URL: https://esimworld.co.uk/roaming/ee/
Source: eSIM World (esimworld.co.uk)
Author: Nadezhda Semenova, entrepreneur, co-founder of the Trippy travel service, https://esimworld.co.uk/author/
Updated: 26 October 2026
Prices: in pounds (GBP) at the rate of 31 Oct; the site shows the rate of the day.

# EE roaming: what EE charges in Europe and beyond, and when a travel eSIM costs less

EE charges £2.72 a day to use your UK allowance in its Europe zone, on plans launched from 7 July 2021 (checked on 24 October 2026, [EE price guide](https://ee.co.uk/content/dam/help/terms-and-conditions/price-plans/mobile/sim-only-price-plans/_ee-pay-monthly-standard-and-non-standard-price-guide-31st_March_2026_1.1.pdf)). The charge applies to each UK day you use your phone, and a Weekly EU Roaming Pass costs £16.50 instead. Older plans use their allowance in Europe at no extra cost, and EE includes the Republic of Ireland in your allowance. Two days on the daily charge come to £5.44; our Europe eSIM is £2.99 for 1 GB over 7 days, data only.

This site is not affiliated with EE; we sell eSIMs. [How we compare](https://esimworld.co.uk/how-we-compare/)

You may not need an eSIM at all. If your plan predates 7 July 2021, you are going to Ireland, or you will use the phone abroad on one day only, stay on EE: your number, your allowance, no second line to set up.

## How much does EE charge to use your phone in Europe?

EE charges £2.72 for each UK calendar day you use your phone in its Europe zone, but only on handset and SIM plans launched from 7 July 2021 (checked on 24 October 2026, [EE price guide](https://ee.co.uk/content/dam/help/terms-and-conditions/price-plans/mobile/sim-only-price-plans/_ee-pay-monthly-standard-and-non-standard-price-guide-31st_March_2026_1.1.pdf)). Tablet and mobile broadband plans have a later cut-off, 18 August 2021.

EE counts the day "midnight to midnight, UK time". A call at 23:50 and a text at 00:10 are two charged days, though they are 20 minutes apart. The charge counts days you use the phone, not days you are away.

The rate goes up. EE's guide says standard roaming charges, the daily EU charge included, "will increase each year by the annual percentage increase", and the same guide puts that increase at 5%. The weekly and 12-day passes sit outside that rise, "but may increase from time to time". EE states that its roaming prices include VAT.

EE sells two Europe passes on pay monthly and SIM only plans:

| EE Europe pass | Price | How long it runs |
|---|---|---|
| Weekly EU Roaming Pass | £16.50 | 168 hours from purchase |
| 12-days EU Pass | £27.50 | 288 hours from purchase |

Outside the allowance, calls cost £1.83 a minute and texts 98p each.

If EE's roaming calculator shows you £2.59 a day or £15 for 7 days, that is older text. EE's own pages disagree, and we follow the price guide PDF of 31 March 2026 throughout.

EE's price guide says Full Works plans taken after 29 August 2024 include roaming through the Roam Abroad Pass. We could not confirm its allowance or countries on EE's help pages, so we give no figures: ask EE what your Full Works plan covers.

### Pay monthly vs pay as you go on EE

Pay as you go customers buy Roam like Home instead: £2.50 for 24 hours or £10 for 7 days, and it needs an active 30-Day or Saver plan (checked on 24 October 2026, [EE pay as you go roaming](https://ee.co.uk/help/mobile/roaming/pay-as-you-go-charges-for-roaming-in-the-eu)). Everything else on this page is for pay monthly and SIM only plans.

### What a trip costs on EE, day by day

The weekly pass only beats the daily charge from the seventh day of use; six days cost £16.32 on the daily charge. The table is our arithmetic from EE's published rates, for plans from 7 July 2021, with each pass bought on the first day you need it.

<!-- visual-slot -->

| Days of use | Daily charge only | Smallest EE total (our sum) | How |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | £8.16 | £8.16 | daily charge |
| 7 | £19.04 | £16.50 | Weekly EU Roaming Pass |
| 8 | £21.76 | £19.22 | weekly pass, then one daily charge |
| 12 | £32.64 | £27.50 | 12-days EU Pass |
| 15 | £40.80 | £35.66 | 12-days EU Pass, then three daily charges |

Source: EE price guide, 31 March 2026, checked on 24 October 2026. The daily rate and the pass prices are EE's; the totals are ours.

For a week in Spain, then, EE's smallest figure is £16.50 for the Weekly EU Roaming Pass, against £2.99 for our Europe plan with 1 GB over 7 days ([the Europe eSIM](https://esimworld.co.uk/esim-europe/)). They are different products. EE's pass lets you use your UK allowance, minutes and texts on your own number; our plan is data only. [Keeping your UK number](https://esimworld.co.uk/help/keep-your-uk-number/) explains how to run both on one phone.

## Which countries are in EE's Europe zone, and is Ireland included?

EE's Europe zone countries are the EU states plus Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, the Canary Islands, Madeira and the Azores; Turkey and Andorra are not in it (checked on 24 October 2026, [EE roaming costs](https://ee.co.uk/help/mobile/roaming/roaming-costs)).

Ireland is the exception to the daily charge. EE says calls, texts and data used in the Republic of Ireland, and from there to the UK, are included in your allowance. Go over it and "the £2.72 daily charge will apply in addition to the cost of a data add-on". With the Republic of Ireland included in your allowance, a trip to Dublin needs no travel eSIM, on EE or on any of the [15 UK networks we compare](https://esimworld.co.uk/roaming/).

Jersey, Guernsey, the Isle of Man and Gibraltar are in the zone too, and EE charges £2.72 a day in all four (more below).

In [Greece](https://esimworld.co.uk/sim-card/greece/) or Cyprus your phone might pick up a Turkish network, and Turkey is outside the zone. EE says you can stop that by texting EUROAM to 150, so the phone connects only to EU networks ([EE get ready to roam](https://ee.co.uk/help/mobile/roaming/get-ready-to-roam)).

<details>
<summary>All countries and territories in EE's Europe zone</summary>

Italy, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Guernsey, Hungary, Ireland, Jersey, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Austria, Gibraltar, Iceland, Isle of Man, Malta, Netherlands, Slovenia, Liechtenstein, Monaco, San Marino, Slovakia, French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Reunion Island, Vatican City, Saint Martin (French), Saint Barthelemy, Azores, Canary Islands, Mayotte, The French Antilles, Madeira.

Source: [EE roaming costs](https://ee.co.uk/help/mobile/roaming/roaming-costs), checked on 24 October 2026.
</details>

For the same countries on every network, see [roaming in Europe](https://esimworld.co.uk/roaming/europe/).

## What does EE charge outside Europe: USA, Turkey, Dubai, Thailand?

Outside Europe EE gives you no mobile data without a pass. In Rest of World Zone 1, which holds the USA, Turkey, the UAE and Thailand, a pass costs £5.50 for 24 hours or £26.50 for 7 days (checked on 24 October 2026, [EE price guide](https://ee.co.uk/content/dam/help/terms-and-conditions/price-plans/mobile/sim-only-price-plans/_ee-pay-monthly-standard-and-non-standard-price-guide-31st_March_2026_1.1.pdf)).

### EE's zones outside Europe

EE splits the rest of the world into four zones plus a Zone 4* with no passes, and the price rises as you go down:

| EE zone | Examples | 24-hour pass | 7-day pass |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rest of World Zone 1 | USA, Turkey, UAE (Dubai), Thailand, India, Canada | £5.50 | £26.50 |
| Rest of World Zone 2 | Egypt, Morocco, Kenya, Hong Kong | £8 | £39.50 |
| Rest of World Zone 3 | Japan, Pakistan, [Sri Lanka](https://esimworld.co.uk/sim-card/sri-lanka/), Brazil | £8, with 500MB | none |
| Rest of World Zone 4 | Georgia, Nepal, the Maldives | £16, with 10MB | none |
| Rest of World Zone 4* | Cuba, Laos, Paraguay | no pass, so no data | none |

The Zone 1 and Zone 2 passes use your UK plan allowance; the Zone 3 and Zone 4 passes give a fixed amount of data. A pass runs "for 24 hours from the moment of purchase", so one bought at 4pm on arrival day ends at 4pm the next day. Without a pass you can still call and text: £2.46 a minute and 98p a text in every Rest of World zone.

### A week on EE against our plans

The same week, set against ours:

| Destination | EE, 7 days (checked on 24 October 2026) | Our plan, 1 GB for 7 days |
|---|---|---|
| [USA](https://esimworld.co.uk/esim-united-states/) (Zone 1) | £26.50 pass | £2.99 |
| [Turkey](https://esimworld.co.uk/esim-turkey/) (Zone 1) | £26.50 pass | £2.99 |
| [Thailand](https://esimworld.co.uk/esim-thailand/) (Zone 1) | £26.50 pass | £2.99 |
| [Morocco](https://esimworld.co.uk/esim-morocco/) (Zone 2) | £39.50 pass | £3.99 |
| [Egypt](https://esimworld.co.uk/esim-egypt/) (Zone 2) | £39.50 pass | £3.99 |

Weigh the data too. EE's Zone 1 and Zone 2 passes use your plan allowance, which can be far more than 1 GB, and keep your number for calls. Our plans are data only, and on most of them validity starts when the eSIM first connects at your destination, not when you buy it; check the activation rule shown on your plan. If you stream all week, 1 GB will not do; check the larger plans on the product page.

**Turkey:** buy and install your eSIM before you travel. eSIM shops, including ours, may not open on Turkish networks.

### Which countries are in Zone 1 and Zone 2

<details>
<summary>EE Rest of World Zone 1 and Zone 2 country lists</summary>

Zone 1: Albania, Algeria, Australia, Bangladesh, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Canada, China, Dominican Republic, Faroe Islands, Fiji, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Malaysia, Mexico, Moldova, Montenegro, New Zealand, Oman, Peru, Puerto Rico, Qatar, Serbia, Seychelles, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, Ukraine, United States, [Vietnam](https://esimworld.co.uk/sim-card/vietnam/).

Zone 2: Andorra, Botswana, Armenia, Bahrain, Cameroon, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Ghana, Guinea, Hong Kong, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Kosovo, Liberia, Madagascar, Mali, Mauritius, Morocco, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Philippines, Russia, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Sudan, Tanzania, Tunisia, Uganda, Uruguay, Zambia.

Source: [EE price guide](https://ee.co.uk/content/dam/help/terms-and-conditions/price-plans/mobile/sim-only-price-plans/_ee-pay-monthly-standard-and-non-standard-price-guide-31st_March_2026_1.1.pdf), checked on 24 October 2026.
</details>

## EE pass or a travel eSIM: which costs less for a 7-day trip?

For 7 days of use in Europe, EE's smallest figure is the £16.50 Weekly EU Roaming Pass, against £19.04 on the daily charge (checked on 24 October 2026). Our Europe plan is £2.99 for 1 GB over 7 days, data only.

Three things decide it, in this order:

1. **Your plan date.** Plans from before 7 July 2021 pay nothing extra in Europe, so EE wins whatever an eSIM costs.
2. **Your days of use.** One day on EE is £2.72, two days £5.44, three days £8.16. A day you never use the phone abroad costs nothing.
3. **How much data you use.** Our plans are sold by the GB, so compare the plan size with what your phone says you use in a week at home.

Stay on EE when you need calls and texts on your own number all day, you are in Ireland, or your plan already includes Europe. A travel eSIM makes more sense outside EE's Europe zone, where a week in Zone 1 costs £26.50, or when you only need data and EE's total for your days is higher than the plan price on the product page.

For any network, [roaming or eSIM](https://esimworld.co.uk/roaming-or-esim/) walks through the same decision.

## Jersey, Guernsey, the Isle of Man, ships and planes on EE

EE charges its £2.72 daily rate in Jersey, Guernsey, the Isle of Man and Gibraltar, while Ireland is included (checked on 24 October 2026). On a ship or a plane, data costs £16 for each 10MB bundle, and on satellite networks there is no data at all.

| Place | EE charge |
|---|---|
| Republic of Ireland | included in your allowance |
| Jersey | £2.72 a day |
| Guernsey | £2.72 a day |
| Isle of Man | £2.72 a day |
| Gibraltar | £2.72 a day |

Source: EE price guide, 31 March 2026, checked on 24 October 2026.

EE's Jersey and Guernsey charges are the same as in Spain. Our Europe plan does not cover Jersey, Guernsey or the Isle of Man; Gibraltar is in it. For every network, read [the Crown Dependencies guide](https://esimworld.co.uk/roaming/crown-dependencies-gibraltar/).

The Aircraft Pass and the Maritime (Ships & Ferries) Pass both charge £16 per 10MB bundle, the same rate as EE's Zone 4 pass. A phone on a ferry can connect to a maritime network without you noticing, which is why people often learn the price from the bill. Switch off data roaming at sea and use the ship's Wi-Fi. Our eSIMs use land networks, so they work in port, not at sea; see [the cruise page](https://esimworld.co.uk/cruise/).

<a id="esim"></a>

## eSIM on EE: activation and transfer

EE gives you an eSIM in one of three ways: set up on the phone with a new pay monthly deal, downloaded in the EE app on SIM only, or scanned from an EE eSIM QR code in the pack EE sends by post. To check your phone takes one, dial *#06#: an EID on screen means it does ([EE eSIM help](https://ee.co.uk/help/mobile/getting-started/download-and-use-an-ee-esim)).

EE's page also covers moving an eSIM:

- Converting a physical SIM in the same phone: in the phone's settings, under "Convert your SIM to eSIM".
- A new phone of the same make: Apple Quick Start for iPhone to iPhone, Android set-up for Android to Android.
- A lost phone, a deleted eSIM or a move from Android to iPhone: the EE app, under "Replace my SIM/eSIM".

EE lists the menu steps for each phone on that page; the phone makers' own paths are in [how to transfer an eSIM](https://esimworld.co.uk/help/transfer-esim/).

Your EE eSIM is your EE line, with your number. A travel eSIM from us is a second, data-only line next to it. A dual SIM phone holds both: EE for calls and texts, the travel line for data, with data roaming off on the EE line ([data roaming settings](https://esimworld.co.uk/help/data-roaming-settings/)). Data roaming off does not switch off the daily charge: a call you make or a text you send on the EE line in Europe still makes that a charged day.

## Do I need to tell EE I'm going abroad?

No: EE's get-ready-to-roam checklist has no step for telling EE where you are going. It asks you instead to text ROAMING to 150 so your phone is ready to roam, and to check that your Spend Cap covers the daily charges for the trip ([EE get ready to roam](https://ee.co.uk/help/mobile/roaming/get-ready-to-roam)).

Three steps cover what matters before you leave:

1. Text ROAMING to 150, then check your plan's launch date against 7 July 2021 and your destination's zone on [EE roaming costs](https://ee.co.uk/help/mobile/roaming/roaming-costs).
2. Set a roaming spend cap high enough for the days you will roam, using EE's own Spend Cap steps. The amount is yours to choose: Ofcom says the statutory roaming protections ended in June 2022, so the old £45 cap is no longer a legal requirement ([Ofcom roaming protections](https://www.ofcom.org.uk/phones-and-broadband/bills-and-charges/mobile-roaming-customer-protections)).
3. Read the free text EE sends when you connect abroad. Ofcom's General Condition C3.15 requires it to say whether the destination is in your plan, the prices, and when any charge period starts and ends ([Ofcom: using your mobile abroad](https://www.ofcom.org.uk/phones-and-broadband/saving-money/using-your-mobile-abroad)).

## Frequently asked questions

### How much is roaming with EE?

£2.72 a day in Europe on plans launched from 7 July 2021, or £16.50 for a Weekly EU Roaming Pass (checked on 24 October 2026). Outside Europe you need a pass: £5.50 for 24 hours or £26.50 for 7 days in Rest of World Zone 1. Plans from before 7 July 2021 use their allowance in Europe at no extra cost.

### Do I need to tell EE if I am going abroad?

No. EE's get-ready-to-roam checklist has no step for telling EE where you are going. It does ask you to text ROAMING to 150 so your phone is ready to roam, and to check that your Spend Cap covers the daily charges for the trip.

### Do I have to pay roaming charges in Ireland?

No, not within your allowance. EE says calls, texts and data used in the Republic of Ireland, and from there to the UK, are included in your allowance (checked on 24 October 2026). Go over the allowance and the £2.72 daily charge applies on top of the cost of a data add-on.

### How do I get an eSIM for EE?

Three ways: on a new pay monthly phone you set it up on the device, on SIM only you download it in the EE app, or you scan the QR pack EE sends by post. Dial *#06# first: an EID on screen means your phone takes an eSIM.

### Is Turkey included in EU roaming on EE?

No. EE says Turkey and Andorra are not included in its Europe zone, so the £2.72 daily charge does not cover them (checked on 24 October 2026). Turkey is in Rest of World Zone 1, where a pass costs £5.50 for 24 hours or £26.50 for 7 days.

*Sources are linked in the text; reviewed by Nadezhda Semenova. For the terms of your own contract, check with EE.*

## Sources

- [EE Pay Monthly standard and non-standard price guide, 31 March 2026 (PDF)](https://ee.co.uk/content/dam/help/terms-and-conditions/price-plans/mobile/sim-only-price-plans/_ee-pay-monthly-standard-and-non-standard-price-guide-31st_March_2026_1.1.pdf)
- [EE: roaming costs](https://ee.co.uk/help/mobile/roaming/roaming-costs)
- [EE: get ready to roam](https://ee.co.uk/help/mobile/roaming/get-ready-to-roam)
- [EE: pay as you go charges for roaming in the EU](https://ee.co.uk/help/mobile/roaming/pay-as-you-go-charges-for-roaming-in-the-eu)
- [EE: download and use an EE eSIM](https://ee.co.uk/help/mobile/getting-started/download-and-use-an-ee-esim)
- [Ofcom: using your mobile abroad](https://www.ofcom.org.uk/phones-and-broadband/saving-money/using-your-mobile-abroad)
- [Ofcom: mobile roaming customer protections](https://www.ofcom.org.uk/phones-and-broadband/bills-and-charges/mobile-roaming-customer-protections)