Mobile data in Romania: Bucharest, the Carpathians and a border that changed
Romania is in the EU, so a European plan works at home prices. What is new is the east: on 1 January 2026 both Moldova and Ukraine joined the EU roam-like-at-home area, so the border that used to be the expensive one no longer is.
At a glance
- Does an eSIM work in Romania?
- Yes. It connects to Vodafone, Orange (5G).
- Price
- From 5,29 € (3 GB, 15 days).
- For a one-week trip
- 5 GB for 30 days: 6,79 €.
- Does an EU phone plan work there?
- Yes: Romania is in EU roaming, so a plan from an EU country usually works at no extra cost, within your operator's fair-use limit. If your plan is from outside the EU, it charges international roaming.
- When does the plan start?
- When your phone first connects to a network in Romania. The QR code arrives by email within minutes.
Is roaming free in Romania?
- Plans from the EU and the EEA: yes, roam like at home applies, within your operator’s fair use limit.
- UK plans: it depends on your operator since Brexit.
- Plans from outside Europe: usually international roaming or a daily pass.
The EU roaming calculator works out the minimum your own plan has to give you abroad.
eSIM for Romania
Data on your phone the moment you land in Romania. No account, no app, no shop.
Choose your data
For one to two weeks of maps, messaging and the odd video.
Nothing is charged now · When we are done improving, we will email you 30% off
Will it work on my phone?
On iPhone: Settings → General → About, and scroll to EID. If there is an EID, your phone takes eSIMs. Every iPhone from the XS (2018) onwards does.
On Android: Settings → About phone → Status, and look for EID. If there is an EID, your phone takes eSIMs. Most Galaxy S20, Pixel 3 and later do.
It also has to be carrier-unlocked. If you bought it outright or your contract is over, it almost certainly is.
Not sure about your model? Ask us before you pay and we will tell you — a person answers within 24 hours.
How it works
- 1Choose and payCard, Apple Pay or Google Pay. No account.
- 2Install it at homeThe QR arrives by email. Scan it on wifi in a minute.
- 3Connect when you landTurn on data roaming for the eSIM and you are online.
The east changed in 2026: Moldova and Ukraine are in
- Serbia, to the west, is still outside the rule: there your operator sets its own price.
- Which countries are in and which are out: map of roaming in Europe.
- Heading further west? See our Hungary guide.
Until recently, crossing into Moldova or Ukraine took you out of the EU rule and your operator charged whatever its international tariff said. On 1 January 2026 both joined the EU roam-like-at-home area, so an EU plan now works there at home prices. That also means the old advice about forcing a Romanian network near Iași or the Prut no longer costs you anything if you get it wrong.
Which eSIM works in Romania?
A Romania eSIM runs on the local networks, Vodafone (4G), Orange (5G). One of the two carries 5G and the other is 4G, so what you get depends on which network your phone settles on. Data only: your usual number stays on your own SIM.
Coverage: Bucharest, Cluj and the Carpathians
Bucharest and Cluj-Napoca have strong coverage, and so do Timișoara, Brașov and the motorway corridors. The Carpathians are the exception: on the mountain roads, in the passes and on the hiking trails it thins and then goes, on every network. The Transfăgărășan and the Transalpina are exactly the kind of drive where you want the map already downloaded, because there is nowhere to download it halfway up.
How much data for a trip to Romania?
- 3 GB: a long weekend in Bucharest.
- 5 GB: a week with maps, messages and photos.
- 10 GB: two weeks, or a drive through Transylvania with video calls.
- 20 GB: a month, or sharing data with a laptop.
The data calculator gives an estimate in five questions.
Prices for Romania
Romania data eSIMs: 3 GB for 5,29 €, 5 GB for 6,79 €, 10 GB for 11,99 € and 20 GB for 17,49 €. The plan starts on the first connection in Romania.
Travelling later?
Going to Romania later? We remind you before you fly
Tell us the day you leave. We email you a week before and the day before with the steps to install the eSIM on Wi-Fi at home. Nothing else.
We only write about this trip, and every email has a one-click unsubscribe. Privacy policy
Is roaming free in Romania with an EU plan?
Yes. Romania is in the EU, so roam like at home applies, possibly with a fair use data limit.
What happens if I cross into Moldova or Ukraine?
Since 1 January 2026 both are in the EU roam-like-at-home area, so an EU plan works there at home prices.
And into Serbia?
Serbia is still outside the EU roaming area, so your operator charges its own tariff. Check it before crossing.
Will I have signal in the Carpathians?
In the towns and valleys, yes. On the high passes and the trails it drops on any network, so download maps first.
Get your eSIM before you fly: the QR arrives by email in minutes and the plan only starts when you connect at your destination.
See eSIMs for Romania