Phone Shop in Romania
Full Guide to Mobile Plans in Romania
If you’re planning on visiting or moving to Romania and want an easy to understand guide that breaks down all the information of the different cell phone providers, options, plans, and benefits available on the Romanian market, then you’ve come to the right place! This guide on choosing the best cell phone provider in Romania covers all the details you will ever need in making the best choice suited specifically for your cellular needs.
Choosing the right cell phone plan to use in Romania first comes down to the question of which of these needs do you have? Do you want the best cell plan with the most options that make sense for a temporary visitor or tourist? Or, do you plan on living in Romania and want to find out what the best long-term cellphone provider you should go with is? Regardless of your needs, we have you covered in this guide.
Best Cellphone Plan in Romania – Table of Contents
- How Mobile Carriers in Romania Work
- Mobile Plan Options in Romania
- Sim Cards in Romania
- How Mobile Roaming Works in Romania
- Choosing a Cell Phone Carrier in Romania
- The Big 4 Cell Phone Carriers in Romania
- Porting a Romanian Number
- Growth in Romania’s Mobile Markets
How Mobile Carriers in Romania Work
Mobile carriers in Romania work similar to mobile carrier’s in the U.S. and other parts of the world with a few noticeable exceptions. In the U.S. you have the option of going with a CDMA or a GSM network, in Romania, along with all of Europe, all networks are GSM. Romania’s mobile networks are also highly regulated by the regulatory agency ANCOM. The regulations imposed by ANCOM have been successful in spurring innovation, competition, and keeping mobile plan prices low in Romania.
Another difference in Romanian mobile cell plans compared to plans in the U.S. is the ratio of prepaid to contract plans. Where is in the U.S. most consumers have contract-based phone plans, in Romania, up until 2016, prepaid plans exceeded subscription contracts. According to ANCOM, the number of prepaid plans, compared to subscription plans in Romania remain nearly equal, with subscription plans slightly edging out prepaid plans 11.5 million to 11.4 million users respectively.
To summarize, in Romania, you will need a phone with a sim card slot, you’ll be operating on a GSM network, and you will have many prepaid plans to choose from if you don’t opt for a contract plan. Another thing worth noting about Romanian phone systems is that the country code for Romania is +40, and all cell phone numbers begin with 07 and are 10 digits long.
Prepaid and Contract Mobile Plans
All four of Romania’s mobile providers offer either a contract plan (abonament) or a prepaid plan (cartela prepay). Prepay sim cards with a Romanian number, minutes, and mobile data are available for purchase to anyone living in or visiting the country. Contract plans, however, are only available to Romanian residents who have a valid Romanian passport or Buletin.
Contract (abonament) and Prepay Sim Cards in Romania
If you’re not a Romanian resident you shouldn’t worry, most Prepay plans are very similar in prices and allowances to their contract counterparts. The main difference is that on a contract plan you are locked in for the full term of your contract (usually 2 years), have to pay a fee for early cancelation (often steep), and have better access to roaming plans.
If you’re a Romanian citizen it might be advantageous for you to go with a contract plan for two main reasons. First, when you agree to get locked into a contract, you can usually purchase a cell phone (even the latest models) from the provider at a discounted price. Second, contracts usually have better roaming packages and sometimes more favorable minutes, SMS, and data allowances.
Taxes on Mobile Plans in Romania
Mobile plan prices are shown in Euro but have to be paid in Romania’s LEI (RON) currency. Romania’s VAT tax (TVA) of 19% is added to the final price, then the conversion from Euro to LEI is done automatically at checkout. The final price will always be slightly higher than the fixed Euro cost advertised for the plans.
Example: a 4 Euro Top-Up is advertised as 4 Euros. Then, 19% TVA tax is added to make the price 4.76 Euro. Finally, 4.76 Euro is converted to LEI using the day’s official conversion rate, which leaves us with a grand total of 22.07 LEI at the day’s conversion rate of 1 EUR = 4,6375 RON.
Sim Cards in Romania
Since Romania’s cell phone networks operate on the GSM standard, it means mobile cell phones in the country operate by the use of a sim card. A sim card is a tiny removable chip that stores your mobile number, contact information, and sometimes other data.
Sim cards in Romania are exclusive to the operator which provides them, meaning you can’t get a mobile plan for Orange, on a Vodafone sim. A major benefit for Romanian sim cards is that Romanian carriers typically include unlimited minutes in all their plans to calls on the same carrier.
Where to Buy a Prepay Sim Card in Romania
The official Romanian name for a sim card is a “Cartela” (pronounced as written). Sim cards (cartele) are found virtually everywhere in Romania. You can buy them at newsstands, at kiosks in malls, at gas stations, at train stations, inside grocery stores, vending machines, and from telephone shops themselves.
Orange Mobile Booth Inside a Mall in Romania
Prepaid sim cards in Romania usually come pre-loaded with a phone number, minutes, and data. The number of minutes, data, and the different options available on the card depend on your selection and the price you paid. The information of what the sim card plan contains is usually found on the package. You can also ask the seller to explain the different sim card options.
How to Activate a Romanian Sim Card
Each different mobile provider has its own unique way of activating the sim card after you’ve purchased it. The instructions are found in the package of the sim card and are straight-forward. Activation usually involves entering some numbers into the phone after you’ve inserted the sim card, and then following the on-screen prompts.
For instance, to activate an Orange sim card, you enter the pin code “0000” and follow any on-screen instructions. To activate a Vodafone sim card, you send an SMS to the number “321” or you dial *100# and follow the prompts. You can also ask the seller to help activate your sim card.
Top-Up a Prepay Sim Card in Romania
The process of “Topping-Up,” “Recharging,” or PrePaying” a sim card means you’re adding more money that will be transferred into minutes, data, or whatever other options you’ve selected for your prepaid sim card. Despite the different names used for the process, the purposes are all the same, to refill your sim card.
Customer Topping-Up his Prepaid Sim Card in Orange Romania Shop
Top-Ups are usually done once you’ve consumed either your minutes, data, SMS, or other option of which you want more of and need to refill. When you select a Top-Up plan, make sure you check how many days it’s valid for. Plans are typically valid from 10, 15, 30, and 45 days before they expire. Plans don’t roll over after they expire.
In Romania, you have many different options of where you can go to Top-Up your sim card. You can Top-Up by buying prepaid Top-Up cards or vouchers from grocery stores, gas stations, at counters in mobile shops, or at kiosks and recharge points of the carrier.
Another Top-Up option is online with credit or debit card on the provider’s website. It’s important to note that most sites are not in English and google translate doesn’t always work with them. If you can read Romanian or have someone who read it help you, then Topping-Up online is a very good option.
Topping-Up – Options VS Credit
Some providers, like for example Orange Romania, have the option to Top-Up with either “options or credit” (opţiunea sau credit). The difference is very important, so pay close attention.
When Topping-Up with “Options” you have the ability to select plans with the number of minutes, data, SMS, and other benefits you desire, all in a package. For example, Orange has a “5 Euro Option” that includes 1,000 national minutes, 100 international, and 5 GB data.
When you Top-Up with “Credit” you are essentially loading money on your sim card that can be used in various ways. You can use the credit to purchase options plans during any time, by dialing the carrier’s code to access the purchase menu. The money will then be deducted directly from the credit you had on your account.
Another way credit can be used is by making calls, sending SMS messages, or using mobile data. The downside to that is that you get charged the rate that your carrier charges per minute talked, SMS sent, or data used. The prices are extremely high when compared to an options plan and the credit will fast disappear if you use it that way.
The difference between “Credit,” and “Options” plans in Romania is that options plans come as bundles of minutes, SMS, and data, and are made to be affordable. Credit is the amount of money you load on your sim card that you can use whenever you want to buy options plans or to make calls, send SMS, or use data at the cost of your provider’s rates. Options plans also expire, and credit does not ever expire.
Registration of Romanian Prepay Sim Cards
Due to supposed attempts at thwarting crime and terrorism, and in spite of contrary evidence, several European countries now mandate prepaid sim card owners to register their sim card’s using their national ID or passport. The fact that such a law is highly unpopular, ineffective, and very inconvenient, hasn’t stopped governments around the world from implementing or attempting to implement the mandate.
From 2011 to 2016, there have been 5 different legislative attempts in Romania to try and force the country into becoming one of the nations that require sim card registration. the attempts for the initiatives have so far been unsuccessful. Much credit in opposing the registration law goes to various Romania NGOs who advocate for privacy and anonymity rights in Romania.
Because of the successful opposition of the draconian law by Romania’s NGOs, currently it is not required to register a prepaid sim card in Romania. The freedom to purchase and use prepaid sim cards in Romania without registration, however, can change at any time in the near future as lawmakers seem keen on pushing the legislation through.
How Mobile Roaming Works in Romania
Mobile roaming in Romania works similar to how it works in most other countries. If you’re in an area of the country where your current provider has a weak signal, you may be prompted to activate and use roaming, to connect to the network of a different provider. If you’re in another EU country, you will automatically use “roam like at home”.
Romania is Part of the EU’s Roam Like at Home
Most Romanian carriers also provide roaming option plans that include non-EU European countries, and various other countries around the world. The plans are many and varied, so if roaming is very important for you, it’s a good idea to compare and contrast what’s available across the different providers.
How Roam Like at Home Works in Romania
As of June 15, 2017, Romania has become an incorporator of the European Union’s roam like at home rules. Roam like at home essentially means that members of EU and EEA countries get charged the same rates on their mobile plans when visiting and roaming on networks in other EU or EEA countries as if they were using their mobile in their own country.
A benefit of roam like at home is that you get to use the same amount of national SMS and minutes you have on your plan, while in another country as if you were in your home country. If you have unlimited minutes and SMS on your phone plan in Romania, you have unlimited minutes and SMS while using roaming in an EU or EEA country.
Another benefit of roam like at home is that you can receive SMS or phone calls free of charge to you while roaming in an EU or EEA country. Of course, even though roam like at home has its benefits, there are a few exceptions and things to look out for when you are using it.
- In order to use roam like at home, you must have a phone plan that includes Roaming. It’s easier to find a subscription plan that includes roaming options than it is to find a prepaid one. However, there are prepaid plans that include roaming, but they generally tend to be the highest priced prepaid plans.
- Unlike minutes and SMS, data, when you roam like at home, isn’t allocated the same as you would have it nationally. Instead, a somewhat complicated formula is used to calculate an amount of data, from your total national data, that you get to use while roaming.
- Even if you have unlimited data nationally, you won’t have unlimited data while roaming like at home. Instead, a different and also complicated formula is used to determine how much data you can use while roaming like at home.
- If you don’t have an unlimited minutes and SMS plan, you will be charged for roaming over the amount that was allocated to you in your national plan.
- Not all carriers are required to abide by the roam like at home rules. For example, in Romania, ANCOM granted Digi Mobil (RCS&RDS) a 12-month waiver that exempts them from having to take part in the program.
Choosing a Cell Phone Carrier in Romania
When reading this guide you might have an idea of what your needs for a having a cellphone in Romania are. You might want a simple plan suitable for making calls, using mobile data, and sending SMS messages. Or, your needs might be more complex, you might want the best cell phone provider with the biggest 4G coverage that will allow you to have the best live-streaming feeds from the most remote areas of the country.
Prepay Sim Card Plans in Romania
Since everyone’s needs are different, and the options are so many and variable, we decided to make a list of all the things you should keep in mind when picking your cell phone provider in Romania. Some of the items on the list may be important to you, some might not be. You can note down the ones relevant to you, and ignore the ones which aren’t. It’s good to have a summary of all the different options to help you make the best decision possible.
What to think about when selecting your cell phone plan in Romania
- Does the provider have pre-paid, and contract plans?
- Are the plans affordable for me?
- Can you port your old number to this provider?
- How many national minutes do I get?
- What kind of international minutes are included in the plan?
- What kind of SMS and Mobile Data are included in the plan?
- Does the provider use new technologies like VoLTE or VoWifi?
- What type of coverage does the provider have in Romania?
- What roaming options do I have?
The Big 4 Cell Phone Carriers in Romania
The big 4 cell phone carriers in Romania are Orange Romania, 10.4 million subscribers, Vodafone, 8.9 million, Telekom, 4.7 million, and Digi Mobil, 3.9 million. The top 3 cell phone carriers in Romania account for 73% of the market share, with the other companies combined accounting for the remaining 27%. As you can probably conclude, because of the market dominance by the top 4 mobile carriers, odds are that when you select which cell phone provider to use in Romania, it will be one of those four.
The Big Four Mobile Providers in Romania
When deciding who to choose for your Romanian mobile provider, it’s important to note that the number of subscribers the company has isn’t always indicative of that company being the best choice to go with. Many other factors come into play when determining what’s the best mobile plan to use in Romania. The next section will break-down all the information you’ll need to know about each of the cell phone carriers in order to make the best choice possible.
Comparing Romania’s Cell Phone Carriers
Because cell phone carriers and providers are always changing, updating, adding, and removing options to their plans, it wouldn’t make sense to compare and contrast individual plans with one another. The information would fast become outdated. Instead, we’ll be providing information about the carrier’s backgrounds, reputations, advantages, disadvantages, consumer-friendliness, trends, innovations, and also links to their websites where you can view and compare current plans and offers.
The information we will share will be relevant at any time of the year and will never become outdated. We will provide you with all the required research and resources in order for you to make your selection. After reading up the summary of each of the mobile carrier companies in Romania, we advise you to visit the links that will take you to the relevant sections on their websites. You can also compare plans and offers using the website telecompar.
Orange Romania
Orange Romania is a division of the company Orange S.A., a France based company that has been on the market since 2006. Orange S.A. has over 256 million customers worldwide and operates in 28 different countries. With 10. 4 million mobile subscribers (2018), highest reported revenue’s, and largest distribution network in the country, Orange Romania is currently considered Romania’s largest mobile carrier provider.
Orange Romania – Coverage
Orange Romania has one of the best coverage reaches of all the mobile carriers in the country. They’ve invested 100s of millions of Euros over the decades to continual infrastructure development and expansion. The result from the investments has led Orange to have coverage for 97.56% of Romania’s population, with future plans of reaching 99% of the country’s citizens.
Orange Romania 4G Coverage Map
3G access through Orange Romania is found on 99.3% of the nation’s roads as well as virtually everywhere in the country, the exception being the most mountains and remote areas. 4G access(link14) is found on 89.2% of the nation’s roads, reaches 95.4% of the country’s total population, and 100% of Romania’s urban residents. As of 2018, Orange Romania provides 4G+(link13) with speeds up to 500mbs in 95 cities in Romania.
Orange Romania – Features and Options Table
| Feature | Avalability | Info |
|---|---|---|
| Contract Plans | Yes | Orange Abonamente |
| Prepay Plans | Yes | Orange Prepay |
| VoLTE | Yes | Apel 4g |
| VoWifi | Yes | Apel Wifi |
| Roaming Options | Yes | Serviciul Roaming |
| 4G+ | Yes | Orange 4G+ |
| Online Account | Yes | Orange MyAccount |
| English Website | No | N/A |
| Coverage Map | Yes | Orange Romania Coverage Map |
| Shop Locator | Yes | Orange Romania Shop Locator |
Vodafone Romania
Vodafone Romania is a division of the company Vodafone Group plc, a British company that has been around since the 1980s. Vodafone Group has over 535 million customers worldwide and operates in 25 different countries. With 9.9 million mobile subscribers (2018), Vodafone is considered the second largest carrier in Romania, and the biggest competitor of Romania’s largest provider, Orange Romania.
Vodafone Romania – Coverage
Vodafone claims to have the best 3G coverage in all of Romania, they purport to reach 90% of the country’s population. Their 4G coverage across the country is similar to Orange’s and reaches somewhere around 95% of the country’s population. Vodafone has also recently launched their own version of 4G+ in select cities, known as Supernet 4.5G, which allows for data speeds of up to 800mbs on select devices.
Vodafone Romania Supernet 4.5G Coverage Map
Vodafone Romania – Features and Options Table
| Feature | Avalability | Info |
|---|---|---|
| Contract Plans | Yes | Vodafone Abonamente |
| Prepay Plans | Yes | Cartela Vodafone |
| VoLTE | No | N/A |
| VoWifi | No | N/A |
| Roaming Options | Yes | Prepay Roaming Contract Roaming |
| 4G+ | Yes | Supernet™ 4.5G |
| Online Account | Yes | MyVodafone |
| English Website | Partily | English Summary |
| Coverage Map | Yes | Vodafone Romania Coverage Map |
| Shop Locator | Yes | Vodafone Romania Shop Locator |
Telekom Romania
Telekom Romania (formerly Romtelecom and Cosmote) is based out of Bucharest, Romania but is a subsidiary of the Greek telecommunications giant OTE. OTE, in turn, has its majority shares owned by the German company, Deutsche Telekom. Telekom Romania uses the same logo as T-Mobile, a subsidiary of Deutsche Telekom. With 4.7 million subscribers (2017) Telekom Romania is considered the third largest telecommunications company operating in Romania.
Telekom Romania – Coverage
Telekom Romania has smaller 3G coverage than all three other big carriers in the country, they also have smaller 4G coverage than Orange and Vodafone. Telekom’s 4G coverage reaches about 60% of the country (2017) but they are fast adding new 4G infrastructure and intend on reaching 80% of the country by the end of the year. Unlike Orange and Vodafone, Telekom does not offer 4G+, but they are testing 5G capabilities and are in a good position to deploy it around 2020.
Telekom Romania Coverage Map
Telekom Romania – Features and Options Table
| Feature | Avalability | Info |
|---|---|---|
| Contract Plans | Yes | Telekom Abonamente |
| Prepay Plans | Yes | Cartela Telekom |
| VoLTE | No | N/A |
| VoWifi | No | N/A |
| Roaming Options | Yes | Prepay Roaming Contract Roaming |
| 4G+ | No | N/A |
| Online Account | Yes | MyTelekom |
| English Website | No | N/A |
| Coverage Map | Yes | Telekom Romania Coverage Map |
| Shop Locator | Yes | Telekom Romania Shop Locator |
Digi Mobil
Digi Mobil is the mobile branch of the telecommunications giant RCS & RDS, a Bucharest based company whose majority shareholder is Cable Communications System, a Netherlands based company. RCS & RDS operates and provides services in Romania, Spain, Italy, and Hungary. With 3.9 million mobile subscribers (2017) Digi Mobil is the fourth largest mobile carrier in Romania.
Digi Mobil – Coverage
Digi Mobil’s strongest coverage is their 3G network, which reaches 90% of Romania’s population. Their 4G coverage is currently the smallest of the four providers, reaching 50% of the population in Romania. Like the other providers, Digi Mobil is also working tirelessly to expand their 4G capabilities and to set up the infrastructure for the coming 5G technology.
Digi Mobil’s Extensive 3G Voice Coverage in Romania Map
Digi Mobil – Features and Options Table
| Feature | Avalability | Info |
|---|---|---|
| Contract Plans | Yes | Digi Mobil Abonamente |
| Prepay Plans | Yes | Cartela Digi |
| VoLTE | Yes | Digi Mobil VoLTE |
| VoWifi | Yes | Digi Mobil VoWifi |
| Roaming Options | Yes | Digi Mobil Roaming |
| 4G+ | No | N/A |
| Online Account | Yes | Contul Meu |
| English Website | No | N/A |
| Coverage Map | Yes | Digi Mobil Coverage Map |
| Shop Locator | Yes | Digi Mobil Shop Locator |
Porting a Romanian Number
Romania law states that a network provider is obligated to allow you to keep the number they issued you when you obtained their service, even when you leave their network to join a different one. The process is called number porting. For example, say you have a mobile plan on Telekom, but you decide you want to switch to a plan offered by Vodafone. You would do the switch, but are afraid of losing your number. No worries, by porting your number to Vodafone you would get a new plan, on a new network, while retaining your old number.
To port your number, you visit the new provider’s shop, select one of their plans, and ask them to port your number. You fill out a document, and the port is finished within 48hrs. You can port a number of either a prepaid or a contract plan. If you port the number on an unexpired contract, you will be charged the early cancellation fee by your original provider. If you port an expired contract, it will terminate immediately upon successful port, with no penalties. If you port a prepaid number that has money on the sim, the money will not transfer over to the new network.
There are a few advantages to porting a number to a new network. The most obvious is that you get to keep your old number while being on a new provider. Another advantage is, you can walk into a shop of a competing provider and tell them that you are possibly interested in leaving your current provider. Tell them you will do so only for the right offer though. The competitor will usually offer you a better package than they have advertised to the general public if you agree to port your number to their service and switch to one of their plans.
Growth in Romania’s Mobile Markets
Romania’s mobile phone market has shown steady and consistent growth over the last decade, both in cell phone sales and in the telecommunications sector. According to ANCOM, in 2017 Romania’s telecom industry reached a revenue of RON 15.6 billion (3.4 billion Euros). The 3.4 billion number accounts for a staggering 1.8% of Romania’s GDP and is a 6% increase from the previous year of 2016.
A few different factors can be attributed to the growth of the mobile phone and telecom industries in Romania. The primary reason is the rapid growth of Romania’s economy, more disposable income, and a bigger middle class translates to more consumption of luxury (or necessity) goods such as cell phones. Romanian’s are not only purchasing more cellphones than before, they’re purchasing high-end smartphones at record proportions. In fact, Romania’s rampant cell phone usage has led some to conclude, that like many western countries, Romanian’s now also have a smartphone addiction.
Another reason cell phone usage has gone up in Romania is due to the broad access to coverage. The top 3 carriers in Romania all have coverage that reaches over 96% of the population. Records levels of rural living citizens now have the option and are opting to replace their landlines with cell phones. This trend is likely to continue as ANCOM requires the telecom providers to reach at least 98% of the population within the next few years or face steep penalties.
ACOM can also be attributed to the growth of Romania’s cell phone market due to various other reasons. The regulatory agency is tasked with making sure that the telecom market in Romania remains competitive, innovative, accessible, and transparent to consumers. These missions have in large part been carried out successfully. The resulting competition due to ACOM’s regulations have kept prices down and innovation up, spurring more purchases and higher reports of satisfaction from consumers.