Now that the holiday season has arrived again and everyone is going on holiday en masse, there is one question that is frequently asked; what about calling and using the internet abroad? Can I continue to use my affordable T-Mobile, Vodafone, KPN or Simyo subscription?
Since June 2017, roaming charges for your mobile subscription have been completely abolished throughout the EU. This means that you can call, text and use the internet in the European Union same rate like at home. In addition, your current bundle is also valid in the EU. So if you have a bundle with 5GB internet, 100 calling minutes and unlimited text messages, you can also use this in the EU.
Enable roaming on an iPhone
- Open ‘Settings’
- Go to ‘Mobile internet’
- If necessary, select the desired SIM
- Turn on ‘Data roaming’
Roaming in the EU: overview of countries
Roaming has only been abolished for countries that belong to the EU. So keep in mind that not all countries on the European continent are members of the European Union. Roaming has been abolished in the following countries: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus (except the Turkish part), Denmark, Germany, Estonia, Finland, France, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal (incl. Azores and Madeira), Romania, Croatia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain (incl. Menorca, Majorca, Cabrera, Ibiza, Formentera and the Canary Islands), Czech Republic, United Kingdom and Sweden.
Exceptions
In the above countries you can 100% certainly use your home bundle and rate, but most providers have expanded these countries further. In most cases, Switzerland, Norway and Iceland are also added to the list. Although these are not EU countries, they are tolerated. Please note, check this before you leave your provider! Also do this if you want to visit independent dwarf states such as Lichtenstein, Vatican City, Monaco or San Marino, depending on your provider you can also roam here for free in most cases.
Conditions for calling and using the internet in the EU
- Fair Use Policy: Most providers impose a limit on data usage. For example, do you have a unlimited bundle in your home country, then you may be restricted abroad. Consult your provider for more information.
- Days are limited: In order to use roaming fairly, the EU has imposed a limit on the number of days abroad that you can use it for free. The default is 60 days, but your provider may have extended this period. The reason for this restriction is simple: it means you cannot take out an extra cheap subscription abroad and use it in your home country.
You can read more information about data roaming in the EU here this information page of the European Union.
Roaming outside the EU
If you go on holiday outside the EU, special costs are often charged. Check your provider’s website to find out what the costs are for calling, texting and using the internet outside the EU. You can often take out an extra bundle with your provider to make more economical use of the network in this country as well. If you are in these countries for a long time, it may be smarter to purchase a local SIM card with a certain data bundle. If you have an iPhone with dual SIM, you can also use this option.
Roaming on board a ship or aircraft
If you travel by ship or plane within the EU, you can roam at home rates as long as you are connected to a mobile phone mast on land. Does mobile traffic go through a satellite system, then you can no longer roam at home rates and you will have to pay for unregulated roaming services (no maximum prices). The cruise ship often offers a WiFi connection, whether paid or not.
Call home from another EU country
If you call abroad from home, certain (often higher) costs will be charged. Consult your subscription for more information. If you call another EU country or at home while roaming, you pay the rate that applies in your home country for those calls.
eSIM on holiday
Are you going abroad soon? Then you will undoubtedly want to stay connected to the internet during your trip. Within the EU you can continue to use your data bundle without extra costs, but outside of that it is a different case. Fortunately, eSIM is the solution, even if you more GBs at your holiday address want to.
In most cases you cannot use your data bundle outside the EU and you will have to pay the costs. Some providers do offer special bundles that you can use outside the EU, but these are often expensive for what you get. Do you own an iPhone with dual SIM? Then you can use an affordable eSIM data bundle. You can read exactly how that works here.