Cheaper Balkan Roaming May Be Closer: What Could This Mean for Hungarian Travelers?

On June 4, 2026, the Council of the European Union authorized the European Commission to begin negotiations with Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Serbia on the extension of the "Roam Like at Home" system. This does not yet mean that Hungarian travelers can already use mobile internet at domestic rates in the Western Balkans, but it is an important step toward making phone use in the region more predictable and cheaper.

At first glance, the news seems to be a telecommunications decision, but in reality, it is very much a travel issue. For Hungarian tourists, the Western Balkans is not a distant, exotic market, but a frequent destination by car, bus, and plane: many travel through Serbia to Greece, the coast of Montenegro is becoming increasingly popular, Albania is a rapidly growing summer destination, and Bosnia and Herzegovina is attractive for city sightseeing and nature-oriented trips. On these journeys, mobile data is not a luxury extra, but the basis for navigation, accommodation booking, bank authentication, taxi ordering, translation, schedule checking, and staying in touch with family.

Within the EU, the "Roam Like at Home" principle has meant since 2017 that travelers can basically make calls, send SMS, and use mobile data in other EU countries according to their domestic tariffs, subject to fair use rules. However, the Western Balkans falls outside this system. Because of this, for a Hungarian subscriber, the mobile costs of a weekend in Belgrade, a road trip in Montenegro, or a beach holiday in Albania may still operate on a completely different logic than a trip to Croatia, Italy, or Austria.

What happened now?

The Council's recent decision authorizes the European Commission to negotiate separate agreements with the six Western Balkan partners: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Serbia. The goal is for these countries to eventually join the EU's "Roam Like at Home" area, meaning travelers between the EU and the region could use their phones without roaming surcharges.

The significance of the decision is that after the February commission proposal, the way is now open for actual negotiations. The process may progress on a country-by-country basis and is not automatic: each partner must align its own rules with EU roaming law, and then the agreements must be concluded and implemented. Therefore, the most important message for Hungarian travelers right now is not that fees will disappear immediately, but that the region has moved closer to a system that could make Western Balkan travel much more transparent in the long run.

The timing is not accidental. The decision was made just before the EU-Western Balkans summit on June 5, 2026, which is being held in Tivat, Montenegro. The roaming issue fits well into the broader connectivity and enlargement agenda: the EU is trying to bring the region closer to EU daily life by strengthening digital, transport, and economic ties.

Why is this important for Hungarian travelers?

From Hungary, the Western Balkans is a practically close market. Serbia is not only a destination for many but also a transit country. Those traveling by car to Greece, North Macedonia, or Montenegro often spend long hours on Serbian highways, at border crossings, and at rest stops. In such cases, mobile internet is not simply for social media or browsing maps: traffic conditions, border wait times, notifying accommodation, highway toll information, and route modifications may depend on it.

For air travel, the same applies in a different form. Those departing from Budapest and organizing their trip through, for example, Belgrade, Podgorica, Tivat, Tirana, Skopje, or Sarajevo may need a data connection immediately upon arrival. Confirming airport transfers, reaching accommodation, digital boarding passes, and banking apps work much more conveniently if every megabyte does not have to be counted separately.

The cost side is especially important for families and travelers crossing multiple countries. For a stay of a few days in Serbia or Montenegro, a pre-purchased data package may be manageable, but for a ten-day road trip involving Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, and Albania, current roaming fees and add-on packages can quickly become opaque. If the region joins the EU roaming area, pre-trip planning could become simpler: fewer separate SIM cards, fewer unexpected bills, and less uncertainty after crossing borders.

What does the decision NOT mean?

It is important to phrase this carefully: the Council's decision is not the same as the immediate abolition of roaming fees. The current step is a mandate for negotiations. The Commission can now begin consultations individually with the six partners, and actual connection to the "Roam Like at Home" area can only occur after the agreements are finalized and local rules are aligned with EU law.

This means that travelers in the 2026 summer season must still check the current terms of their own mobile provider. Some providers may offer favorable Balkan data packages, while for others, the Western Balkans may belong to a separate fee zone, and per-minute rates, SMS fees, or data costs may differ by country. It also matters whether it is a subscription, a prepaid card, a business phone, or a family plan.

Travelers should therefore prepare for now as if roaming costs are still a separate item. It may be useful to download offline maps in advance, save the contact details of accommodation and insurance, check the SMS or internet-based authentication of banking apps, and see whether a local SIM or eSIM is a better solution in a given country. Those renting a car, for example, at Belgrade Airport, in Podgorica, in Tivat, or in Tirana, should be particularly careful, as local transport can be more difficult without navigation.

Fees have already decreased, but this would be a bigger step

The current decision is not without precedent. With the support of the European Commission and the Regional Cooperation Council, a voluntary agreement came into effect on October 1, 2023, in which 38 EU and Western Balkan telecommunications providers committed to the gradual reduction of data roaming fees. According to the previous schedule, the goal was further reduction in 2026 and reaching a price level close to domestic rates by 2028.

This gradual reduction may already be noticeable to many travelers, but it is not the same as full connection to the EU roaming area. The essence of the "Roam Like at Home" system is precisely its simplicity: the traveler does not try to interpret separate Balkan data prices, but basically uses their own domestic tariff abroad as well, within the frameworks defined in the rules. Full extension is therefore not just a matter of price, but also a matter of trust and predictability.

In tourism, this is especially important. A destination becomes easier to choose if the traveler does not feel that every small practical detail must be handled as a separate risk. Predictable mobile use supports independent city sightseeing, the use of public transport, online access to local providers, digital payment, and a sense of security. This could benefit short city visits, road trips, and lesser-known Balkan destinations.

Where could the effect be particularly visible?

In the case of Serbia, the effect could be strong because many travelers from Hungary arrive by land or use Belgrade as a regional air hub. Belgrade airport transfers, city transport, parking, and digital payment are much simpler if the traveler can count on a stable data connection upon landing or after crossing the border.

In Montenegro, the change would be visible due to summer coastal tourism. Tivat and Podgorica airports are gateways for many travelers toward the Bay of Kotor, Budva, Ulcinj, or the mountainous national parks. Those continuing from Podgorica by transfer or rental car require a continuous data connection for maps, bookings, and local communication.

In the case of Albania, predictable roaming could be especially important due to the tourism boom of recent years. Tirana airport is the starting point for more and more coastal trips, but visitors travel on many routes in the country by car or private transfer. If mobile use becomes simpler between the EU and Albania, it could reduce the uncertainty before the first trip.

In the case of Bosnia and Herzegovina and North Macedonia, the effect may appear more in road trips, city visits, and transit. Sarajevo, Mostar, Skopje, or Lake Ohrid often appear not as independent mass tourism destinations, but as part of trips involving multiple countries. In such cases, cross-border mobile use without separate packages can make route planning much more convenient.

What should those departing this summer do?

The most important practical advice: the current EU decision should not yet be viewed as an immediately usable discount. Before departing, everyone should check their own mobile provider's country list, especially if Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Albania, North Macedonia, or Kosovo are on the route. It is worth checking the cost of mobile data, incoming and outgoing calls, and SMS separately, as these are not always priced with the same logic.

For road trips, a good solution may be saving the most important routes offline, pre-saving accommodation addresses, and downloading insurance documents. For air arrivals, it is advisable to arrange transfers in advance or at least save the provider's contact details. If a road trip involving multiple countries is planned, it is worth comparing the provider's roaming package, a regional eSIM, and a local SIM card.

Provider offers can change quickly, and the "Western Balkans" is not always a uniform fee zone. A package may be favorable for Serbia but less so for Montenegro or Albania; another offer may only include data, not calls. Those traveling as digital nomads, with remote work, or with many video calls, should be particularly careful to check not only the prices but also the data limit and speed restrictions.

What follows?

The next phase will be the start of negotiations with the individual Western Balkan partners. The success of the process depends on how quickly and comprehensively the affected countries align their own regulations with the EU roaming system. This is a technical, legal, and market coordination at the same time, so it is not worth expecting an immediate date.

At the same time, the political direction is clear: the EU treats the Western Balkans not only as an enlargement topic, but as a daily connectivity space. The extension of roaming would be a step that travelers would feel directly on their phones, their bills, and the simplicity of organizing their trip. From a Hungarian perspective, this is particularly useful because the region is geographically close, many routes are natural continuations from Hungary, and tourist interest is visibly growing.

The short-term conclusion is therefore cautious: before the 2026 summer travel, current roaming conditions must still be accounted for. The long-term message, however, is positive: if negotiations are successful, digital travel toward Serbia, Montenegro, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia, and Kosovo could become much simpler. This is not just about phone costs, but also about making the Western Balkans a region that is one step easier to plan, less uncertain, and more convenient for Hungarian travelers.