- Consumer Information Center

Roam Like At Home (RLAH) in Ukraine and Moldova

Roam Like At Home (RLAH) in Ukraine and Moldova

As of January 1, 2026, Ukraine and Moldova have joined the Roam Like At Home (RLAH) zone.

This means that phone calls and SMS messages will be billed the same way as in Poland. Consequently, those traveling east will not need to purchase local SIM cards or incur the costs of higher connection rates.

RLAH is a principle—originally applied within the European Union and the European Economic Area, and now also in Ukraine and Moldova—stating that roaming charges for calls and SMS should be the same as domestic rates. For internet access, the provider grants a specific data roaming limit. Exceptions occur only if the service provider has permission from the President of UKE to apply additional surcharges or if the provider's Fair Usage Policy (FUP) is violated.

How it works

Your service provider should inform you of roaming prices when you cross a border, regardless of whether the destination country is part of the EU/EEA or not. You should receive an SMS with pricing information every time you enter a new country.

Data usage costs

Service providers are required to protect subscribers from high data transmission costs within the EU and EEA. Outside the EU/EEA, this obligation also exists, provided that the foreign network operator allows for the monitoring of data consumption.

Providers apply spending limits for roaming data. Standardly, there are two limits:

• 50 EUR
• 100 EUR

For each of these limits, once the data roaming bill reaches 80% of the limit amount, the provider must notify you. After exceeding the limit, the provider will send an SMS informing you of:

1. The procedure required to continue using internet services.
2. The fee for each additional unit of data used after exceeding the limit.

If you do not wish to continue using the internet or do not reply to the SMS, the provider is obliged to block data transmission until you request to continue or resume the service. These 50 and 100 EUR limits apply per month or per billing period—a new period means a refreshed limit.

As of January 1, 2026, the wholesale rate (the rate operators pay each other for network use abroad) will drop from 1.3 EUR/GB to 1.1 EUR/GB. For consumers, this practically means that roaming data will be cheaper, and providers may increase available data packages.

Before you travel abroad, check the rates and package sizes with your service provider.

Caution in border areas

In border areas, if your phone is set to automatic network selection, it may log into a foreign provider’s network that has a stronger signal in that specific area. This applies, among others, to the borders with Russia and Belarus. Remember that when you are near the border, you might automatically connect to a foreign network, and your provider will charge you according to the applicable roaming price list.

If you connect to an operator's network outside the RLAH zone, the charges will be significantly higher. When traveling to border regions, set your phone to manual network selection. This ensures your connections remain within your service provider's network.