In short: Since June 15, 2017, the EU has applied "Roam Like at Home": using your mobile phone in another EU country costs the same as in Spain. According to the CNMC, the price of GB in roaming fell by 98.1% in four years, but outside the EU/EEA —including the US, Mexico, the UK, Turkey, or Morocco— roaming is still expensive.
What "Roam Like at Home" is and why it changed the rules of the game
If you're over thirty, you probably remember a time when activating your mobile phone after crossing a European border was dizzying. You'd arrive in Rome, Paris, or Amsterdam, and the first thing you'd do was turn off mobile data for fear of the bill. That officially changed on June 15, 2017, when the "Roam Like at Home" (RLAH) regime came into force in the European Union: since then, using your mobile phone—to call, send SMS, or browse—in any other EU country costs the same as your national tariff, without additional charges from the operator.
It was not a cosmetic change. It was a direct regulatory intervention in a market where, until then, operators could charge practically whatever they wanted for crossing a border within the continent itself. RLAH forced companies to completely rethink their pricing model for intra-community roaming, and subsequent data confirms that the impact was real and measurable, not just a political promise.
What the CNMC numbers say: an unprecedented price drop
The National Commission for Markets and Competition (CNMC), the Spanish telecommunications regulator, has documented the effect of this regulation with very specific figures. According to its data, the cost of roaming data fell by 98.1% in four years: the gigabyte offered by Spanish operators to their customers was around €200 in 2014, a price that today seems almost from another era. Calls followed the same path, albeit with a slightly smaller drop: 95.4%, going from 85 cents per minute to just 3.9 cents in 2018.
In other words: what cost one gigabyte of data browsing in Europe in 2014 would today allow you to consume data for entire years at national tariff prices. It is one of the clearest examples of how well-designed regulation can dismantle a surcharge that had been installed in the market for decades in just a few years.
| Indicator | Before RLAH | Change | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price per GB in roaming (Spanish operators) | ~€200 (2014) | -98.1% in 4 years | CNMC |
| Price per minute of call in EU roaming | 85 cents/min | 3.9 cents/min in 2018 (-95.4%) | CNMC |
| Average annual roaming expenditure (Spanish customer) | — | ~€193/year (compared to €170 in national data) | CNMC |
| Retail roaming prices in the EEA | End of 2024 | Continued to fall in 2025 across all services | BEREC |
One surprising fact: although roaming within the EU no longer has an extra cost, the CNMC estimates that an average Spanish customer spends about €193 per year on roaming, compared to €170 spent on data within Spain. The explanation is not that intra-community roaming is expensive—it isn't, it's included in the national tariff—but that this average spending also includes consumption outside the European Economic Area, where national tariffs do not apply and the operator can indeed charge surcharges.
BEREC confirms that the downward trend continues
BEREC, the European body that supervises national telecommunications regulators, has continued to monitor price developments since the introduction of RLAH. According to its data, between the end of 2024 and 2025, retail roaming prices continued to fall across all services within the European Economic Area (the 27 EU countries plus Norway, Iceland, and Liechtenstein). This is not a snapshot from 2017: it is a trend that has continued almost a decade later, indicating that the regulation not only worked initially but continues to push the market in the right direction.
This has a simple practical implication for any Spaniard traveling within the EU: today, activating mobile data in Lisbon, Rome, or Berlin should not incur any additional cost over your usual bill. If your operator charges you anything different from your national tariff within the EEA, it's worth reviewing your contract terms, because it's not what the current regulations stipulate.
The limit that almost no one understands: where RLAH doesn't reach
Here's the nuance that causes the most confusion among Spanish travelers, and probably why you're still reading this guide: RLAH covers the European Union and the European Economic Area, but it does not cover destinations such as Switzerland, the United Kingdom, Turkey, or any country outside Europe. It is a very common mistake to think that, because "there is no more roaming in Europe," mobile service works just as cheaply in any international destination. This is not the case.
Switzerland is not a member of the EU or the EEA, so it falls outside the regime even though it is in the geographical heart of Europe. The United Kingdom, after Brexit, ceased to be covered by RLAH, and each operator applies its own conditions. Turkey has never been included. And obviously, any destination outside the continent—the United States, Mexico, Latin American countries, Southeast Asia, the Middle East—operates under the commercial rules of each operator, which usually translate into per-megabyte rates or data packs with prices much higher than what you pay at home.
If you are traveling to a country where RLAH does not apply, it is advisable to find out before leaving home how roaming works there and what conditions your originating operator applies to you in that specific destination, whether it is one of the large local operators or your usual Spanish one, because rates vary greatly from country to country.
What this means for you if you are traveling
With this data on the table, the practical conclusion is quite clear and can be summarized in two simple rules:
- If you travel within the EU/EEA: you don't need to do anything special. RLAH already protects you by law, and your Spanish operator cannot charge you extra for using data, making calls, or sending SMS within that zone. You don't even need to contract anything additional.
- If you travel outside the EU/EEA: here you enter territory where the operator can apply its own, usually expensive, roaming rates. It is in these destinations—the UK, Switzerland, Turkey, America, Asia, the Middle East, North Africa—where it makes sense to look for an alternative before you leave, because "roaming like at home" simply does not exist outside these borders.
For those trips outside the EEA, a travel eSIM is a way to have data upon arrival at your destination without relying on your operator's roaming or having to find where to buy a local physical SIM. If you're not sure what it is or how it works, we explain it from scratch in what an eSIM is. If you want to understand the practical difference between continuing to use your operator's roaming or switching to a local eSIM for your next trip, we have a detailed comparison in eSIM vs. roaming.
And if you've never installed one, the process is simpler than it seems: you can see the step-by-step in how to install an eSIM, and in general, it's good to first understand what data roaming is to know exactly what you are replacing. At PuraSIM, we work with over 200 destinations and provide 24/7 support via email and WhatsApp in case you have any questions before or during your trip. If your next destination is within Europe—where, remember, RLAH already covers you by default—you should still check your operator's conditions with our Europe eSIM as an alternative if you prefer to separate data consumption from your usual line. For destinations outside the EEA, such as the United States, we have specific plans like the USA eSIM, and if you need data as soon as you land in Spain for a family member or visit, we also have Spain eSIM.
Why this regulation matters beyond the anecdote
Beyond the direct savings, the RLAH case is interesting because it demonstrates something that doesn't always happen in market regulation: a well-designed regulatory change, with clear deadlines and concrete obligations for operators, can transform a market in a few years. The 98.1% drop in data prices and the 95.4% drop in call prices are not due to technology suddenly becoming cheaper during that period—mobile networks did not change so radically between 2014 and 2018—but because it ceased to be legal to charge artificial surcharges within the EU.
That BEREC continues to record price drops in 2024-2025, almost ten years after RLAH came into force, also says something: competition among operators within the regulated framework continues to work, and there has been no hidden "rollback" via commissions or fine print, something that has happened in other regulated markets over time.
The contrast with destinations outside the EEA is precisely what makes the value of this regulation most visible: it is not technology that makes roaming expensive in the United States, Mexico, or Morocco; it is the absence of an equivalent norm. And until that changes, the only way to avoid this surcharge is to look for an alternative to your operator's traditional roaming for those specific trips.
Frequently asked questions about roaming for Spaniards in Europe
Since when has free roaming existed in the European Union?
Since June 15, 2017, when "Roam Like at Home" (RLAH) came into force. Since then, using a mobile phone in another EU country costs the same as the national tariff contracted in Spain.
How much has the price of roaming in the EU dropped since then?
According to the CNMC, the price of data roaming fell by 98.1% in four years (from about €200 per gigabyte in 2014 to marginal prices today) and calls by 95.4% (from 85 cents per minute to 3.9 cents in 2018).
How much does an average Spaniard spend on roaming annually?
The CNMC estimates an average annual roaming expenditure of about €193 per customer, compared to €170 for data consumed within Spain. This figure aggregates both consumption within the EU/EEA and outside it.
Does RLAH cover all European countries?
No. It covers the 27 countries of the European Union plus Norway, Iceland, and Liechtenstein (the European Economic Area). Geographically European countries such as Switzerland, the United Kingdom, or Turkey are excluded, where roaming is governed by the commercial conditions of each operator.
Are roaming prices in Europe still falling in 2025?
Yes. According to BEREC, between the end of 2024 and 2025, retail roaming prices continued to fall across all services within the European Economic Area, confirming that the trend initiated with RLAH continues almost a decade later.
If I travel to the UK, Switzerland, or Turkey, will I get the same roaming as in the EU?
No. As they are not part of the EU or the EEA, these destinations are outside RLAH, and each Spanish operator applies its own roaming rates, which are usually more expensive than consumption within your national plan.
What alternative do I have to avoid expensive roaming outside the EU?
For destinations outside the European Economic Area, a travel eSIM allows you to have local or regional data without relying on your Spanish operator's roaming rates. You can review how it works in detail in our comparative guide of eSIM versus traditional roaming.
Conclusion
"Roam Like at Home" truly changed the rules of the game within the European Union: CNMC data confirms this with price drops of more than 95% in just four years, and BEREC confirms that the trend is still alive in 2024-2025. But this protection has a clear boundary: outside the EU and the EEA—whether it's the UK, Switzerland, Turkey, or any destination outside Europe—roaming still operates under the commercial rules of each operator, and that's where it pays to plan before you travel. If your next destination is outside this protected zone, check out our travel eSIM plans at purasim.com.
