The plane touches down and the seat belt sign switches off. The first thing many people do after a flight is turn on their phones.

Usually when arriving in a new country, your phone will receive a few text messages: one from your network provider telling you about any possible charges, and another welcoming you to the local network with some information on their charges and rates.

Most people ignore these messages. And though in 2023 you can largely rely on WIFI and WhatsApp to communicate, depending on where you are using your phone abroad, you may end up having a nasty surprise when you receive your next bill.

READ ALSO: More than half of Germans regularly experience bad mobile coverage

So, can I use my German mobile abroad without being charged?

Roaming charges in the UK post-Brexit

Obviously, since the UK left the EU it is no longer part of the free roaming arrangement. As such, phone companies choose on an individual company basis whether they want to apply roaming charges.

Though it depends on your provider, phone companies are by law obliged to give one month’s notice before they change any rates or terms.

Of the main mobile networks in Germany, Vodafone continues to keep the UK in Zone 1, which means that there will be no additional cost to the tariff you have for using it in the Bundesrepublik. 

“Brexit and EU roaming have only a limited connection with each other,” Vodafone said at the beginning of 2020. “For example, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein participate in EU roaming regulation even though they are not members of the EU.”

Luckily Telefónica and Telekom have come to the same conclusion and also don’t charge roaming fees for German customers in the UK.

READ ALSO: German phone companies rule out Brexit roaming charges in 2021

EU vs non-EU countries

When it comes to EU vs non-EU roaming, the answer is: it depends. In short: in the EU, yes. Outside the EU, probably not.

If you’re travelling within the EU, you’ll almost certainly not be charged extra roaming costs. If it’s outside the EU, it depends on your network provider as in most countries the roaming charges vary on a company by company basis. It’s always best to check before travelling if you’re in doubt.

However, due to EU legislation from 2017, you can use your German mobile phone in any EU country without incurring any extra costs.

That includes: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden.

As Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein are members of the European Economic Area (EEA), you will also be able to use your German phones for free there too.

Roaming charges within Europe

However, there is no escape from roaming charges for travellers in the other European states that belong neither to the EU nor to the EEA. These include popular holiday destinations such as Germany’s neighbour Switzerland and Turkey. Here, there are definitely additional costs for mobile phone use.

It can also be expensive in most countries of the Western Balkans such as Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro, Northern Macedonia and Kosovo. This is also relevant for travellers going to Greece with their own vehicle, for example.

What about in the US?

First, to be able to use your German phone at all in the US, you’ll need you need a tri- or quad-band mobile phone that can convert the GSM standards 850 and 1900 used in America. For surfing, your smartphone must be able to operate the 1900, 1800 or 850 bands for the LTE and HSDPA standards.

Now that we’ve got that techy stuff out of the way, most German phone providers offer special packages for telephoning in North America, ranging from packages for a certain number of Gigabytes to flat weekly rates, such as €34.99 extra per week if you’re a Vodafone customer.

Traveling for a longer time? You can also avoid costly add-on fees with a local sim card.

What is the maximum time I can stay in another country while roaming for free?

The EU Commission legislation states that in order to pay for calls, messages and data usage at the same price as in your home country (ie, not be charged any extra roaming costs) you must use the mobile phone for a longer period in your country than abroad.

Note that phone operators can track data consumption and roaming that their customers have used in the last four months. If during this time you have used more mobile services abroad in another EU country rather than in your home country, operators could legally apply small extra charges.

How can I avoid unpleasantly high roaming charges?

If you want to use your Handy in a country which imposes a roaming fee, you should check your contract conditions beforehand, advised Germany’s largest driving association ADAC. If you are staying in a non-EU country or in a region close to the border and want to be on the safe side, you should also deselect the “mobile data” offer. That means that an accidental (and later costly) Googling session can be avoided while on the move. Activating flight mode can also protect you from unpleasant surprises.

Can I reverse high charges?

If you receive a very high bill and don’t agree with it, there isn’t much hope of getting it dismissed, according to ADAC lawyers. In order to take legal action against it, you would also have to deal with the mobile network operator in the country you were travelling.