“The European Commission has proposed to integrate Ukraine into the European Union’s ‘roaming’ area starting January 2026. This move will enable Ukrainians to make calls, send messages, and use mobile data with Ukrainian phone numbers in all 27 EU countries without incurring additional costs, while offering the same benefits to Europeans in Ukraine,” the institution stated in a press release.
This will be the first instance where the EU applies internal market treatment to Ukraine since the country obtained candidate status within the bloc at the end of 2022.
In effect, this means travelers from Ukraine visiting the EU and EU travelers in Ukraine will not pay extra roaming charges, ensuring access to the same quality and speed of mobile networks as in their home country, along with free access to emergency services.
It is now up to the EU Member States (in the Council) to adopt the proposal, which, if approved, will come into force on January 1, 2026.
The European Commission’s proposal aligns with Ukraine’s expressed interest, as well as an initial agreement on voluntary measures reached between European and Ukrainian operators to ensure affordable connectivity for more than four million Ukrainian refugees hosted in the EU under temporary protection.
Since 2017, European Union citizens have been able to use their mobile phones in other EU Member States as if they were in their home country, without paying extra fees.
This regime applies to calls, messages, and mobile data and aims to facilitate mobility and guarantee continuous access to digital services across the EU.
The free roaming regime applies in the 27 EU countries and in the European Economic Area countries (Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway).
Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022.
