number from EE to Vodafone. Assuming you’ve already provided the EE PAC Code to Vodafone, the best thing to do is to call Vodafone Customer Services on 03333 040 191 (you can also dial the 191 shortcode if you’re using a Vodafone handset). Vodafone should be able to give you an update on the progress of your transfer and why it’s taking so much longer than normal.
      Ken

  • Geraint said:

    Hi Ken

    i have done all of thisnd my number ha gone to vodafone, however it is still working on ee, my texts come through to that as well? does it matter that i have iphone 5 and now iphone 6?

    • Ken replied:

      Hi Geraint,
      Thanks for your comment. It sounds as if the number transfer still hasn’t taken place (I’d wait until the end of the working day, then I’d call Vodafone if the problem doesn’t resolve itself). The caller ID on your new network (Vodafone, in this case) can sometimes be updated before the transfer actually happens. It doesn’t actually mean calls & texts will be routed to that SIM card. Once the number has finally transferred from EE to Vodafone, calls and texts should then arrive on your new Vodafone iPhone.
      Hope this helps and enjoy your iPhone 6!
      Ken

  • Amy booker said:

    Hi Ken!
    I have paid to end my contact early with ee and taken out a new contract with Vodafone.
    I got a pac code from ee which I gave to Vodafone when I took
    Out my new contract and the number transfer should be taking place today.
    I have lost service from my ee number but I’m still on the temporary number that Vodafone gave me on my new phone.
    I lost service on my ee phone around 3.30 so should the old number now be active on my Vodafone contract or has something gone wrong?

    • Ken replied:

      Hi Amy,
      Thanks for your comment. You should normally lose service on the EE SIM card at the same time as Vodafone changing the phone number on your new SIM card. However, in some cases, there could be a short delay before this happens. I’d recommend restarting your Vodafone handset and seeing if it registers with the new phone number. If the problem persists then I’d call Vodafone Customer Services to enquire about the problem (dial 191 from your Vodafone handset).
      Ken

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