Embodiments of the present invention provide a roaming network access method and apparatus, where the method includes: acquiring, by user equipment, a list of networks with which registration can be successful; searching, by the user equipment, for an available network in a roaming area; each time the user equipment finds an available network, determining, by the user equipment, whether the found available network is recorded in the list of networks with which registration can be successful; and if yes, attempting, by the user equipment, to register with the found available network. According to the roaming network access method and apparatus provided in the embodiments of the present invention, duration of network searching performed by user equipment is reduced, time spent by the user equipment on initial network access in a roaming area is shortened, and user experience is improved.