The government made a decision for a roaming "visa-free" with the EU

The government made a decision for a roaming "visa-free" with the EU

Ukraine has taken another step towards the implementation of a roaming "visa-free" regime with the European Union – subscribers of Ukrainian mobile operators will be able to communicate with European subscribers, paying only the domestic tariff. The corresponding decision was made at a government meeting.

This was announced by Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal on March 11. He emphasized that this will be another stage in the full integration of Ukraine into the European Union.

"Today we are making an important decision that is part of obtaining a roaming ’visa-free’ regime with the EU. This will strengthen the connection of Ukrainians abroad with the homeland, with family and friends. It will promote the unity and cohesion of the Ukrainian people," he stressed.

According to the Prime Minister, Ukraine quickly moved from submitting an application for EU membership to the opening of pre-accession negotiations. In the context of sectoral integration, the so-called "visa-free" regimes with the EU are key: trade, transport, energy, customs, and digital.

"We aim to consolidate these developments on a permanent basis, and we are also working on obtaining an industrial ’visa-free’ regime," the Prime Minister stated.

Ukraine has been working on fully aligning its legislation with EU legislation to integrate into the Union’s roaming space. As previously reported, the key law was signed by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on June 18, 2024.

Meanwhile, additional laws still need to be adopted, and once Ukraine announces full alignment, the European Commission will assess the compliance of Ukrainian national legislation.

Given a positive assessment, approved by the member states and the final decision of the Association Committee between Ukraine and the EU, Ukraine will become part of the EU’s roaming space, providing a more stable and long-term solution for roaming.

This will allow Ukrainians traveling through EU countries to use national mobile tariffs for up to 4 months. No additional fees will be charged for roaming services. Ukraine is the first and so far the only candidate country to join the EU’s Roam like at home policy.