Government approved roaming tariffs regulation with EU states

Roaming charges for Moldovan citizens will continue to gradually decrease. The government has approved the draft law on regulating roaming tariffs with European Union states to make gradual reduction of tariffs possible until their complete elimination, in no more than five years. 

 

The draft law introduces the capping of roaming tariffs for users from the Republic of Moldova who travel to EU member states. Gradually, the tariffs would be completely eliminated, applying the principle of “Roam like at home,” which allows the use of mobile services without additional costs in EU states. 

 

The document provides for reducing tariffs on all types of electronic communication services—calls, SMS messages, and mobile data traffic. According to estimates, consumers will save between 30% and 70% of current roaming costs, depending on the type of services used. 

 

The draft law obliges providers to properly and in real-time inform consumers about roaming tariffs and any possible additional costs. Clear mechanisms for resolving disputes in cases of billing errors are also specified. 

 

Moreover, measures are foreseen to stimulate investments in electronic communications infrastructure, including in 4G and 5G networks. In this way, providers from the Republic of Moldova will be able to prepare their networks to cope with increased consumption as roaming tariffs are eliminated and provide services at European standards. 

 

We remind you that, on 1 January 2024, roaming tariffs between the Republic of Moldova and the EU member states have been reduced due to an agreement signed between our country and the EU. Mobile operators from the Republic of Moldova, the European Union, and the European Economic Area have voluntarily agreed to offer more advantageous offers to end-users, including free packages within monthly subscriptions.