Roaming for contract customers

Going abroad with your O₂ mobile contract? In many countries, you can simply use your mobile phone as you do at home. However, the conditions depend on your tariff, your active roaming option and the country you are visiting.

This guide explains the most important roaming rules, the current O₂ world zones and the costs you should know before travelling.

1. First check your roaming option

Before travelling, it is worth taking a look at your individual contract. You can check your active roaming option and the conditions that apply to you in Mein O₂.

You can also check your current mobile data consumption abroad there.

• Check your roaming options in Mein O₂
• Check your data consumption in Mein O₂
• O₂ roaming information

This is particularly important if you have an older O₂ tariff, as older contracts can still have different roaming options.

2. EU roaming: "Roam like at home"

The most important rule for travellers is the EU Roaming Regulation.

Under the EU roaming rules, you can generally use your German mobile tariff in the EU without additional roaming charges. Your included calls, SMS and mobile data can be used abroad just as they can at home. Incoming calls in the EU are free of charge.

The current O₂ price list confirms that the conditions in the EU-regulated zone correspond to those of your domestic tariff, including the applicable tariff units and, where available, the agreed maximum speeds.

This means, for example:

Your domestic inclusive allowance is therefore normally also available while travelling in the EU.

Fair Use Policy

There is one important exception: the Fair Use Policy (FUP).

If roaming is used predominantly or excessively compared with domestic use, O₂ may apply a regulated surcharge. This is particularly relevant for customers who spend extended periods abroad rather than simply taking occasional holidays.

3. Which countries are covered by EU-regulated roaming?

For O₂ customers, the EU-regulated zone currently includes the EU member states as well as Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Moldova and Ukraine under the applicable EU roaming rules.

There is also a useful special case:

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

The UK is technically outside the EU and is therefore listed by O₂ in Zone 2. However, O₂ currently continues to charge the UK at the EU-regulated Zone 1 price until 31 December 2026. This extension is subject to change.

So, for O₂ customers travelling to the UK in 2026, normal EU-regulated roaming conditions continue to apply.

4. Switzerland is different!

One of the most common sources of confusion is Switzerland.

Switzerland is not part of EU-regulated roaming. It is classified by O₂ as Zone 2. The same applies to countries such as Andorra, Gibraltar and the Isle of Man.

Therefore, simply having a tariff with EU roaming does not automatically mean that Switzerland is included.

For standard O₂ roaming conditions, Zone 2 currently has the following rates:

These are the current standard rates in the O₂ price list for the relevant roaming options.

Because mobile data at 0.99 EUR per MB can become very expensive very quickly, you should check your Swiss roaming option before crossing the border.

5. Current O₂ roaming zones at a glance

O₂ divides countries outside the EU-regulated area into different roaming zones. The exact conditions depend on the roaming option associated with your tariff.

Zone 1 – EU regulated

EU member states plus Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Moldova and Ukraine.

Roam like at home applies.

Zone 2

Among others:

• Switzerland
• United Kingdom
• Andorra
• Gibraltar
• Isle of Man

The UK is currently treated at Zone 1 prices by O₂ until 31 December 2026.

Zone 3

Examples include:

• USA
• Canada
• Turkey
• Serbia
• Israel
• Albania
• Montenegro
• North Macedonia
• Kosovo
• Bosnia and Herzegovina
• Monaco
• Belarus
• Russia

Zone 4 – Rest of World

All other countries in which O₂ has a roaming agreement.

The complete list of countries and available partner networks can change, so for a specific destination it is best to use O₂'s country selection and current price information.

6. What does standard roaming cost outside the EU?

For the current Roaming Standard / Roaming Basic conditions, the O₂ price list shows the following standard rates:

These figures are taken from the O₂ Preisliste Ausland und sonstige Services Mobilfunk Postpaid, status 8 July 2026.

Important: These are standard roaming prices and do not necessarily apply if you have a special roaming pack or option.

7. Roaming Plus: an option for newer O₂ tariffs

For current O₂ Mobile tariffs and various older O₂ portfolios, O₂ offers Roaming Plus.

With Roaming Plus, Zone 1 remains subject to EU-regulated conditions. In Zone 2, however, mobile data is included as a daily allowance:

• 300 MB for 2.99 EUR per calendar day
• after the 300 MB are used, additional data can be purchased

Calls and SMS in Zone 2 remain charged according to the applicable roaming conditions.

This can be considerably more predictable than paying the standard 0.99 EUR per MB.

8. Special option for Switzerland: Roaming Plus 1M / 24M

If you travel to Switzerland regularly, O₂ currently offers specific Roaming Plus options for Switzerland.

According to the current price list:

The options include 3 GB of data per month in Zone 2, as well as 500 minutes and 500 SMS under the specified conditions.

For occasional trips, the one-month option may therefore be more interesting; for regular travellers, the longer-term option can be worth considering.

9. Roaming Plus World – for longer-distance travel

If your destination is outside Europe, O₂ also offers Roaming Plus World for compatible O₂ Mobile, O₂ Grow, O₂ Blue and O₂ Free tariffs.

The current price is:

14.99 EUR for one month

The package includes 2 GB of mobile data per month in selected countries in Zones 3 and 4. The package automatically ends after one month, so no separate cancellation is required.

The countries covered include destinations such as the USA, Canada, Turkey, Japan, Australia, India, Thailand, South Africa and many others. The exact list is defined by O₂ and should be checked before booking.

O₂ also states that the package is currently subject to a 100% additional-data promotion for bookings made until 30 September 2026.

10. Don't forget to activate data roaming on your phone

Even if your O₂ contract allows roaming, your smartphone still needs Data Roaming to be enabled if you want to use mobile internet abroad.

On Android, the setting can usually be found under:

Settings → Connections → Mobile networks → Data roaming

On iPhone, it is generally:

Settings → Mobile Service → Mobile Data Options → Data Roaming

The exact menu names can vary depending on the device and software version.

11. O₂ has a roaming cost protection

O₂ also provides a cost protection mechanism for mobile data abroad.

By default, data roaming charges are limited to 59.50 EUR per billing period. If the customer explicitly deactivates this protection, the limit can be increased to 119.00 EUR for the current billing period.

This is useful protection, but it should not be regarded as a substitute for choosing the right roaming option. 59.50 EUR can still be a surprisingly high bill for mobile data that you could have covered with a suitable roaming pack.

12. A few things international customers should know

Incoming SMS are free

Receiving SMS while abroad is free. Sending SMS, however, can incur charges outside the EU depending on your tariff and roaming option.

Calls from abroad may require the international format

When calling Germany from abroad, it is safest to use the international country code:

+49 followed by the German number without the initial 0.

For example:

+49 89 ... for a Munich number.

Saving your contacts in international format is particularly useful when travelling.

Special numbers can cost extra

Freephone, premium-rate and other special numbers may be charged differently when used while roaming. This also applies to some German special numbers when called from abroad.

Be careful near national borders

Your phone may automatically connect to a foreign mobile network if you are close to a border – even though you are physically still in Germany.

This can be relevant, for example, near the borders with Switzerland, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Poland or Denmark.

If you live or travel regularly in a border region, manually selecting your preferred network can help prevent unintended roaming connections.

Roaming on ships and aircraft is different

Mobile connections via satellite networks on cruise ships, ferries or aircraft are not covered by normal O₂ terrestrial roaming. Such connections may have completely different prices and conditions.

13. Which roaming option is right for you?

A simple rule of thumb:

The most important point is: don't assume that "roaming included" means roaming is included everywhere.

The country, tariff and active roaming option all matter.

14. Our recommendation before every trip

If you're travelling abroad with an O₂ contract, spending two minutes checking your settings before departure can save you a lot of trouble later:

1. Check your active roaming option in Mein O₂.
2. Check the roaming conditions for your destination.
3. Check how much mobile data is included.
4. Consider a roaming pack if you are travelling outside the EU.
5. Activate Data Roaming on your phone if required.
6. Consider disabling automatic network selection in border regions.
7. Check that O₂'s roaming cost protection is active.

For the latest country-specific information, prices and available options, always use the current O₂ information rather than relying on older forum posts or tariff descriptions.

O₂: Roaming and international options

O₂: Current mobile postpaid price list (PDF)