Ukraine will officially become a part of the EU’s “roam like at home” (RLAH) single roaming zone starting Jan. 1, 2026, according to the Ministry of Digital Transformation.
While Ukrainians, using a Ukrainian SIM card, can already access roaming services inside the EU with no additional costs under a preferential deal following Moscow’s 2022 invasion, the decision marked Ukraine’s official entry into the zone, making it the first country outside of the EU and the European Economic Area to do so.
The ministry, in its Monday press release, said Kyiv has adopted the decision with the Council of the European Union.
“This effectively consolidates Ukraine’s full accession to the roam like at home policy – the EU’s common roaming area,” the press release says.
The deal will also allow EU network subscribers – as well as those from Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway – to enjoy mobile services in Ukraine without additional charges.
“From Jan. 1, 2026, Ukrainians will be able to use mobile communications in 27 countries of the European Union at no additional cost. Calls, SMS, mobile internet – according to the terms of the Ukrainian operator. And vice versa: subscribers from the EU, traveling to Ukraine, will keep their tariffs,” it adds.
The initiative includes a fair-use policy where there are no restrictions on calls and texts across the bloc, but the amount of mobile data under domestic charges is limited to avoid abuses.
The current preferential deal will remain valid until Jan. 1, 2026, when Ukraine officially becomes part of the zone.
The ministry said the next step is to work out the technical details with network operators to “ensure full compatibility and comfort for users.”
As reported by Kyiv Post in May 2024, the bill was adopted by Ukraine’s parliament and received the president’s signature a month later.
At the time, Minister of Digital Transformation Mykhailo Federov said pricing in Ukraine might increase to match European standards.
“Tariff regulation will change. Limit tariffs for roaming services will be established, as in the EU. This is necessary so that roaming services are billed as domestic tariffs,” says a press release by the Ministry of Digital Transformation at the time.
As of June 2025, Ukrainians have access to unlimited 4G data for as little as Hr.470 ($11.2) per month, whereas it costs 50 Polish złoty ($13.7) in neighboring Poland for 80Gb of 5G data.