Roaming in the region and into the EU: what you actually pay

Roaming within the region was sorted out long ago, but the moment you cross an EU border the story is different. Here is where things stand right now.

Within the region: free, just like at home

Since July 2021 the "Roam Like at Home" model has been in force for the Western Balkans — Serbia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Albania and Kosovo. Calls, messages and data from your own plan are used across the whole region at no extra cost.

The moment you cross into the EU

For Croatia, Hungary, Slovenia, Austria and the other EU member states the regional agreement does not apply — extra roaming charges can still be applied there, depending on your operator and your plan. Worth checking your tariff before you set off, not after the first bill.

What fair use means in practice

Even within the "Roam Like at Home" model, operators are allowed to set a fair use limit — the amount of data you can use while roaming without being charged extra, usually tied to the price of your domestic plan. If you go past that limit, your operator can charge a surcharge for further roaming traffic, even though you are inside the region where roaming is free in principle. The limit differs from operator to operator and from plan to plan — check it in your operator's app or by phone before a longer trip, especially if you plan to use a lot of data (navigation, streaming) while driving.

What is being announced

In early 2026 the European Commission proposed opening negotiations on extending the "Roam Like at Home" regime to the whole of the Western Balkans, including travel from the region into the EU. For now this is a proposal, not an active rule — the realistic approach is to follow the announcements, not to plan a trip around them.

What to check before you travel

Before you set off, check whether your operator covers the country you are passing through at all — rarely, but it happens, that a smaller operator has no roaming agreement with every country in the region — and check the current price of roaming into the EU if the trip goes beyond the region. If you travel often or for long stretches, a local SIM or an eSIM for data can work out cheaper than roaming on your home number — the comparison is quick, and over time the price difference can be significant. For calls home you can still keep your own number on roaming, and combine it with local data if that suits you.

If the trip is heading for the EU, for example via Batrovci, take a look at the border situation too before you enter the zone where roaming can cost you.

Tariffs and agreements change — check the current offer with your mobile operator before you travel.