Last updated on 30 September 2026
Border roaming means your phone connects to a network across the border while you are still in the EU, or you cross into a non-EU country without noticing. On the Croatian coast, the risk is highest around Dubrovnik and on the coast road through Neum, because Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro are outside EU roaming. With a German contract and no add-on, a megabyte there costs €0.99 with o2 and about €0.12 with Vodafone, and Telekom blocks data without a pass. As of 30 September 2026.
An eSIM that covers the neighbouring countries removes the problem: our Global eSIM works in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Albania, North Macedonia and Greece, from €17.90 for 3 GB over 30 days. If you stay in Croatia with an EU contract, choosing a Croatian network by hand is often enough.
Where does your phone switch to a non-EU network?
| Place | Country you are in | Networks your phone can pick | EU roaming? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dubrovnik and surroundings | Croatia (EU) | Croatian, Bosnian, Montenegrin | only on Croatian networks |
| Neum on the coast road | Bosnia and Herzegovina | Bosnian | no |
| Bay of Kotor | Montenegro | Montenegrin | no |
| Lake Ohrid | North Macedonia and Albania | Macedonian, Albanian | no |
| Northern Greece, Corfu | Greece (EU) | Greek, Albanian, Macedonian | only on Greek networks |
Sources: teltarif.de on roaming in Croatia (updated 17 July 2026) and Greece (updated 14 July 2026), Wikipedia on Neum and Lake Ohrid, netzwelt.de on Corfu (21 August 2025), read on 30.09.2026.
Corfu belongs on the list too, although it is not in the Balkans: the island lies close to the Albanian coast, and German tech site netzwelt.de reported in 2025 that phones there often log on to an Albanian network and receive a “Welcome to Albania” text. The German portal teltarif.de names northern Greece in general as an area where Albanian or Macedonian networks can take over.
What happens between Split, Neum and Dubrovnik?
Between Split and Dubrovnik, the Adriatic coast road crosses Bosnia and Herzegovina at Neum, the country’s only town on its 20-kilometre coastline, with a border checkpoint on each side. On that stretch you are outside the EU, and your phone roams at non-EU rates. Since 26 July 2022 the Pelješac Bridge lets you reach Dubrovnik without leaving Croatia; depending on your route you may still pass through Neum.
Dubrovnik itself sits on a narrow strip of Croatian coast between Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro. teltarif.de warns that your phone can join a foreign network around Dubrovnik, in the Dalmatian hinterland and in Slavonia. Watch the network name at the top of your screen: the Croatian networks are Hrvatski Telekom, A1 and Telemach. If a Bosnian or Montenegrin name appears, pick a Croatian network by hand (steps below). Our Bosnia and Herzegovina eSIM comparison covers prices if you plan a detour to Mostar.
What applies in the Bay of Kotor and at Lake Ohrid?
The Bay of Kotor is in Montenegro, which is outside EU roaming even though it uses the euro. On a day trip from Dubrovnik or a cruise stop in Kotor, your home SIM roams at non-EU rates from the border on. On board, switch to flight mode at sea: ship and satellite networks are not covered by EU roaming. A Montenegro eSIM costs €3.90 for 1 GB over seven days with us, Unlimited XL starts at €9.90 for three days. More on networks and prices is in our Montenegro eSIM comparison.
At Lake Ohrid, 69 percent of the water surface belongs to North Macedonia and 31 percent to Albania. Ohrid and Struga lie on the Macedonian shore, Pogradec on the Albanian one, and the lake road crosses the border at Sveti Naum–Tushemisht and Kjafasan–Qafë Thanë. Both countries are outside EU roaming, and German carriers put them in the same price group, so with a German SIM it makes no difference which shore’s network your phone picks. A country eSIM is different: our North Macedonia eSIM works only in North Macedonia, the Albania eSIM only in Albania. For a trip round the lake you need both, or one eSIM that covers both. A local SIM from either country works on both shores at home rates under the Western Balkans roaming agreement (since 1 July 2021).
What does border roaming cost with a German contract?
| Vodafone (World Data, no option) | o2 (no pack) | Telekom | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Albania, North Macedonia, Serbia, Kosovo | zone 5: €0.00585 per 50 kB, about €0.12 per MB, about €123 per GB | world zone 3: €0.99 per MB, about €1,014 per GB | country group 2: data only with a Travel & Surf pass or annual roaming allowance |
| Cost cap | EU cost cap: €59.50 per billing period | €59.50 per billing period, €119.00 after switching the cap off | no data without a pass |
| Cap reached after | about 500 MB | about 60 MB | – |
Sources: Vodafone InfoDok 443 (September 2026), o2online.de (zones and cost cap, read 30.09.2026), teltarif.de for the o2 price per MB (August 2026) and Telekom (July 2026), Bundesnetzagentur for the EU cost cap. The rates apply only if no other roaming option is set or booked; according to teltarif.de many current Vodafone tariffs use EasyTravel, WorldTravel or a ReisePaket instead. Our own calculation: 1 MB = 1,024 kB, 1 GB = 1,024 MB.
The same megabyte costs about eight times as much with o2 as with Vodafone’s standard rate. With Vodafone the cost cap kicks in after roughly 500 MB, with o2 after about 60 MB; after that, data stops until you lift the limit. Check in your customer account which roaming option your contract uses before you drive south.
How these prices compare with Switzerland, the UK and Turkey, and which day passes come preset, is shown in the table Roaming outside the EU.
EU roaming for the region has been announced but is not in force. In October 2025 Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said roaming charges with Albania and Montenegro would end in 2026. On 4 June 2026 the Council of the EU authorised negotiations with all six Western Balkan partners (European Western Balkans). As of 30 September 2026 no agreement applies, and reports that roaming ended in June 2026 are wrong. Since 1 January 2026 only a voluntary cap applies: each signatory operator must offer 1 GB for less than €14 in at least one product.
How do you choose a network by hand?
- iPhone: Settings > Mobile Service (Cellular) > tap your line > Network Selection. Turn off “Automatic” and pick a Croatian or Greek network. Labels differ slightly between iOS versions and carriers.
- Android, for example Samsung: Settings > Connections > Mobile networks > Network operators. Turn off “Select automatically” and choose the network.
- Turn off data roaming for your home SIM if you want no charges at all. On the iPhone this is under Settings > Mobile Service > Mobile Data Options > Data Roaming.
- Switch back to automatic once you leave the border area. A fixed network choice leaves you without signal where that network is not available.
A travel eSIM needs data roaming switched on for the eSIM line itself; keep it off for your home SIM. Your home number stays reachable for calls and texts, for example for bank codes, but your provider bills those at its roaming rates outside the EU.
When does an eSIM help?
| eSIM | Croatia | Bosnia and Herzegovina | Montenegro | Albania | North Macedonia | Greece |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| POVNOMAD Global eSIM | yes | yes | yes | yes | yes | yes |
| POVNOMAD Europe eSIM (40+ countries) | yes | no | no | no | yes | yes |
| POVNOMAD Europe eSIM (30+ countries) | yes | no | no | no | no | yes |
| POVNOMAD country eSIM | only the country it is sold for | |||||
| Airalo Eurolink (41 countries) | yes | yes | yes | yes | yes | yes |
Country lists read on 30.09.2026 on povnomad.com and airalo.com. Airalo Eurolink does not include Kosovo.
If you stay in Croatia or Greece with an EU contract, you need no eSIM; manual network choice near the border is enough. For Croatia plus a day in Kotor or Mostar, one eSIM for all three countries saves switching: our Global eSIM costs €17.90 for 3 GB over 30 days, Airalo Eurolink €10.00 for 3 GB over seven days or €24.50 for seven days of unlimited data. Airalo is cheaper on the survey date if a week is enough. For a single day across the border, a country eSIM is enough: 1 GB over seven days costs €3.90 for Montenegro and €2.90 for Bosnia and Herzegovina with us.
A prepaid eSIM cannot run up a roaming bill: it works only in its countries and charges nothing outside them. For a longer route through the region, see our Balkan eSIM comparison and Montenegro and Albania on one trip; for Lake Ohrid, the North Macedonia and Albania comparisons.
Kosovo is missing from most Balkan plans and is outside EU roaming too; prices and networks there are in the Kosovo eSIM comparison.
The same happens at the Swiss border: near Basel, Konstanz and on Lake Constance, phones join Swiss networks while still in Germany. More in Border roaming in Switzerland.
Frequently asked questions
Why does my phone connect to a Bosnian or Montenegrin network near Dubrovnik?
Dubrovnik lies on a narrow strip of Croatian coast between Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro, so your phone can pick a network across the border. Neither country is covered by EU roaming. Check the network name on your screen and choose Hrvatski Telekom, A1 or Telemach by hand in your network settings.
Do I pay roaming when driving through Neum?
Yes, if your phone uses mobile data there. Neum is in Bosnia and Herzegovina, outside EU roaming. With a German contract and no option, o2 charges €0.99 per MB and Vodafone about €0.12 per MB. Since 26 July 2022 you can bypass Neum via the Pelješac Bridge and stay in Croatia all the way to Dubrovnik.
Does EU roaming apply in the Bay of Kotor?
No. Kotor is in Montenegro, which is outside EU roaming even though it uses the euro. Your home SIM roams at non-EU rates there. A Montenegro eSIM costs €3.90 for 1 GB over seven days with POVNOMAD, Unlimited XL from €9.90 for three days. As of 30.09.2026.
What does mobile data cost at Lake Ohrid?
North Macedonia and Albania are both outside EU roaming, and German carriers put them in the same price group: Vodafone zone 5, o2 world zone 3, Telekom country group 2. With a country eSIM you need one for each shore, because our North Macedonia eSIM works only in North Macedonia. Local SIMs from either country work on both shores at home rates.
How do I choose a network manually?
On the iPhone under Settings, Mobile Service, your line, Network Selection: turn off Automatic and pick a network. On Samsung phones under Settings, Connections, Mobile networks, Network operators: turn off Select automatically. Switch back to automatic once you leave the border area.
Will EU roaming come to the Western Balkans in 2026?
It has been announced, not agreed. Ursula von der Leyen promised in October 2025 to end roaming charges with Albania and Montenegro in 2026. The Council of the EU authorised negotiations on 4 June 2026. As of 30 September 2026 no agreement is in force; only a voluntary cap of €14 per GB applies in at least one product per signatory operator.
Can my phone connect to an Albanian network on Corfu?
Yes. Corfu lies close to the Albanian coast, and netzwelt.de reported in 2025 that phones there often log on to an Albanian network, which is outside EU roaming. Check the network name after landing, choose a Greek network by hand if needed, or turn off data roaming for your home SIM.
As of 30 September 2026. Tariff data from the carriers’ documents and teltarif.de with the dates given above; POVNOMAD prices from the product pages on 30 September 2026. Prices and options may change.
