Basics[]
Romania has 4 network operators, but only the first three from this list offer prepaid packages:
- Orange
- Vodafone
- Telekom Mobile
- Digi (available only for postpaid users)
Frequencies[]
All providers:
- 2G GPRS/EDGE is on 900 and 1800 MHz,
- 4G LTE on 700, 800, 900, 1500, 1800, 2100 and 2600 MHz (bands 1, 3, 7, 8, 20, 28, 38).
- Orange operates 4G on 700, 800, 1500, 1800, 2100 and 2600 MHz (B28, B20, B32, B3, B1, B7).
- Vodafone operates 4G on 800, 1800 and 2100 MHz (B20, B3, B1).
- Telekom operates 4G on 800, 900, 1800 and 2100 MHz (B20, B8, B3, B1).
- Digi Mobil operates 4G on 800, 2100 and 2600 MHz (B20, B1, B7, B38).
- 5G NR on 2100, 2600, 3500 (bands 1, 7, 38, 78) - open for prepaid users only on Telekom (all plans) and Orange (€6 and higher plans).
As now Orange and Vodafone are the only ones that still operate 3G in Romania, on both 900 and 2100 MHz frequencies.
Telekom has shutted down 3G end of March 2023 and Digi end of August 2023. Orange also has plans to shut down 3G network until the end of 2025.
Romania is one of the few EU countries remaining where a SIM card can still be purchased without any registration.
An attempt to introduce mandatory registration via an emergency ordinance has failed in 2020. Up to now you can also find free SIM card starter packs in shops close to (or inside) metro stations (before entering the station). They come without credit and are for free. Just ask for a prepaid card with number (if the seller does not understand English ask around somebody to translate).
The country code for Romania is +40. Mobile phone numbers have a three digit area code starting with a 7 and followed by six digits.
Top-ups and validity[]
You can refill how much you need at recharging points or shops all over the country.
Beware that these top-up machines don't give any change and all money once put into the machine is loaded into your account. International credit or debit cards are confirmed to work on the sites of the major operators for top-ups.
SIM cards of Orange, Vodafone and Telekom stay valid for 12 months after the last top-up before being suspended. Benefito-mobile gives a variable validity of 10 days per 10 lei top-up with a grace period of 30 days after expiry.
Value Added Tax[]
Romania has adopted a creative way to conceal VAT (value added tax) or TVA (taxa pe valoarea adăugată).
All prices are advertised in EUR (euro, €), as below, but local currency remains RON (Romanian Leu). When topping up, refill rates quoted in EUR are net rates without 19% VAT, which is deducted in the conversion to RON. That's why you effectively get about a quarter less based on what seems a very bad exchange rate. Note this practice only applies to prepaid topups - advertised prices for every other good and services include VAT.
Therefore to all prices given below you need to add 19% taxes, which is quite unique in Europe.
Note that Romanian providers either give out only a small share of some of their larger packages without surcharges according to a FUP or don't allow international roaming on their plans at all. For specifics check the European Union chapter and every provider below.
Orange[]
Orange is the market leader in Romania. It has a good coverage and speeds in the country. In 2014 Orange started 4G/LTE. They have covered 97% of the population by 4G/LTE already in 2017 (coverage map ).
Availability[]
Orange PrePay SIM cards are available at many newsstands or Orange shops (locator) for a small fee. Online a free SIM can be ordered to be sent to a Romanian postal address. Currently, the €5 SIM comes pre-loaded with a €6 credit including 300 minutes of voice, unlimited domestic text and 4 GB of data.
You can buy top-up vouchers at their outlets, electronic top-ups online on your account require a Romanian credit card. Users from some countries (list) can use the international Orange top-up site to recharge by credit card without additional fees (if you stick to €). Account information by code *100#.
The new SIM card is locked by the default PIN "0000". To find out your new number, call 222 then follow prompt (English available). They also send out a SMS with the number the moment you have inserted the SIM in your phone for the first time without having to call 222.
Data feature packs []
Data out of packages is at €0.05 per MB. These monthly combo packs are offered for 21-30 days:
| Validity | RO data | Max speed | RO Voice/SMS | EU cap (#) | IDD mins | Price | Activation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30 days | 5 GB + 150 GB | (4G+) | 1000 mins/SMS | 6.46 GB (#) | 100 mins | €5 | 205 |
| 28 days | 12 GB + 320 GB | 500 Mbit/s (5G) | 2000 mins/SMS | 7.75 GB (#) | 300 mins | €6 | 206 |
| 8 GB + 580 GB | 1500 Mbit/s (5G+) | 10.33 GB (#) | 400 mins | €8 | 208 | ||
| 21 days | 12 GB + 300 GB | 15.49 GB | 600 mins | €12 | (online only) | ||
| 28 days | 16 GB + 460 GB (*) | 20.65 GB | €16 |
Bonus data (amounts in +) are valid for 60 days, only in Romania.
(*) = €16 option additionally includes 100 min and 1 GB usage in Australia, China (only incoming calls), Israel, Moldova, Switzerland, and USA.
For activation simply call this number shown above. €12 and €16 options must be activated online. Unlimited on-net calls are included. All packages auto-renew after one month.
For data-only these packages are given out:
| RO data | Max speed | EU cap (#) | Price | Activation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 GB + 100 GB | 355.6 Mbit/s (4G+) | 6.46 GB (#) | €5 | net5 |
| 12 GB + 120 GB | 500 Mbit/s (5G) | 7.75 GB (#) | €6 | net6 |
| 24 GB + 240 GB | 1500 Mbit/s (5G+) | 15.49 GB | €12 | Online only |
Domestic overuse is charged with €0.02 per MB during the running time of the package or the default data rate (above) after.
Check remaining credit by *133#. Then you'll receive an SMS about remaining quota and validity period. You can buy a new package ahead of time, when the old one is exhausted.
EU roaming[]
Orange Romania has restricted roaming on all but their two most expensive prepaid voice options and the most expensive data-only option. Plans marked with (#) will add to your EU roaming allowance only when combined with the roaming-enabled 12 euro or 16 euro option. They will not roam when activated alone. In addition, there are special roaming packages for the UK and Republic of Moldova, only available online:
- Go UK: 3 GB for 30 days for €5
- Go UK Plus: 5 GB and 30 minutes for 30 days for €7
- Go Moldova Data: 2 GB for 30 days for €5
- Go Moldova Plus: 1 GB and 100 minutes for €5
More info[]
- APN: net
- Website in Romanian: http://www.orange.ro/
Vodafone []
Vodafone is the 2nd operator in the country by the number of active users. It has a good coverage on 3G with 90% of population covered. It started with 4G/LTE, 5G in some towns available on most tariffs; Vodafone coverage map.
Availability[]
Their prepaid SIM card called Cartela Vodafone can be bought sometimes for free without credit or normally for €6.20 with €5 credit at news stands or in Vodafone stores (locator).
Top-ups can be made with vouchers. Online Vodafone is the only operator in Romania that accepts international credit cards for top-ups.
The SIM is valid for 30-90 days after you have recharged it depending on the added amount, plus 90 days grace period when you can only receive calls. If the grace period expires you will lose the remaining credit and number. They also have a special option to extend the validity of your credit for €1 (you can use this when your account validity has expired and you have entered the passive phase of credit validity).
Cartela Vodafone []
Vodafone offers its Cartela in different starters:
- for free: without credit mostly online and in promotions
- for €1: with 100 on-net mins/SMS or 10 all-net mins/SMS
- for €5: with unlimited on-net mins/SMS, 200 all-net mins/SMS and 100 MB data included
If data is all you need, you will have to request the credit to be re-credited by texting 'CREDIT' to 579 within 24 hours of activation and your credit will be moved to general balance.
Data feature packs[]
Default rate is high €0.20 per MB.
These promotions are available, while some stores may offer you some additional discounts:
| Price | Validity | RO Data | EU Cap | Domestic mins/SMS | IDD mins | Roaming |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| €4 | 7 days | 117 GB | 5 GB | 100 units | n/a | 100 MB, 10 units* |
| €5 | 28 days | 75 GB | blocked | 1000 units | 100 mins | n/a |
| €6 | 150 GB | 2000 units | 300 mins | |||
| €8 | 1 month | Unlimited | 3000 units | 1000 mins | ||
| €15 | 21 days
28 days |
18.95 GB | 2000 mins, 200 SMS | 1000 mins | 3 GB, 100 units+ | |
| €40 | 50.49 GB | 2 GB, 200 units+ |
Activate by texting code to 321 or by *100# and choose "Promoţie". All combo packs are valid for 28 days, the €8 pack for 1 calendar month and will auto-renew. To stop enter *100# "Contul meu" - "Opțiuni active" and deactivate. You can start a new bundle ahead of time, if you have used it up because overuse fee is a high €0.20 per MB. There are also often promotions giving you additional domestic data.
All bundles include unlimited calls to Vodafone Romania. All bundles of €6 or more include zero-rated Facebook and WhatsApp.
Roaming []
EU roaming has now been removed from the €5, €6, and €8 offers. In the other offers, EU roaming from domestic allowances is capped at the volumes shown in the column for roaming data in the EU. On all consumption beyond a surcharge of 0.34c per MB + 19% tax is applied.
There are two separate packs for roaming in the UK and Republic of Moldova:
- 20 minutes and 2 GB for €4
- 100 minutes and 8 GB for €10
(*) = The €4 pack additionally give 10 units and 100 MB data roaming in Turkey, Albania, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina
(+) = The €15 and €40 packs additionally give 100/200 mins/SMS and 2/3 GB data roaming in about 50 non-EU countries. Unlike in some other countries, Vodafone Romania counts Switzerland as a non-EU country for roaming purposes, so the per-MB price on the €2 plan with roaming and usage beyond the 1 GB allowance on the €15 and €40 plans costs 70c per MB.
Data-only SIM[]
For Tablets and Modems, Vodafone sells their data only SIM called Cartela cu Net excluding EU roaming. It comes in two different forms:
- sold only online: for €5: with 500 MB pre-loaded and 1 GB night traffic (0-7am) valid for 10 days.
- sold in shops: for €1: with 150 MB pre-loaded valid for 3 days.
Following top-ups can be made for speeds up to 225 Mbit/s on 4G:
| Price | RO Data | Validity |
|---|---|---|
| €5 | 40 GB | 28 days |
| €10 | 100 GB | 28 days |
This data card can be managed only online. For that you have to register an account on Vodafone (available in English) too.
There is absolutely no international roaming on this data-only SIM.
More info[]
- for Cartela Vodafone: APN: live.vodafone.com
- for Cartela Cu Net: APN and Username: internet.vodafone.ro - Password: vodafone
- Tethering is allowed and possible
- Website in Romanian: http://www.vodafone.ro
Telekom Mobile[]
In 2014 OTE's Cosmote in Romania rebranded to Telekom Romania Mobile. They only got rid of the green and brought in magenta, some new tariffs and opened 4G/LTE for prepaid. In 2023 is the 4th network in the country by the number of active users it has.
4G/LTE has a very good coverage, more than 95% of the population (ranked 2nd after Orange): Telekom coverage map.
Availability[]
Their starter pack is available at Telekom stores, that are called Magazin (store locator) for free without credit or for €5 with the same credit. There and in lots of more stores you can buy top up codes as well. Note, that electronic top-up by credit card requires a Romanian credit card. Use vouchers instead that are sold from €5. Check credit by *100# or *134#.
Note that not all Telekom stores carry prepaid starter packs. In those cases the staff are usually able to direct you to a store that does sell them.
Telekom calls its voice and data prepaid SIM card Cartela Telekom to be added by combo packages. Their data-only Internet Connect Free has been discontinued.
Data feature packs[]
On their voice, text and data SIM Cartela Telekom data is at €0.20 per MB by default in Romania and €0.05 per MB in the EU.
Options with unlimited Telekom mins and SMS, some domestic mins and SMS that can also be used for international landlines, international mobile mins and a domestic or roaming data allowance:
| Price | Time | RO data | Domestic Voice / SMS | IDD mins | EU cap | Activation (SMS to 123) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| €2 | 7 days | Unlimited | unlimited | 100 mins | blocked | U2 |
| 28 days | €0.05/MB | €0.05/min, €0.02/SMS | n/a | €0.05 /MB | RT2 | |
| €5 | Unlimited | 1500 mins/SMS | 100 mins | blocked | U5 | |
| €6 | 30 days | Unlimited | unlimited | 300 mins
200 mins |
U6 | |
| €12 | 28 days | 15 GB (+) | 1000 mins/SMS | 15 GB (*) | R12 |
Unlimited WhatsApp use (no VoIP calls), Facebook and FB Messenger are included for free in combo plans.
(+) Telekom runs the promotion "Net Nelimitat" on these plans. By texting an empty SMS to 888 or by *100# followed by 4 and 2 you can activate free unlimited data (throttled at 1.5 Mbps for video content) in Romania for 28 days.
(*) The €12 package gives 1 GB additional roaming data in Switzerland, Serbia, Turkey, and Moldova.
Activation is online in your account or by *100#, choose: Extraoptiuni. All packages auto-renew after one month, if there is enough credit or by SMS code. To deactivate you need to go to your online account or call customer service at 1234 for free.
For more data, they sell these add-ons:
- 100 MB for one month, 3G: €1 - activation: text 'A DS' to 638
- 500 MB for one month, 4G/LTE: €3 - activation: text: 'A DM' to 638
- 1 GB for one month, 4G/LTE: €5 - activation: text 'A DL' to 638
After the scrapping of roaming charges in the EU Telekom in Romania has changed their portfolio. They now sell one special plan with roaming included and most without, where €0.044 per MB applies. So be sure to get the right plan for your purposes.
More info[]
- APN: broadband
- Website in Romanian: https://mobile.telekom.ro
Benefito Mobile[]
Benefito Mobile is an MVNO on Telekom Mobile network. Unlike other providers, the network advertises their prices in the national currency Lei (RON).
Availability[]
The Sim card costs 15 Lei + VAT and includes 15 Lei of credit. It is available in Petrom, Lukoil, ÖMV and MOL gasstations as well as in mobicell shops, and can be ordered online and sent to addresses in Romania as well. The initial credit is valid for 30 days.
To top-up you can use recharge vouchers with USSD code: *812*vouchernr# or online with credit card. Recharges in increments of 10 lei, extend the validity by 30 days, with 1 year validity being add when 120 lei has been recharged. Once the expiry date is reached, the user has 30 days to top-up before the sim card is forfeited. By registering your benefito-mobile number in shopping portals like bonusway.ro and myworld.ro, you can receive additional credits. These bonus credits increase the validity of 5 days per 5 lei bonus with a maximum of 30 days. To check credit and validity, use USSD *810#.
Data feature packages[]
Benefito Mobile is a strict pay-per-use provider. Data is 0.04 lei per MB, which is interesting for low usage, and there are no datapackages available.
EU Roaming[]
The 0.04 lei per MB pay-per-use is also valid for roaming within EU. If however the SIM is used more in another EU country than in Romania, the surcharge of 0.006 per MB may be imposed
Additional Information[]
- APN: internet.benefito
- Username: leave blank
- Password: leave blank
- USSD menu: *811#
- Website in Romanian: http://www.benefito-mobile.ro
Discontinued Offers[]
Digi Mobil (postpaid only)[]
As of July 1st, 2023, Digi suspended the sales and top-ups for the prepaid service. The remaining benefits and packages already activated remained active until end of September 2023. After that date, the SIM cards were only able to receive calls until end of March 2024 (6 more months). Until that date, the user had the chance to migrate to Digi postpaid or to port the number to another operator. Digi is now an operator fully geared to post-paid customers without a pre-paid tariff.
Lycamobile[]
Lycamobile services in Romania has shut down on 31 December 2023, any sim card from Lyca Romania will no longer work.