Calling, texting and using the internet on holiday has become a lot cheaper since 2017 thanks to the abolition of roaming charges. What about roaming again, and what should you pay attention to? We will update you completely in this refresher course.
Refresher course: a simple roaming explanation
On holiday you naturally want to do different things than in the Netherlands, but some things are difficult to ignore. We’re talking about your iPhone, of course. Just call home, post a photo on Instagram or check the Dutch news: it’s all in no time.
In the past you had to pay a lot of money for this, but nowadays you pay basically the same as in the Netherlands. There are a few caveats, which we will discuss with you in this article.
What is roaming?
When you are roaming, you can be reached abroad and you can call, text and use the internet. As soon as you cross the Dutch border, your smartphone makes contact with the network of a local provider. This is of course not free, and until 2017 your provider deposited the bill for you. This is no longer allowed thanks to new rules of the European Union. That is why you can now call, use the internet and text messages from your bundle anywhere in Europe.
So you can use your phone in the same way in Germany, France or Spain as in the Netherlands. As is often the case, however, there are exceptions to the rule.
The catches in the grass
As mentioned, Dutch providers are not allowed to charge roaming charges for use in the European Union. This means that you still have to pay extra when you go on holiday to, for example, Norway and Switzerland. These countries are of course part of the continent of Europe, but do not participate in the European Union.
For the time being, the United Kingdom is still politically part of the EU territory, so roaming charges have also been abolished here. Some providers have lenient rates for mobile use in these countries. To do this, check the contract of your provider again.
“How are things there in Spain?”
Another important thing to take into account is the fact that providers can still charge you extra when you call from your own country to other European member states. When you call the Netherlands from your holiday location in Spain, there is nothing wrong.
However, if you call the Greek hotel from the Netherlands to check whether the reservation is in order, you will pay these costs outside of your subscription. Previously, these rates differed per provider, which could lead to high calling costs. However, since May 2019, the EU has set maximum tariffs for calling abroad. By default, you pay no more than 23 cents per minute for this.
‘Unlimited’ internet: not completely unlimited
Do you have an ‘unlimited’ subscription, such as the Unlimited package from T-Mobile? Then a so-called fair use policy applies. You may, for example maximum 10GB per month abroad. With this, the provider wants to prevent abuse, so that you do not use your smartphone as a hotspot for countless other devices, for example.
Are you going over your bundle? Then the provider is allowed maximum Charge EUR 7.70 per GB. Moreover, there is often a maximum number of days that you can use your bundle abroad.
Many providers have a period of 60 days. In this way is prevented that you take out a cheaper subscription abroad and then use it in the Netherlands, as the rules apply to all providers in the EU.
This is how you turn off roaming
Are you going on vacation to completely unwind because you have been on your phone for too long in everyday life? This is how you turn off roaming:
- Go to the ‘Mobile Network’ tab via Settings;
- Tap on ‘Mobile data options’;
- Move the bar at ‘Data roaming’.
Conclusion: cheaper than ever
All in all, the abolition of roaming costs is very beneficial for most Dutch people. Where you used to have to pay exorbitant amounts for mobile use abroad, you can now simply use your bundle.
However, there are some conditions. Therefore, check with your provider before departure: this way you will not be faced with expensive surprises afterwards. In the article below we will go through these conditions per provider with you. Happy Holidays!
Also read: Mobile internet within the EU: these rules apply to your data bundle
Also read: Mobile internet abroad: what are the options?