The European Commission proposes to include Ukraine in the EU roaming zone from 1 January 2026, which will allow Ukrainians to use mobile communications in the European Union without additional costs. Accordingly, EU citizens will have the same conditions when visiting Ukraine.
This is stated in the official announcement of the EC.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said: ‘We want Ukrainian citizens to stay in touch with their loved ones across the EU, as well as at home. That is why we are proposing that Ukraine join our roaming family.’
It is noted that roaming is the first area where the EU will extend the internal market regime to Ukraine.
According to the proposal, travellers from Ukraine visiting the EU and travellers from the EU visiting Ukraine will not pay any additional roaming charges. All mobile services, including calls, SMS messages and mobile data, will be charged at domestic rates. The agreement also guarantees that consumers will be entitled to the same quality and speed of mobile communications as at home, and that access to emergency services will be free of charge.
The current agreement between EU and Ukrainian telecoms operators will also be extended until 31 December 2025. This will ensure that Europeans and Ukrainians can continue to enjoy the benefits of a shared roaming area until Ukraine actually joins the EU roaming area.
The initiative must now be reviewed and approved by the EU Council.
The ‘Roam Like at Home’ programme has been in effect in the EU since 2017. It allows EU citizens to use mobile communications without additional charges when travelling between countries in the bloc.