Switzerland is and remains a roaming island in the middle of Europe. Because Switzerland is neither an EU nor an EEA member, the "Roam like at Home" regulation does not apply here. Neither for Swiss people abroad nor for EU tourists in Switzerland. The "Bilateral III" package signed in March 2026 contains no roaming agreement, and the Federal Council blocks further political initiatives. Swiss mobile customers therefore continue to pay surcharges when crossing the border, which in the worst case can amount to several thousand francs per gigabyte. But the market is moving: providers are increasingly integrating EU roaming into their subscriptions, and eSIMs are becoming a serious alternative. This guide shows what you need to pay attention to.
Why Switzerland is a special case for roaming
Roaming means that your mobile phone uses the network of a foreign provider abroad. Your Swiss provider pays the foreign network operator a fee for this network usage and passes the costs on to you, often with a significant margin.
Since June 15, 2017, the "Roam like at Home" regulation applies within the EU and EEA: EU citizens can call, text, and surf in all 27 EU countries plus Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway at domestic rates. This regulation was extended in 2022 until June 30, 2032, and since January 2026 has been expanded to include Ukraine and Moldova.
Switzerland does not benefit from this. The EEA accession was rejected by referendum in 1992, and no bilateral agreement regulates roaming. Article 12abis of the revised Telecommunications Act (FMG) would theoretically allow price caps, but only based on an international agreement on wholesale prices. Since such an agreement is missing, BAKOM has no legal basis for unilateral interventions. Politically, several initiatives have failed: a fixed price cap was rejected by the Council of States in 2023, and the Federal Council again recommends rejecting the demand for a separate EU agreement.
What Swiss people pay for roaming in the EU
Costs depend on whether your subscription includes EU roaming or not. Without a roaming package, it quickly becomes expensive: according to the Moneyland study 2025, a single hour of phone calls in the EU abroad can cost up to CHF 120. Salt at times charged up to CHF 19 per megabyte without a data package, which corresponds to 975 times the package price.
Overview of standard tariffs of the three major providers (without package, EU zone):
| Service | Swisscom | Sunrise | Salt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Outgoing calls/min | approx. CHF 0.45 | CHF 1.75 | CHF 1.99 |
| Incoming calls/min | approx. CHF 0.27 | CHF 1.00 | CHF 1.99 |
| SMS | CHF 0.20–0.40 | CHF 0.60 | CHF 0.99 |
| Data without package | blocked | blocked | blocked / DayPass required |
| Standard cost limit | CHF 200 | CHF 50 | CHF 500 |
Swisscom is the cheapest for single tariffs, Sunrise has the most consumer-friendly cost limit at CHF 50, and Salt sets this worryingly high at CHF 500. All three block data roaming by default if no package is active.
A typical holiday profile with three EU trips per year, 14 GB data, and 30 minutes of calls costs around CHF 76 at Swisscom, CHF 154 at Sunrise, and between CHF 134 and CHF 368 at Salt. Salt classifies some EU countries such as Bulgaria, Croatia, and the Baltic states in a more expensive zone, which explains the differences.
Which subscriptions already include EU roaming
Those who regularly travel to the EU abroad are much better off with a subscription including roaming. The main options at a glance:
Swisscom offers unlimited calls, SMS, and surfing in the EU/UK with 40 GB highspeed per month starting from blue Mobile M (CHF 69.90/month). Since July 2025, blue Mobile S (CHF 29.90/month) already includes 1 GB monthly in Germany, France, Italy, and Austria. Country-specific data packages are available from CHF 5.90 per GB.
Sunrise launched the "Swiss Connect" line in April 2025. Swiss Connect Europe+ (CHF 79.90/month) offers unlimited roaming in 44 European countries. Swiss Connect Neighbors (CHF 69.90/month) covers neighboring countries unlimited. For under 27-year-olds, there are Young variants from CHF 34.95/month. The "Travel Data Unlimited Europe" for CHF 59.90 offers 30 days of unlimited surfing with 60 GB highspeed.
Salt relies on DayPasses: for CHF 4.95 per 24 hours there is unlimited data with 1 GB highspeed in the Europe zone. Europe Max (from CHF 84.95/month, promotional price often CHF 39.95) delivers 40 GB highspeed and unlimited calls in Europe. Important: Salt's "Europe" zone includes only 29 countries and excludes Bulgaria, Croatia, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Slovenia.
Budget providers with strong roaming options
Swiss discount brands have caught up significantly in roaming and sometimes offer the best price-performance ratio:
Migros Mobile (since August 2025, Swisscom network) stands out: The Swiss Travel for only CHF 29.95/month includes 10 GB and 100 minutes in the EU/UK. With the europePLUS option for an additional CHF 10/month, 40 GB EU data and unlimited calls are available, at a total price of CHF 39.95.
Wingo offers the cheapest entry with the Fair Flat (CHF 25/month) including 2 GB EU/UK data. The Europe Pro (CHF 78/month) provides unlimited EU/UK roaming. Individual data packages start at CHF 9.90 for 500 MB.
yallo (Sunrise network) blocks roaming completely by default (limit CHF 0). Travel-Surf packages are available from CHF 15 for 3 days unlimited or CHF 45 for 30 days. Without a package, one megabyte in the EU costs CHF 2.
Lidl Connect (Salt network) adopts Salt’s zone model and is among the most expensive options without an active package. Data packages for the Europe zone start at CHF 24.95 for 1.5 GB.
Worldwide Roaming: where it gets really expensive
Outside Europe, costs explode. In Salt’s “World” zone (Egypt, Indonesia, Israel), the DayPass costs CHF 14.95, in the “Far” zone (Cuba, Iran, Lebanon) CHF 19.95 per 24 hours. Sunrise’s standard rates in higher regions go up to CHF 15.60 per megabyte.
The most dangerous traps are on cruise ships and airplanes. At sea, mobile phones connect to satellite networks: Swisscom then charges CHF 3.70/min. for outgoing calls, Sunrise charges CHF 4.80/min. Swisscom disables data connections on ships by default; Salt and Sunrise do not. A Salt customer paid CHF 32 on a short Hannover–Zurich flight for only 2 MB of music streaming via the AeroMobile satellite network.
Seven tips to reduce roaming costs
Consistently use WLAN. Hotel WLAN, café hotspots and public networks are the easiest alternative. Messengers like WhatsApp, Signal or FaceTime work free of charge over them. Download offline maps in Google Maps before departure.
Disable data roaming on the device. On iPhone under “Settings → Mobile Data → Data Options → Data Roaming” and on Android under “Settings → Network → Mobile Network → Data Roaming.” This prevents costs from background apps or automatic updates.
Actively manage cost limits. Since 2021, all Swiss providers are legally required to offer cost limits. The limit should be lowered to an acceptable amount before every trip in the customer cockpit. SMS warnings are sent at 80% and 100%.
Check eSIM as a cheap alternative. Providers like Airalo, Holafly or Digital Republic offer data tariffs from around CHF 2 per GB for European destinations. Savings compared to classic roaming can be up to 90%. A prerequisite is an eSIM-capable device.
Local SIM cards remain an option for longer stays but have become less relevant due to eSIMs.
Disable automatic network selection in border regions. In Basel, Geneva, Lake Constance or Ticino, your phone can connect unnoticed to a foreign network. Solution: Manually select the home network under “Settings → Network Selection → Disable Automatic.”
Book roaming packages before the trip. Never travel abroad without an active package. The price difference between standard tariff and package can be a factor of 975 with some providers.
What EU citizens can expect when visiting Switzerland
For travelers from the EU, Switzerland is one of the biggest remaining roaming cost traps. Since Switzerland is not covered by “Roam like at Home,” drastic surcharges apply depending on the home provider.
An exception is Deutsche Telekom: All MagentaMobil tariffs treat Switzerland like an EU country. Telekom subsidiary fraenk and, since February 2025, congstar (in the “GB+” tariffs) also include Switzerland. Vodafone is different: around EUR 4,000 per gigabyte in the standard tariff. Austrian providers sometimes charge over EUR 11,000 per gigabyte.
EU travelers to Switzerland are strongly advised to buy an eSIM from a Swiss provider or a prepaid SIM in advance.
Conclusion: The market compensates for what politics fails to do
The Swiss roaming situation improves not through regulation but through competition among providers and technological alternatives. While the Federal Council delays an agreement, providers have increasingly integrated EU roaming into their subscriptions. Migros Mobile shows with Swiss Travel for CHF 29.95 that solid EU coverage is possible even without a premium subscription.
Three concrete recommendations: First, check and adjust the cost limit before every trip. Second, occasional travellers are fine with an inexpensive basic subscription plus a data package; frequent travellers are best off with Migros Mobile Swiss Travel + europePLUS (CHF 39.95/month) or Swisscom blue Mobile M. Third, seriously consider an eSIM for trips outside Europe.
Which mobile subscription suits you best can be found in our mobile comparison. And if you also want to review your internet provider, our internet provider comparison will help you.
