EE joins O2 and brings back EU roaming charges for millions of customers
All recommendations within this article are informed by expert editorial opinion. If you click on a link in this story we may earn affiliate revenue.
EE has announced that it will bring back roaming charges for using a mobile phone in the EU.
Three has also said it will halve its free data allowances just a day after a similar revelation by O2, leaving millions of customers at risk of higher bills.
The UK's biggest mobile network EE will introduce a flat fee of £2 a day when visiting 47 destinations in Europe.
This will cover use of data, minutes and text allowances of the contract you're on.
The fee will apply to new customers who join the network from July 7, and existing customers who upgrade after this date.
The new charge will then apply to them when travelling to one of the countries from January 2022 onwards.
Where in Europe will EE charge the new fee?
- Austria
- Azores
- Belgium
- Bulgaria
- Croatia
- Cyprus*
- Czech Republic
- Canary Islands
- Denmark
- Estonia
- Finland
- France
- French Guiana
- Guyana
- Germany
- Gibraltar
- Greece
- Guadeloupe
- Guernsey
- Hungary
- Iceland
- Ireland
- Isle of Man
- Italy
- Jersey
- Latvia
- Liechtenstein
- Lithuania
- Luxembourg
- Madeira
- Malta
- Martinique
- Mayotte
- Monaco
- Netherlands
- Norway
- Poland
- Portugal (including Madeira)
- Reunion Islands
- Romania
- San Marino
- Saint Martin (French)
- Saint Barthelemy
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- Spain (including Canary Islands)
- Sweden
- Switzerland
- Vatican City (Italy).
The fees will not apply when travelling to the Republic of Ireland.
Calls made in Turkey, Northern Cyprus if connected to a Turkish network, and Andorra are chargeable because they are not part of EE's charging zone for Europe.
An EE spokesperson said: “Customers travelling abroad for longer will be able to use a 30-day Roam Abroad Pass.
"Essential plan customers will be able to take the Pass for £10, while Smart or Full Works plans customers are able to include the same pass as part of their plan.”
Separately, Three has revealed that from July 1 its fair use limit for data while in the EU will reduce from 20GB per month to 12GB.
A Three spokesperson told The Sun the change followed a review of its fair use policy and the change brings it in line with the allowance for the rest of the world.
The mobile firm said: "The new fair use limit is still more than enough for holidaymakers to use their phone like they would if they were in the UK.
"There is no change to our surcharge, so data usage over 12GB (up to the customer’s allowance), will remain subject to a small fee of 0.3p per MB.”
But Vodafone confirmed today that it has no plans to bring back roaming charges.
O2 told its customers yesterday that they will be billed £3.50 for every gigabyte of data used above a 25Gb limit this summer.
In its email to customers, O2 said that the "changes to our roaming fair usage policy" would begin from August 2.
How to save on your mobile phone bill
NOT happy with your current mobile phone deal?
If you’re outside the minimum term of your contract then you won't need to pay a cancellation fee - and you might be able to find a cheaper deal elsewhere.
But don't just switch contracts because the price is cheaper than what you're currently paying.
Take a look at how many minutes and texts, as well as how much data you're using, to find out which deal is best for you.
For example, if you're a heavy internet user it's worth finding a deal that accomodates this so you don't end up spending extra on bundles or add-ons each month.
Also note that if you're still in your contract period, you might be charged an exit fee.
Ready to look elsewhere? Pay-as-you-go deals are better for people who don’t regularly use their phone, while monthly contracts usually work out cheaper for those who do.
It's worth using comparison websites, such as and , to compare tarrifs and phone prices.
also matches buyers to the best pay-monthly deal based on their previous three months of bills.
It only works if you’re a customer of EE, O2, Three, Vodafone or Tesco Mobile and you’ll need to log in with your online account details.
There's also which has a bill monitoring feature that recommends a tariff based on your monthly usage.
If you’re happy with your provider then it might be worth using your research to haggle a better deal.
An O2 spokesperson told The Sun that less than 1% of its customers who are billed annually "reach anywhere near" 25Gb of data use when holidaying in Europe.
Mobile providers promised at the start of the year that they would not bring back roaming charges for Brits travelling abroad.
Roaming charges were scrapped under EU rules introduced in 2014, meaning Brits could travel throughout Europe and not pay extra for calls, texts and data.
All main providers pledged that they would not reintroduce the charges at the start of this year after Britain left the EU.
Terms of the Brexit trade deal did not include any provision to continue the ban on roaming charges, only encouraging operators to have "transparent and reasonable rates".
We've also asked Vodafone, Sky Mobile, BT, Virgin Mobile and Tesco Mobile if they are bringing back roaming charges and will update this story when we hear back.
Ernest Doku, mobile expert at USwitch said the move was "hugely disappointing" and a "backwards step" for consumers.
He said: “Unfortunately, when one provider makes such a bold decision it can mean that others follow, so we’ll be watching to see what others do next.
“If you’re an existing EE customer, these charges won’t affect you yet, but make sure you check the small print if you’re due an upgrade in the coming months.
READ MORE SUN STORIES
Mr Doku added that travellers should now start checking the charges before they travel.
He said: “When it comes to travelling, don’t leave it till the last minute to check the roaming charges for your destination, and always use hotel and cafe Wi-Fi when on holiday where possible.”