Moldova and Ukraine Join the EU “Roam Like at Home” Area

As of 1 January 2026, the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine have officially joined the EU “Roam Like at Home” area. From this date, citizens of Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova travelling within the European Union, as well as EU citizens visiting Moldova or Ukraine, can make calls, send text messages and use mobile internet without additional roaming charges, within the limits of their domestic tariff plans.

This development became possible following the adoption of respective decisions by the Council of the European Union on the integration of Moldova (25 July 2025) and Ukraine (15 July 2025) into the “Roam Like at Home” framework.

Within the EU, the “Roam Like at Home” regime has been in force since 2017 and enables EU citizens travelling across Member States to use mobile communication services under the same pricing and network conditions as in their home country.

IDR comment.

The extension of the “Roam Like at Home” regime to Ukraine and Moldova represents a structural step towards their integration into the EU Digital Single Market. Beyond direct consumer benefits, the decision reflects regulatory convergence in the field of electronic communications, reduces transaction costs for labour mobility, business interaction and cross-border governance, and strengthens societal connectivity in a context marked by war, displacement and intensified regional cooperation. Sectoral digital integration thus increasingly precedes formal EU membership, shaping a new level of practical European integration.