Wegweiser Travellers · Your rights on holidays and private trips Deutsch

💳 Credit card, cash and roaming

Where paying and phoning abroad get expensive and how to avoid fee traps.

credit card foreign transaction fee DCC cash roaming Roam like at home fair use cost trap

In brief

Roaming: in the EU as well as in Liechtenstein, Norway and Iceland, calls, texts and surfing cost as much as in Germany. Not in Switzerland, Turkey and the United Kingdom, unless your provider includes them.

  • Near the border, your phone may connect to a network outside the EU. That gets expensive.
  • You receive a warning at 80 percent of the cost limit of €50 net; at €100 net, data roaming is cut off.

Credit card: outside the euro area, a foreign transaction fee often applies. When paying, always choose the local currency and not euros.

Step by step

  1. Check your planAsk your provider about roaming in non-EU countries.
  2. Set the networkSet the network manually at borders.
  3. Check your cardCheck the fees of your credit card for payment and withdrawal abroad.
  4. Choose the local currencyDecline conversion into euros (DCC) at the terminal and cash machine.

Deadlines

€50 / €100
Warning at 80 percent of the cost limit of €50 net; data roaming cut off at €100 net, unless agreed otherwiseBundesnetzagentur, Roaming
1.5 to 2.5 %
Typical foreign transaction fee (provider sites, not official)Search result, credit card guide
€10,000
Duty to declare cashZoll online
Watch out – common mistakes
  • Onboard networks on ships and aircraft are excluded from EU roaming.
  • Wi-Fi calls and special services can cause extra costs.
  • According to the Bundesnetzagentur (search result), large German providers treat Great Britain like the EU at least until the end of 2026.
  • Specific credit card fees depend on the contract; no officially verified figures.
In depth · legal basis, figures and practice – for advisers and professionals

Roaming

According to the Bundesnetzagentur, roam-like-at-home applies to EU roaming: calls, texts and surfing in the EU as well as Liechtenstein, Norway and Iceland cost as much as in Germany; since 1 July 2022 also with the same service quality, including 5G where available. Exceptions concern the fair-use rule and certain special services, satellite, aircraft and ship networks, Wi-Fi calls and premium-rate services. The cost protection warns at 80 percent of the cost limit of €50 net and cuts off data roaming at €100 net; providers can set other limits. Switzerland, Turkey and the United Kingdom are not covered by EU roaming according to search results.

Payments

Search results from provider sites give a foreign transaction fee of around 1.5 to 2.5 percent outside the euro area and advise always paying in local currency to avoid dynamic currency conversion. This information does not come from legislation or an authority. Payment services law (for example fees in euros): not checked. Cash declaration: customs page.

Who is responsible
  • Mobile network provider
  • Bank or card issuer
  • Bundesnetzagentur (supervision)
  • Verbraucherzentrale
Further reading
Customs: what you may bring backRental car and vehicle abroadTravel warnings, crisis preparedness, Auswärtiges Amt

Quick questions

Worum geht es bei „Credit card, cash and roaming“?
Where paying and phoning abroad get expensive and how to avoid fee traps.
Which deadlines and figures matter?
  • €50 / €100: Warning at 80 percent of the cost limit of €50 net; data roaming cut off at €100 net, unless agreed otherwise (Bundesnetzagentur, Roaming)
  • 1.5 to 2.5 %: Typical foreign transaction fee (provider sites, not official) (Search result, credit card guide)
  • €10,000: Duty to declare cash (Zoll online)
What should I do first?
  • Check your plan: Ask your provider about roaming in non-EU countries.
  • Set the network: Set the network manually at borders.
  • Check your card: Check the fees of your credit card for payment and withdrawal abroad.
What do I need to watch out for?
  • Onboard networks on ships and aircraft are excluded from EU roaming.
  • Wi-Fi calls and special services can cause extra costs.
  • According to the Bundesnetzagentur (search result), large German providers treat Great Britain like the EU at least until the end of 2026.
Evidence
  • Bundesnetzagentur, Telefonieren und Surfen im Ausland: Roaming, retrieved 21 September 2026
  • Bundesnetzagentur, EU-Roaming (search result on Great Britain), retrieved 21 September 2026
  • Search result credit card and DCC (reisetopia.de, vr.de), retrieved 21 September 2026
  • Zoll online, Barmittel, retrieved 21 September 2026
As of

September 2026 · Sources and method

A question about your situation that this page does not answer? Write to us or use the contact form – we will tell you which office is responsible and what to bring. Free of charge, without individual legal advice.