Unlock iPhone 8 without O2 account

[Kenem]

I have an iPhone 8 which is still locked to the O2 (UK) network. I have been using a Giffgaff SIM card for a good while.

I am travelling for 6 weeks in Europe and ran out of Giffgaff data. As Giffgaff extra data is very expensive I bought a SIM card from O2 in Czech Republic. The phone now needs a network unlock code to use it but O2 (UK) don't recognise my phone so say they can't unlock it - even with the correct IMEI number. I don't want to pay some dodgy other party to unlock it - any ideas?

(For interest my wife uses a Samsung phone still on the O2 network on my account and I was able to unlock that very easily.)

[jonsie]

You need a O2 UK sim to unlock the phone

Guide: Unlocking an O2 phone to use a different SIM card 

[Kenem]

Thank you, that makes sense. Maybe I could use the O2 UK sim from my wife's phone, which is on my account.
The auto email reply I got, declining my request, said "The IMEI - xxx has not been used on our network with the MPN provided, so it will not be possible to unlatch it." If MPN is mobile phone number does that mean I'll have to use the sim before I make another request?

[jonsie · Accepted solution]

You can use your wife's sim but it won't connect to O2's system while you are abroad as the phone registers on the foreign network

You could tether your phone to your wife's and use her data but I think you are stuck with the giffgaff sim and wifi

[Kenem]

Thanks again, I've got a couple of workarounds  - anything to avoid the 10p/mb for more data on Giffgaff.