ANCOM informs that, starting 1 January 2026, mobile users will enjoy reduced roaming costs following two major changes: lower surcharge caps for data roaming within the EEA and the inclusion of the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine in the Roam Like at Home system.
Roam Like at Home in the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine
From 1 January 2026, the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine will join the European Union’s Roam Like at Home (RLAH) system, as part of their gradual integration into the EU single market, under the framework of their respective Association Agreements.
Users from the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine traveling in the European Union – as well as EU users visiting these two countries – will be able to make and receive calls, send SMS, and use mobile data at domestic rates, with no additional roaming charges.
Thus, users in Romania – for whom, in some cases, roaming charges previously exceeded €8,000 per GB -, will pay, from 1 January 2026, a maximum surcharge capped at €1.33/GB (€1.10 excluding VAT), in addition to national tariffs, after exceeding the fair use limit.
Roam Like at Home also guarantees users’ right to the same quality of mobile services as in their home country, as well as free access to emergency calls while roaming.
Providers of electronic communications services in Romania have the obligation to inform their customers about the new roaming conditions applicable in the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine.
Important: The Roam Like at Home charging system for the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine respectively is applicable only in their direct relationship with EU Member States. It does not cover roaming between the two states or with other EEA countries (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway).
The European Economic Area (EEA) comprises the Member States of the European Union (Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czechia, Cyprus, Croatia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland (including the Åland Islands), France (including French Guiana and the islands of Guadeloupe, Martinique, Mayotte, Reunion and Saint-Martin), Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal (including the Azores and Madeira Islands), Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain (including the Canary Islands), Sweden and Hungary, plus Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein.
Lower data roaming surcharges across the EEA
Also from 1 January 2026, the maximum surcharge applied when exceeding the fair use limits for data roaming services within the EEA will be reduced.
Each roaming provider may define a fair use policy regarding the consumption of this service in the EEA to prevent misuse or abnormal use of roaming services, such as permanent roaming within the EEA. Once these reasonable use limits are exceeded, providers may apply surcharges, which are subject to capped values.
For data services, the maximum amount of the surcharge will be €1.10/GB (excluding VAT) between 1 January and 31 December 2026, and from 1 January 2027 it go down to €1/GB (excluding VAT).
For tariff plans such as prepaid cards, subscriptions, or options that include (almost) unlimited data, a reasonable consumption limit may apply while roaming in the EEA, during each billing period. In these cases, the amount of data available while roaming is calculated using the formula: 2 x the price of mobile services in a billing period (excluding VAT) / €1.10, for the period 1 January–31 December 2026. Typically, the price of services refers to the monthly subscription and any extra options actually paid after promotional discounts.
To help users estimate the data volume available for roaming in the EEA without incurring surcharges, ANCOM has developed a widget application, accessible here. This tool provides relevant results for all users with roaming-enabled tariff plans and will be updated on 1 January 2026 to reflect the €1.10/GB rate.
Information obligations for providers
Providers of electronic communications services must inform users about:
- the volume of data available for EEA roaming under the concluded contract, including in the summary sheet and through the information message sent when connecting to a network in an EEA country, as well as in Moldova and Ukraine;
- the consumption of the data included in the subscription or option that can be used without incurring a surcharge.
Detailed information on the Roam Like at Home tariff system, including the fair use policy, is available on the ANCOM InfoCentre, accessible here.