For travellers with an EU mobile line, roam like at home still means domestic rates across most of Europe. Yet the protected zone has hard edges: the UK, Switzerland, Andorra and onboard satellite networks can all produce surprise charges. TechNews DevTop explains where the rules stop and how to keep the bill under control.
- EU/EEA and beyond: The 27 EU states, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway are covered; Ukraine and Moldova joined on 1 January 2026.
- Outside the zone: The UK, Switzerland and Andorra depend on operator policy, not an automatic EU guarantee.
- Ships and planes: Satellite links are uncapped, but usage is cut at €50 of extra charges unless the customer changes the setting.
Where the home-rate map ends
Roam like at home has been mandatory since 15 June 2017. The current framework, Regulation (EU) 2022/612, runs until 2032. Within the EU, the EEA and—since 1 January 2026—Ukraine and Moldova, calls, texts and data come out of the domestic allowance, and receiving calls costs nothing extra. Operators must also aim for the same network quality abroad when technically possible and send a free border-crossing SMS with conditions, any fair-use limit and emergency information including 112.
The list could grow. On 25 February 2026, the European Commission proposed talks with Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia. Until a deal is sealed, those Western Balkan countries remain outside the regime.
UK, Switzerland and Andorra: check before you go
Since Brexit, the UK is outside the automatic EU regime. Some operators voluntarily keep inclusive terms, but this is a commercial choice. Switzerland and Andorra sit outside both the EU and EEA, so they also lack protection, although many providers extend plans to selected third countries. Terms vary by operator, tariff and sometimes season, so no single retail price list is meaningful.
Check the destination’s tariff zone in your operator’s app or customer area. If it is excluded, look for a travel data add-on; if you will not use data, switch off data roaming before departure. Data outside the EU and EEA can be very expensive, and reliance on public Wi-Fi brings separate security trade-offs.
At sea and in the air: the satellite surcharge
A phone on a ferry or plane remains covered while it uses a terrestrial network—at port, on a river or lake, or near the coast. In open water or at altitude, it may attach to an onboard satellite network, which has no EU price cap and is usually costly. A warning SMS should arrive on connection, with pricing. If use continues, including background app data, service is cut at €50 in additional charges or the limit the user has set, unless they have opted out. Airplane mode or disabled roaming is the safest approach aboard.
Fair use, unlimited data and complaints
The regime is for periodic travel, not permanent residence. Operators may review usage over four months. If a customer has spent more time abroad than at home and used roaming more than the domestic network, the operator can request clarification; the customer has 14 days to reply. If the pattern continues, surcharges may apply, capped excluding VAT at €0.019 per minute for calls, €0.003 per SMS and €1.30 per GB in 2025, falling to €1 per GB from 2027.
Unlimited or cheap data plans can also be capped in roaming, but the minimum allowance must be at least twice the plan price excluding VAT divided by the wholesale per-GB cap. A €13 plan excluding VAT and the 2025 €1.30 cap therefore give at least 20 GB; lower future caps raise that floor. Operators must warn before travel and when the limit is reached, and must notify customers at €50 and €100 of monthly usage.
If a charge looks wrong, complain to the operator first. In Spain, if there is no reply within a month or the answer is unsatisfactory, consumers can contact the Telecommunications User Assistance Office within three months.
The EU roaming model has largely eliminated bill shock inside the bloc, and its expansion to Ukraine and Moldova shows it can travel. The danger now lies at the edges: the UK, Switzerland and Andorra invite false assumptions, while satellite links on ships and planes are costly precisely because the handset connects itself. Two minutes in an operator app before leaving the protected zone is worth more than any regulation.