From January 1, 2026, Ukrainians will be able to use mobile communications and the Internet without additional costs in the countries of the European Union.<\/p>\n
This became possible thanks to Ukraine’s accession to the “Roam like at home” zone, which means the abolition of roaming surcharges. DW provided this information.<\/p>\n
Now, while staying in EU countries, Ukrainians will be able to make calls, send SMS, and use mobile Internet on the same terms as in Ukraine, according to their operators’ tariff plans.<\/p>\n
In addition, EU citizens visiting Ukraine will be able to keep their mobile communication tariffs.<\/p>\n
These changes became possible after the official accession to the single EU roaming area, which was approved by the Ukrainian government and the EU Council in the summer of 2025.<\/p>\n
Representatives of the Ministry of Digital Transformation noted that Ukraine has completed all necessary technical and regulatory procedures and that the EU has confirmed its readiness to integrate into the standard roaming system.<\/p>\n
“Ukraine is becoming a full-fledged participant in European roaming. Our citizens will be able to use the same opportunities as Europeans, which confirms our ability to comply with European standards,” added Taras Stetsenko, director of the relevant directorate of the Ministry of Digital Transformation.<\/p>\n
Roaming to operate from 2026<\/p>\n
From January 1, 2026, Ukrainians will be able to use mobile communications in the EU without additional roaming costs. Previously, to use communications abroad, subscribers had to activate roaming packages, which varied by country.<\/p>\n
Now roaming will be automatically activated in most tariffs, without the need for additional activation. The terms of use will be the same for all 27 EU countries.<\/p>\n
Liliya Malyon, head of the National Commission for the Control of Mobile Communications, noted that there will be practically no difference in the use of communications in Ukraine compared to, for example, Poland or France, since the tariffs and basic conditions remain similar.<\/p>\n
Features of the Internet in roaming<\/p>\n
For voice calls and SMS, the conditions remain domestic. Among the features: if the tariff in Ukraine includes a large amount of data or is unlimited, the operator may impose roaming access restrictions based on a special formula.<\/p>\n
At the same time, subscribers will be guaranteed a sufficient amount of gigabytes for everyday Internet use abroad.<\/p>\n
As for Ukrainians living in the EU due to the war<\/p>\n
These new rules will also apply to Ukrainians who have temporary protection in EU countries and constantly use Ukrainian SIM cards.<\/p>\n
The Ukrainian telecom regulator, in cooperation with the European Commission and mobile operators, has ensured uninterrupted communication for millions of citizens who are forced to be abroad. The joint agreement between Ukrainian and European operators will be valid at least until March 4, 2027, with the possibility of extension.<\/p>\n
According to the NKEC, approximately three million Ukrainian SIM cards are already in use in the EU, of which more than one million are active.<\/p>\n
Experts note that Ukrainians choose domestic operators for their favorable tariffs and stable service quality, even when roaming.<\/p>\n
Will mobile tariffs increase in Ukraine?<\/p>\n
The introduction of European roaming will not automatically lead to higher tariffs in Ukraine. NKEC emphasizes that operators’ pricing does not depend on roaming services, but on objective costs related to network investments, infrastructure restoration, energy stability, and operating costs in wartime.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
From January 1, 2026, Ukrainians will be able to use mobile communications and the Internet without additional costs in the countries of the European Union. This became possible thanks to Ukraine’s accession to the “Roam like at home” zone, which means the abolition of roaming surcharges. DW provided this information. Now, while staying in EU […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14,"featured_media":27892,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-27891","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\n