Arriving and airport services
Roaming in Europe: which countries are covered and where charges return
Will my phone plan roam at home prices in this European country?
Applies to: European UnionRules last checked:
On this page
In short
‘Roam like at Home’ lets customers of operators in the covered countries use their plan in the other covered countries at domestic prices, subject to fair use. The European Commission’s page, updated on 13 July 2026, lists the 27 EU countries plus Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Ukraine and Moldova. Ukraine and Moldova were added on 1 January 2026.
The United Kingdom is outside the regime, Switzerland does not appear on the Commission’s list, and the Western Balkans are only the subject of a proposal. At those borders, check your operator’s charges or compare a separate plan.
Which countries are covered
| Country or group | Roam like at Home? | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| The 27 EU countries: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden | Yes | Ask your operator for its fair-use limit abroad. |
| Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway | Yes | Same as above. |
| Ukraine and Moldova | Yes, since 1 January 2026 | Same as above; check your operator’s terms for these countries. |
| United Kingdom | No. The page says the regime does not apply when you travel to the UK; some operators have chosen to keep the benefits | Ask your operator about charges, or compare a separate plan. |
| Switzerland | Not on the Commission’s list | Assume separate charges until your operator says otherwise. |
| Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia | No. On 25 February 2026 the Commission proposed opening negotiations to bring them in; that is a proposal, not a benefit | Ask your operator, or compare a separate plan. |
| Any other country | Not on the list | Check your operator’s roaming charges or use a local or travel plan. |
Fair use, long stays and travel at sea or in the air
- Fair use: operators may apply a data limit to unlimited or low-priced plans. They must tell you before it applies and warn you when you reach 80% of it. Beyond the limit data may still be available, at a small extra charge.
- Long stays: the rule is meant for periodic travel. If you spend more of a four-month period in another EU country than in your home country, your operator may contact you and apply a surcharge.
- Planes and boats: networks on aeroplanes and ships are not covered, and services stop automatically when additional charges reach a set limit.
- Quality: the Commission says operators should aim to provide the same quality abroad as at home, including 5G where available, and must disclose any difference.
What changes at a border
A route can cross from a covered country into one that is not: from France to Switzerland, from Ireland to the United Kingdom, from Croatia to Bosnia and Herzegovina. Your phone may switch to a network in the next country without warning, and near a border it can also connect to a network on the wrong side. Ask your operator how it warns you and how to set a spending limit, switch data roaming off before a crossing you have not planned for and, if a plan includes the country, check that the plan names it.
Our guide to travel eSIMs explains how a separate plan compares with roaming, and how to choose one for a route through several countries.
If a roaming charge looks wrong
The Commission says to contest charges with your operator first. If the problem is not solved, you can contact your national telecoms regulator. Keep the bill and the dates and places you used the phone.
Check before you buy
- List the countries on your route, in order, including transit stops.
- Compare the list with the Commission’s current page and with your operator’s terms.
- Ask your operator for its fair-use limit and how it alerts you about charges.
- Switch data roaming off on any line you do not want to use abroad.
- Decide, before a border that leaves the covered countries, whether to roam, buy a separate plan or wait for Wi-Fi.
Sources
- Roaming — European Commission — European Commission
General information to help you understand your options — not legal advice, and not a promise that any payment or refund is due to you. Your rights depend on the facts of your journey and the law that applies; check the official sources above and the carrier’s own terms.