Millions of mobile phone users across the Western Balkans could soon travel to the European Union without paying additional roaming charges. Brussels has officially opened negotiations, but the benefits will not take effect immediately.
BRUSSELS, Nov. 8 (BalkanView) – The European Commission has launched negotiations to extend the European Union’s “Roam Like at Home” scheme to all six Western Balkan economies, bringing the region a step closer to eliminating additional mobile roaming charges when travelling to EU countries.
The initiative covers Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia, the Commission announced on November 6.
If implemented, the arrangement would allow travellers between the EU and the Western Balkans to make calls, send text messages and use mobile internet at domestic rates, subject to applicable fair-use rules.
The move follows a commitment made by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen during her visit to the Western Balkans in October.
What happens next?
The Commission said bilateral negotiations had begun with the six Western Balkan partners.
However, the removal of roaming surcharges is not yet guaranteed, and no implementation date has been announced.
Before the scheme can take effect, each partner must conclude an agreement with the EU and fully align its regulatory framework with European roaming legislation.
Once those conditions are met, the Commission will invite the Council of the EU to extend the bloc’s roaming area.
The Council authorised negotiations in June 2026, paving the way for the latest step.
The agreements will be linked to existing Stabilisation and Association Agreements, which support closer political and economic integration between the EU and the Western Balkans.
What will change for mobile phone users?
Under the proposed arrangement, consumers travelling between participating Western Balkan economies and EU member states would be able to use mobile services without additional roaming surcharges.
The EU’s existing scheme allows users to make calls, send messages and access mobile data while travelling abroad at the same rates they pay at home.
However, the system does not provide unlimited mobile data in every circumstance.
Operators can apply fair-use limits, particularly to unlimited or low-cost data packages. Additional charges may also apply to certain premium-rate services and satellite connections on aircraft or ships.
The rules are designed primarily for temporary travel rather than permanent use of a foreign mobile network.
Ukraine and Moldova already enjoy the benefits
The Western Balkans initiative follows the EU’s extension of its roaming scheme to Ukraine and Moldova on January 1, 2026.
Citizens travelling between those countries and EU member states can now use mobile calls, text messages and data at domestic rates, without additional roaming charges under the scheme.
The EU’s “Roam Like at Home” system was introduced in June 2017 and currently covers the 27 EU member states, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Ukraine and Moldova.
The United Kingdom is not covered by the EU scheme, although some mobile operators have voluntarily maintained similar arrangements.
A practical step towards European integration
For Western Balkan citizens, the extension would represent a tangible benefit of closer integration with the European Union, even before their countries become EU members.
It could reduce communication costs for tourists, business travellers, students and families who regularly cross borders.
For the six Western Balkan economies, however, the immediate challenge is completing negotiations and bringing domestic telecommunications regulations into line with EU requirements.
The Commission has opened the door to roaming without additional charges, but the date when Western Balkan consumers will actually benefit remains undecided.