Roaming without surcharges in the Western Balkans? What EU talks mean for Moldova’s travelers

On 6 November 2026, the European Commission opened negotiations to extend the “Roam Like at Home” regime to 6 Western Balkan destinations, including Serbia, Montenegro and Albania. The Commission has not announced an implementation date. For travelers from the Republic of Moldova, charges depend on the mobile operator and destination, regardless of citizenship.

What the European Union is negotiating

On 6 November 2026, the European Commission announced the launch of bilateral negotiations with Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia. According to the Commission, the aim is for people traveling between the EU and these destinations to be able to make calls, send SMS messages and use mobile internet without roaming surcharges.

The EU Council authorized the negotiations on 4 June 2026. According to the Council, each partner must first adopt and fully apply EU roaming rules, while the Commission assesses each country separately. Once the agreements are finalized and the partners are aligned, the Commission will invite the Council to extend the zone. Until the new rules take effect, the rates and packages offered by each operator for the relevant destination apply.

What applies to a Moldovan or Romanian number

If you have a number from a mobile operator in the Republic of Moldova, you can already use calls, SMS messages and mobile data at domestic rates when traveling in EU countries, subject to fair use limits. The regime has applied since 1 January 2026, according to ARCOM and the European Commission. Moldova is part of this zone under its agreement with the EU, not as a member state.

The 6 November announcement does not mention the Republic of Moldova. Neither the Commission nor the Council has specified whether future agreements with the Western Balkans will also cover Moldovan numbers. Until there is official clarification, the question remains open, and in Serbia, Montenegro or Albania, you pay according to your Moldovan operator’s roaming offer.

If you have a number from a mobile operator in Romania, you could benefit from domestic rates in these destinations once the applicable agreements take effect. What matters is the operator’s country, not your citizenship: the EU’s official Your Europe guide defines roaming as using your phone on occasional trips outside the country where you have your mobile subscription. For example, if you also have Romanian citizenship but use a SIM card from a Moldovan operator in Serbia, your usage is billed according to the Moldovan operator’s offer for Serbia.

What rates currently apply in the Western Balkans

Since 1 July 2021, the 6 destinations have had a roaming regime at domestic rates for customers of local operators traveling within the region, according to the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC). Since 1 October 2023, EU and Western Balkan operators that signed a voluntary declaration have also reduced rates for certain mobile data offers between the 2 regions: in special packages, 1 GB cannot cost more than 18 euros, according to the RCC and the European Commission. The commitment applies only to the operators that signed it.

If you are driving through Serbia to Montenegro or Albania, check in your operator’s app what your package includes in each country along the route, including those you are only passing through. Rates and included mobile data may vary from one destination to another.

You can find the current EU roaming rules in our guide Money transfers through SEPA and “Roam Like at Home” and in the fact sheet “Roam Like at Home” in the EU on the EU Reforms page.