From today, citizens of Albania and Kosovo can travel to other Western Balkan countries including Albania, Kosovo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Northern Macedonia and Serbia and use their existing package or tariff plan as if were in their places free of charge.
An agreement signed between the countries of the Western Balkans in July 2019, already from July 1, 2021 citizens do not pay extra.
Minutes, messages and MB consumed will be deducted from their existing package. To avoid abuses with this new charging system, mobile operators apply some rules of fair use of the service and in case of detection of abuses the service will be terminated.
Detailed information about the fair use will be published on the respective websites of the mobile operators.
The abolition of retail roaming tariffs (RLAH) from 1.7.2021 was made possible by the implementation of the “Agreement on Price Reduction of Roaming Services in Public Mobile Communication Networks in the Western Balkans Region”, signed on April 4 in Belgrade by the ministries responsible for electronic communications of the six Western Balkan countries (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Northern Macedonia, Montenegro, and Serbia).
Frequently Asked Questions about Roaming service in the Western Balkans
Will roaming charges really be lifted from 1 July with the countries of the Western Balkans?
Yes. Communications that you will make with your device / SIM card as a subscriber of the Republic of Albania operator (phone calls, SMS, data / internet) when you are roaming in another BP country will be charged as if you are using these services in Albania according to the respective tariff package, ie minutes, SMS and gigabytes of data you consume while roaming in BP countries will be charged or deducted from the respective quantities / volumes of your respective tariff plan in Albania.
Which countries can I travel with zero tariffs (RLAH) for roaming?
Starting from 1.7.2021, all subscribers of RSH mobile networks can automatically enjoy the benefit of the RLAH model or with zero roaming tariffs of all mobile services roaming when traveling to other BP countries: Kosovo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Northern Macedonia and Serbia, subject to FUP.
If I am roaming in a BP country, will the roaming fee be zero only for calls to Albania, or even for other calls to other BP countries?
Roaming tariffs in this case will be zero (tariffs apply according to the relevant tariff plan for national calls) as when you make a call directly to the mobile number in Albania and to a mobile number in another BP country.
For which mobile services does the RLAH / zero roaming tariff model apply: calls, SMS or data (internet)?
Compliant with the RLAH model, all mobile subscribers will not have the roaming tariffs applied for calls, SMS or dates, and will be charged for all mobile services consumed while roaming in BP according to the respective tariffs / charging mechanism (PAYG / Money and postpaid packages, etc.) applied in Albania for mobile services, such as: outgoing calls, incoming calls (0 ALL), outgoing SMS (incoming SMS 0 ALL), and Internet (according to FUP).
RLAH or additional zero roaming tariff will apply only in cases when I make a call (outgoing call) or when I receive a call (incoming call) while roaming in BP?
When you are roaming in BP, outgoing / incoming calls to / from all BP mobile operators will be charged as if you were in Albania: outgoing calls as national calls, while incoming calls with 0 lek as in Albania. Exceptions are special cases of abuse or abnormal use of roaming services, in violation of the policies of fair use of roaming services in BP, according to the rules and guidelines approved by AKEP.
RLAH or without additional zero roaming tariffs from 1.7.2021 apply for users of prepaid and postpaid tariff plans?
Yes, the RLAH Model will be applicable from 1.7.2021 for all mobile subscribers, prepaid and postpaid, who use offers or not (hence PAYG), subscribers with active packages or not, ie who have remaining units of services or not.
RLAH is applied automatically or do I have to make a selection / activation to the relevant mobile operator where I am a subscriber?
Based on the decisions of AKEP of 2019, the Regulation of FUP and the Instruction for RLAH / FUP of AKEP dated 9.6.2021, RLAH is automatically applied to all current and new mobile subscribers, including current subscribers who use tariffs / tariff parties or offers roaming of mobile operators. You can choose an alternative roaming package / offer in BP, different from RLAH, only by giving the expressed consent to your mobile operator.
Does the RLAH model include calls you can make from Albania to other BP countries?
Jo. Because in this case you are not using roaming services, but international calls from Albania, and you are charged according to the respective tariffs of your operator for these calls.
If I am roaming in BP is there any difference whether I receive or receive a phone call from a mobile or landline number in BP?
Yes. The RLAH model includes zero extra roaming tariff only for mobile-mobile calls while roaming within BP, and not calls to / from fixed BP networks, including Albania. These calls are charged as normal roaming calls according to your operator tariffs.
Does the RLAH model apply if you use WiFi when traveling in the BP region?
Jo. When using WiFi, you are not using roaming services on the visited cellular network.
Are there any volume / quantity restrictions for calls, SMS and mobile data included in the tariff plan that I have in Albania and that I can consume while roaming in BP without additional roaming tariffs (RLAH)?
Regarding the calls and SMS included in the tariff plan in Albania, there is no limit to how much you can consume while roaming in BP. So, you can consume part or all of these roaming units in BP, and they are deducted from the amount included in the fixed payment of the tariff plan in Albania, by postpaid or prepayment. However, the operator has the right to monitor the use of these services (over a period of 4 months) and send relevant notifications in case there are reasonable suspicions of abuse or abnormal use of roaming services in BP with RLAH, and apply additional roaming charges for these services.
Also, for data or internet roaming in BP, the operator has the right to apply a fair usage policy for open data packets, according to the provisions of AKEP Regulation on FUP and relevant Instructions approved on 9.6.2021. In case you are using mobile packages with unlimited internet or with average tariffs for GB cheaper than about 1167 ALL / GB with VAT, the operator has the right to set the limit for internet roaming in BP without additional roaming tariff, according to provisions of AKEP Regulation on FUP (see below). In these cases the operator is obliged to inform you in advance how and when you reach 80% and 100% of this limit.
What happens if I spend / consume in roaming in BP all the minutes / SMS / mobile data that I have included in the package in Albania as a prepaid / postpaid subscriber?
In case you spend all the mobile service units included in the package in Albania (postpaid or prepaid or hybrid plans, etc.), for each outgoing call / outgoing SMS / mobile data you will be charged according to the respective tariffs applicable in Albania for out of bundle consumption. Exceptions are only cases of violations / abuses of RLAH and exceeding the FUP for the Internet, when the operator has the right to apply additional roaming fees.
Can I receive incoming roaming calls at BP if I am a prepaid mobile user and have spent all the valid credits in my account?
Yes, as the same mechanism is applied as in Albania, that incoming calls are free and you do not need credit as long as the SIM card is active, or limited to incoming calls.
Is there a time limit for using my mobile phone while roaming in BP to benefit from RLAH?
If you have a larger presence (over 50%) in Albania (connected to the mobile network in Albania) than in BP, or use your mobile more (over 50%) in Albania than in BP, you have the right to use / get RLAH in BP. However, if your mobile operator has evidence and determines that in the last 4 months you have spent most of your time (over 50%) on BP and have consumed more (over 50%) mobile service traffic on BP, the operator has the right to send you an SMS and ask you to adjust the traffic consumption to the fair use policy. If this does not happen in the next 2 weeks, the operator is entitled to charge you additional roaming charges as follows:
- 94 ALL / minute for outgoing calls;
- 97 lek / minute incoming call;
- 23 ALL / outgoing SMS;
- 95 ALL / MB for the internet.
The above tariffs are without VAT and are applicable according to the respective cases, for the period 1.7.2021 – 31.12.2021. For the period after 1.1.2022, the extra internet tariff will be gradually reduced and please refer to AKEP Regulation on FUP and relevant Instructions approved on 9.6.2021.
Is it still a good idea to buy a SIM card of a mobile operator of the respective country when traveling to BP?
If you travel periodically and stay for a short period of time in another Western Balkan country, the answer is No.
But if you plan to stay in a Western Balkan country for a longer period of time, you should check the fair use policy applied by your mobile operator to decide what is best for your particular case.
Where can I complain / get information if I travel to a country in the Western Balkans and the mobile operator of Albania charges me extra roaming tariffs on the tariff plan I have in Albania, so not with RLAH?
You should contact your mobile operator immediately. If you are not satisfied with the answer, you can contact AKEP.
Does RLAH with BP and cheaper roaming tariffs with EU include?
No, but discussions on reducing roaming tariffs between the Western Balkans and the EU are under way.
/ PCWorld Albanian