Editor in chief at IamExpat Media
Good news: residents of Germany and other EU countries can continue to use their minutes, texts and data throughout the bloc at no extra cost for at least the next 10 years, after the European Commission declared its ongoing commitment to preventing roaming charges.
Since 2017, when the European Union formally abolished roaming fees, residents of the bloc have been able to freely use their mobile phones while travelling within Europe without facing additional charges. The legislation that allows for this was due to expire in July 2022, but now the EC has confirmed that it will remain in place until at least 2032.
“Travelling abroad without having to worry about phone bills is a tangible part of the EU Single Market experience for all Europeans,” said the European Commission for the Internal Market, Thierry Breton. “We are not only ensuring that this experience continues, but we are upgrading it: better quality, better services, [and] even more transparency.”
As well as extending the existing “Roam like at home” policy, the EU’s new Roaming Regulation also includes new clauses, including an instruction that customers that usually have 5G services at home should also be able to enjoy 5G roaming services abroad, wherever possible. EU residents should also always be able to contact emergency numbers free of charge.
Customers will also be better protected from hidden or unexpected costs when contacting customer service numbers, helpdesks or insurance companies while travelling, or for connecting to non-terrestrial networks, for example if they are on a plane or a boat.
From now, operators are obliged to adequately inform customers about extra charges when abroad, and a maximum bill cap of 50 euros (or another predetermined limit, set by the consumer) will apply, after which services must be interrupted.