📱 Can I cancel my phone contract before the term ends?

Yes

Quick answer

Yes — a phone contract is not a trap with no way out; you have the right to end it, and there are cases where you exit with no penalty at all. The myth is that you are locked in to the end and must pay all the remaining months. The AKEP rules and law no. 9918/2008 on electronic communications recognise the right to terminate the contract with written notice; the effect usually falls at the end of the billing cycle under your subscription contract. The strongest point: when the operator unilaterally changes the terms of the contract, you have the right to end it with no extra cost within 30 days of the notice. And the number is not lost — with portability you keep the same number when you move to another operator, within 24 hours (one working day) of the request. Careful: the right to end the contract is one thing, a penalty for the early termination of a fixed-term offer is another — checking the actual contract terms decides whether you owe anything.

📋 The rules

Law no. 9918/2008 and the AKEP rules recognise the subscriber's right to terminate the contract with written notice to the operator.
When the operator unilaterally changes the contract terms, the subscriber may end it with no extra cost within 30 days of the notice.
With portability you keep the same number when you switch operator; activation happens within 24 hours (one working day) of the request.
The termination usually takes effect at the end of the billing cycle under the subscription contract, so the notice timing matters.
The right to terminate does not automatically rule out a penalty for the early termination of a fixed-term offer; the actual terms decide.

🔓 Exceptions

Offers with a subsidised device (a phone in instalments) or a minimum term may carry a cost for early termination, set in the contract.
A change of terms by the operator opens the 30-day window to exit penalty-free; outside that situation the ordinary deadlines apply.
Unpaid arrears are not wiped out by ending the contract; the debt remains recoverable even after closure.

⚠️ Penalties & fines

The costliest mistake is to stop paying without formally terminating the contract. As long as the contract stays open, monthly invoices keep arising, and the accumulated debt can move to debt collection or to bad-payer registers, affecting your access to other services. Early termination of an offer with a minimum term or a phone in instalments may bring a penalty or the duty to pay off the remaining device — figures you should see in the contract before signing. If the operator refuses termination or number porting without basis, the complaint goes to AKEP. Mind the amounts you hear: values in new lek are often reproduced tenfold in old lek, so the “penalty” told in conversation sounds far bigger than the real contract penalty.

📎 Official sources

Last verified: 2026-07-12

❓ Frequently asked

Can I cancel the contract before the term?

Yes, you have the right to terminate the contract with written notice to the operator, under law no. 9918/2008 and the AKEP rules. If it is an offer with a minimum term or a phone in instalments, the contract may set a penalty for early termination, so read the terms first.

What happens if the operator changes the terms?

When the operator unilaterally changes the contract terms, you have the right to end it with no extra cost within 30 days of the notice. This is the safest window to exit penalty-free, so do not miss the deadline when the change notice reaches you.

Do I lose my number if I switch operator?

No, with portability you keep the same number when you move to another operator, and activation happens within 24 hours or one working day of the request. You do not buy the number afresh; you simply port it, while any arrears with the old operator must be paid.

Do I have to pay a penalty anyway?

Not always: the right to terminate the contract is one thing, while a penalty for early termination of a fixed-term offer is another. If you have no minimum term or device in instalments, there is usually no penalty; the actual contract terms decide.

Where do I complain if the operator refuses?

If the operator refuses to terminate the contract or to port the number without basis, the complaint goes to AKEP as the regulatory authority. Keep the written request and the notices, because they are the evidence that strengthens your complaint.

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