Goodbye roaming charges: Which countries can you visit outside the EU?

Today, the cell phone has become a true extension of ourselves. It’s therefore unthinkable to travel without one. In order to avoid astronomical bills upon returning from vacation, several countries outside the European Union are preparing to join the “Roam like at home” initiative.

To allow their users to fully utilize their cell phones abroad, mobile operators employ a practice known as “roaming.” In practice, they form partnerships with foreign carriers, which take over when a user traveling abroad surfs the Internet, sends a text message, or makes a call. And this whole process comes at a cost: roaming charges.

The Balkans, soon to be free

To put an end to unpleasant surprises, the European Union launched “Roam like at home” in 2017, a scheme that allows Europeans to use their cell phones to and from the EU at no extra cost. And while it was initially applied to the 27 member countries (plus Norway, Liechtenstein, and Iceland) “Roam like at home” is expanding beyond borders to officially include Moldova and Ukraine in 2026, and in the near future Albania, Kosovo, Serbia, North Macedonia, Montenegro, and Bosnia and Herzegovina.

As for Turkey and the United Kingdom (whose roaming charges were excluded since Brexit), the situation will depend on the bilateral agreements reached.

Be careful, though: free roaming does not mean unlimited usage. To avoid exceeding your data plan, we recommend that you regularly check your data usage and prioritize secure Wi-Fi networks while traveling.