Your mobile phone plan in Germany
Having the right German mobile phone plan is essential to get your life started. You need a German number to use some local apps, it might be required for work and your dating/social life needs it.
There are plenty of good options to consider, even though the German network/market falls behind most countries in Europe. This guide helps you find the right one depending on what you need & how long you plan to stay in Germany.
German mobile phone plan : Post paid, Prepaid, Pay-As-you-go, SIM only or contract?
Mobile phone service takes different names across the globe. For clarity’s sake, let’s define what kind of offers you can expect in Germany:
- Post paid contract: One of the most popular choices and best suitable for people who will stay longer in Germany. You usually commit to a 12 or 24 months contract with a defined plan, which is billed to you after the fact, including extras along the way. In many cases, you also purchase a phone with your plan, financed as part of the contract. It’s also sometimes called “bundled contract” because of this.
- Prepaid or Pay-as-you-go: In this case, you first purchase a SIM card and activate it. You need to top-up your account in order to get service (calling minutes, texts, data). You don’t commit to any contract. Once you run out of credit, the services stops. Topping up is done online, or at local stores & supermarkets.
- SIM only contracts: You already have a device and you order a SIM card to go with it. Your sign a contract for a specific plan, and your actual consumption is billed to you after the fact. In Germany, those contracts are synonymous with more flexible terms.
If you take your phone with you, so be sure to have your phone “unlocked” before arriving in Germany. Otherwise, you won’t be able to use it with a German mobile phone plan.
Mobile phone Germany prepaid plans overview
Most of the SIM cards can be obtained in supermarkets, or local stores for around 10€. They come with no minimum costs and no minimum commitment. Most of them bill 9 cent per SMS and per minute.
- Aldi Talk (by Eplus): to be purchased at Aldi only
- O.Tel.O (Vodafone): to be purchased at Media Markt, Saturn, Euronics
- Congstar Prepaid (by Deutsche Telekom): to be purchased in T-Stores , Kaufland, Real and Netto
- Lidl Connect (Lidl): to be purchased at Lidl only
- Blau (Eplus): to be purchased at Aral, Netto, Real, Rossmann
- Edeka Smart (by Vodafone): to be purchased at Edeka only
- Tchibo Mobile (by O2): to be purchased at Tchibo only
Comparison platforms like Verivox have dedicated pages to compare options. It only involves indicating the desired amount of data & minutes to get started. Make sure to tick off any conditions that might lock you into a contract. Beware of bookable extras too.
Mobile phone Germany contract overview
If you have registered residence (doing your Anmeldung) and opened a bank account already, you will be able to sign up for a contract at one of the following German mobile phone contract providers. I have selected what I think are the fairest plans but feel to explore.
- T-Mobile : Magenta Mobil S for 26.90€/month
- Vodafone : Smart M for 24.90€/month
- O2 : o2 Blue All-in M for 26.99€/month
- 1&1: All-Net-Flat Young offer for 14.90€/month
Those providers lock you into a 1 or 2 year contract so be careful when you make up your mind. Also, it is possible to terminate your contract early when leaving the country, you want to be careful.
For a better overview of offers relevant to you, you may want to turn to comparison platforms like Verivox & DeinHandy. Comparing contracts also involves only a few parameters:
- Picking whether you want a contract with phone financing or without.
- When relevant, the type of phone you want, or the brand.
- The amount of data you wish.
- The network you prefer (more on which network is best later in this post).
- Whether or not 5G should be included.
- Contract duration (1, 12 or 24 months).
What if I only want a SIM card?
It is possible to take to SIM card only contracts in Germany. That is most suitable when you already have a phone and you just want the service (although not prepaid). All major providers do offer SIM only contracts but some are more specialized and can offer interesting deals too. It’s often a better value for the money and easier to cancel. Consider these ones :
- Simply : from 12.99€/month (my recommendation)
- o2Freikarte: from 10,99€/month
- Fyve : from 10€/month
- WhatsApp Sim by Eplus : from 10€/month (most flexible and recommended if you text more than you call)
Comparing SIM-Only plans is also easy through platforms like DeinHandy & Verivox.
Please note that if you order and activate your sim card online, you will need to go through an identification process with a Meldebescheinigung and your passport before you can use it. Each provider has different ways but most of them can do that via connecting you to a special service dedicated to that via webcam, or via a post office.
Plans for people staying temporarily in Germany
Only for a few weeks
In case you are only visiting the country for a few weeks, your needs are probably a little different as far as German mobile phone plans go. Although you can still go with prepaid options listed above, you might also consider Lycamobile which has the following advantages:
- You can order your SIM card for free and have it sent wherever you want
- No contracts attached
- Customer service in many different languages
- Good rates for national calls and data plans
- International bundles so you can call back home for very cheap
Only for a few months
Then you are probably better off going for a prepaid plan or a sim only plan. Prepaid plans don’t come with any time commitment, so no notice is needed. Sim only plans do require a terminate notice, but usually only 1 month. This means that once you hand in your notice, your contract ends a month after that.
What are the best data plans in Germany?
Germany’s telecommunications infrastructure is outdated and doesn’t support large data transfers. This is slowly changing of course but unlimited data plans are pretty rare, and outrageously expensive compared to other (most?) countries.
The only 2 true uncapped data plans in Germany are:
- Telekom’s MagentaMobil XL (84,95€/month) when committing to a 2 year contract
- o2’s Free basic flex (30,99€/month) when committing to a 2 year contract, albeit with a lower broadband speed.
Depending on your usage & needs, this might be worth the money.
What are the best plan for international calls?
Using Whatsapp, Signal, Skype is probably a better idea than using credits to call abroad from Germany. However, if you are calling someone who doesn’t have good internet service, it might be the only option.
In this case, I’d recommend Lycamobile again, which offers transparent pricing and good customer service.
Things to know before picking an option
Which German cell phone service provider has better reception?
You know Germans, they love to test and report on everything. This is why we have data-driven answer to this. According to this study, Telekom is still leading the charts (10 year in a row), outperforming o2 & Vodafone in voice clarity, data transfer and performance in crowded areas. Vodafone is a close second, while o2 is lagging behind on all criteria.
Any other provider is relying on one of these networks to provide service. Which network they use is usually made visible on their respective websites.
How to check coverage for my area
Each main network holder offers easy tools to check network quality in your area:
When using another provider, simply check which network/infrastructure they are using.
State of 5G in Germany
The German 5G network has begun expansion in 2019, starting in larger metropolitan areas towards more rural ones. Progress is slower since current antennas have a much more limited range than 4G ones. Telekom is again leading the race, with 2/3 of the population being covered at the end of 2020.
The difference between D-Netz & E-Netz
Some providers offer the choice between “E-Netz” & “D-Netz” in their offers. D-Netz is the older spectrum of frequencies that usually reach further than the E-Netz. E-Netz has the advantage of being able to support a lot more calls at the same time on a given area. Prefer D-Netz if you are travelling a lot or living at the countryside, prefer E-Netz if you live in crowded areas.
A word on customer service
Based on my experience, my friends’ and feedback seen around Facebook groups, there is no single provider (apart from Lycamobile) that offers consistent customer service in English on all topics.
However, the most active mainstream provider in that department is O2, which has recently setup FAQs in English on their website. They also claim that an English speaking agent can be reached on the phone, simply asking for it.
Buying a device to go with your new plan
Although some providers offer to finance a device together with your new plan, it’s usually cheaper to finance it yourself in the long-run. It also simply might not be possible if your SCHUFA score is too low, or non-existent for now.
You can buy a second-hand phone for a good rate from AsGoodAsNew or Rebuy which sell recent phones at really good rates, with a 30-months warranty on top. They are cheaper because they had minor defects and needed repair, but still works perfectly. Usually expect at least 30% rebate. It’s also slightly better for the planet.
How can I cancel a mobile phone contract in Germany?
A 2021 update of the German telecommunication act (Telekommunikationsgesetz) plans for an initial commitment (usually 12 or 24 months) during which you cannot cancel the contract without penalty. At the end of this initial term, you may terminate your contract with a 1 month notice at any time.
If you leave the country for good, the German telecommunications act (§ 46 TKG Telekommunikationsgesetz) provides a special termination right for consumers. It plans for a 3 months notice from the end of the current month. In the past, providers have been reluctant to apply this rule, especially when moving to another EU country, on account of non-existent EU roaming charges. However, Telekom states that it’s possible, so is this consumer protection organisation.
To cancel your contract, send a notice in writing (preferably by post) to the customer service of your operator.
Mobile phone Germany – FAQ
Yes. It’s a fairly simple process. When cancelling your current contract, simply notify your provider you would like to keep your phone number with you. When signing up for a new contract, notify your new provider that you already have a phone number you would like to use. Same procedure for prepaid contracts. A fee applies (max. 6,82€) but your new provider will usually refund you that amount.
Since 2017, no roaming charges are applies when crossing the border to another EU country. This means that you can use your minutes, texts, data at no extra-cost.
If you were wondering about 4G bands, your mobile phone plan in Germany and compatibility issues, don’t worry about it. Europe has the same standards across all countries so no provider is really making a selling point with this. They are all using the same frequencies.
Yes, the German telecommunications act plans for a right to cancel your contract when leaving Germany.
I hope this overview of your options for mobile phone plans in Germany was helpful. Don’t hesitate to ask questions or leave suggestions in the comments.
Hello, my aldi prepaid, does not allow me to send SMS to another country-number, does any pre-paid allows this
Hey Francisca. Thanks for pointing that out. Blau lets you do it as far as I can tell. 0,09€/sms to EU,, 0,13€ to other countries.
Hi, I have a question about topping off a prepaid SIM card. I bought a Vodafone Callya flat M prepaid sim a few months ago while in Frankfurt which is good for 28 days. When I go visit Germany again next year, if I top-off the SIM card with a voucher, will the credit automatically be applied to the flat M plan for another 28 days? Or it will be credited to some other plan by default (like the classic?) I searched the internet, but could not find any similar questions/answers as to how the top-off credit will be applied to prepaid plan. Thanks!
Hello Daniel. If you SIM card is still valid by the time you use it again next year (some operators might suspend the SIM after some months of inactivity), I don’t see any reason why the plan attached to it would change. What makes you think that?
I am keeping my number and US plan (on a family plan) and I’m moving to Germany for 3 years. I have an IPHONE 12. My plan is to get a sim card here and use the dual sim option.
Question- what is the best SIM card option for data, coverage etc , cost is not an issue
Also, I since I’m keeping my US plan, I do not need to unlock it right?
Is the prepaid SIM the best way to go for my dual sim plan?
Hey Noorin. That’s an excellent question. You would need to unlock your device before moving here and also make sure it is device with local frequencies. You can go prepaid or with a contract. For contract, I still recommend SimplyTel, and for pre-paid, you can pick up any of the prepaid options listed above, they are all more less competitive with one another.
welp
i wanted to ask about this
can i get more information about bundled plans
i mean why do they charge extra
we get an option abt this while purchasing phone online or purchasing tariff
what are benefits and drawbacks
also
is that bundle plan responsible for locking phone??
i would be really happy to get some information on this
Hey Lucky. With a bundled plan, you signup for a contract AND a financing contract to acquire the device. This is why it may cost more. Once the financing contract is over, it is yours and you can unlock it.
can i use same German mobile number for office and personal use? My mobile number will be given by company and i dont want 2nd German mobile number for personal use. Hence is it possible to use one mobile number for official and personal use?
Hey MK. Yes, there is nothing that speaks against that.
We have UK phones locked to particular UK networks (O2 and EE). Is there a way of finding out which German networks they would be compatible with?
Hey Danny. If you are leaving the country, I believe you have a right to get your device unlocked so they work with any network, especially if you are out of the initial contract period. I’d otherwise ask customer service directly.
Hi,
I am an international student in Germany. I will stay 2 years but I have 7 months visa for now. I have home adress and N26 bank account with +4000 Euros. Can I get contract phone with these. I am only concern with my 7 months visa.
Hey Denise. Yes, you should not run into any issues, as long as you only buy a sim card and not a phone with the contract.
Under which operator is netto mobile?
Thank you
Hey Piotr. o2.
Hi Bastien, thanks for your helpfull information. I live in Switzerland, close to the german boarder, usually we made all purchases in Germany becouse are cheaper than here, so the same for internet purchases. In germany, for online purchases, are used the DHL services for delivery packages, very efficient, they also have DHL packstation and here comes my question: i would like to use that packstation, but on DHL instruction, they requared a german mobile number to make the registration and use them. So at this point how can i get a german mobile number just to use the packstation living in Switzerland?
Hey Louis. Looks like that yes. Maybe there are rerouting services you can use for texts/calls to be redirected to your swiss number?
i’m goin to ask about that, but i really don’t understad why i can’t use DHL lockers??, Amazon has a very smart rules about it, you ca use A. lockers wherever you are …simple like that.
Bastien thanks again for your support
This. Is. Not. Working. At. All. Everything is requiring a full passport and proof of residence. So what, if you’re stuck in Germany you’re just screwed and might as well kill yourself. Not that anyone will even FIND OUT because your Canadian phone won’t work because “no signal” here in Germany every place you go? So you bring something that works on wi=fi calling. The wi-fi access in Berlin is another matter for Amnesty International.
Is it possible to buy a prepaid card while i am still in the UK ?
Hey Jaffa. You need to show a local address in order to buy one.
No you need to PROVE it. Not just show a bill or a bank statement (all of those things have forever worked in the UK). I’ve read some place that if you do the, “have your bank back at home change the address on. your statement to your local address” and use THAT, the phone company MAY let you have the SIM card but upon “verification” they will then cancel the account.
NEVER GO FOR MOBILCOM DEBITEL
Only bad experiences that border with **criminal**.
They speak English when they want to sell you something. The most interesting story:
My contract was about to end. I get a call from one of them, and they ask me about whether I want to extend my contract. I explicitly said NO, I do not want to, as I am not going to remain in Germany for much longer and I’m not interested. The same day I get a notification that my contract has been extended (!). Guess what – for any inquiries I had to call a number that is different from a regular call center. So I do, and there nobody wants to speak English all of a sudden (even though previously I was told that they do have people responsible for this kind of communication). One of my friends called and finally we sorted the issue, where he said that the contract will be cancelled.
It was not. They are now charging me ludicrous amount of money. They called me again however when they hear I speak English, they just hang up without saying ANYTHING. This is just horrible and unacceptable.
Hello Bastien,
do you know what is the correct way of dealing with tarif when I am leaving Germany? I have a contract until the end of next year and with abmeldung I know that I can terminate it right now. But the price is pretty good and I would like to keep it. Is that possible? Or will the provider find out after few months that I am out of germany and make me pay some fees or end the contract?
Thanks a lot!
Jakub
I’m sorry but this is all utter bullshit.
I walked into a vodaphone this week and got a prepaid card with my passport and an address– no formal proof of address required. This article had me scared to even try to get one, but frankly it was EXACTLY the same as in Spain or the UK. Do some research before you tell people what they can’t do. You are steering a lot of people the wrong way.
Hey Samantha. Thanks for the feedback. Good that it worked for you. I am not reporting what is happening, but rather what the law says should happen. It’s up to the seller to enforce this law so that might mean you just need to try your luck.
Samantha:
At a time when my passport still showed my non-German address, I have been asked to bring proof of address in Germany for identification. So I am kind of glad that it worked for you.
I have to say, though, the changes in legislation (I think it’s EU-wide) regarding SIM card registration has been getting a lot tougher. I have been turned away from multiple outlet because they needed either a German ID or German passport.
Back in the days when my passport still showed my non-German passport, I have been asked to show other proofs of my address (paystub, or utility bill, for instance) in order to get my SIM card registered.
However, for reasons unknown, I have been turned away from outlets who offered SIM registration (aka Postident) service because they claimed a German (ID) Personalausweis or a German passport are required to complete the process. If I try to do this on-line, they will automatically default me to the Postident option, starting from square one. This has never happened to me before until now.
Hi, thanks for the info! I’ll be moving to Germany by 17th September. I wanted to know, does Germany have something like 2 year contracts that also give you a handset as part of the plan? Haven’t been able to find such plans with any provider
Hey Rahul. Yes, that’s something you can easily find, although it might require a payment upfront.
Hello. Thanks for the information but where can I find these deals along with the handset. Couldn’t find any website or link which has combo deals of handset with sim and call plan. Pls suggest
Note that all my hardware from Deinhandy came unlocked so I was able to sell one of the S9+ and both of the tablets immediately at a price which basically covered the cost of the enhanced tariff over the 2 years. There are some very good deals to be had in Germany but be sure check the website ratings for the company making the offers and their terms of cancellation. There are a lot of companies to avoid and huge holes to fall down for the unwary so do your homework first.
Hello thank you for the helpful info, I need your help with a question
I was going to buy a used phone from Germany, If the phone is Sim-unlocked but still under contract, what would happen? cause I don’t want to get scammed
Can the company block the phone with IMEI number?
Hey there. I’m not sure about the sense of your question. What kind of contract would that be?
Look in Mydealz for the best offers as found by other people. Deinhandy have some good ones but Black Friday is the best day for such deals. Saturn and MediaMarkt can be good too. Start looking early as many go very quickly. Last year I got 2 x S9+ phones plus 2 Android E1 tablet for a 46 Euro per month tariff. That came with 5gb of monthly data on the Vodafone Smart L Plus tariff which on its own is 36 Euro. So effectively I got all the hardware for 240 Euro total over the 2 years. Be warned that these contract auto renew at a higher tariff after the 24 month period if you don’t cancel . This has to be done at least 3 months before the end of the contract or it will run for another 2 year.
Just a friendly tip: dont ever buy the prepaid lidl connect sim. Their mobile net is horribly slow, it only uses 3G (no 4G or LTE support)
Thank you for the greatguide!
Do you happen to know anything about which providers offer cheap/flat rate calling from Germany to other EU countries? That isn’t covered as far as I know as part of the EU roaming rules.
Thanks
Hey Kevin. You will have to check with each provider. This is not very common. with o2, i have a plan with only 60min for free to calls outside of Germany.
Hey! I have a question: I bought a prepaid Ortel Sim Card Smart World S for 9.99€/ month. My balance at the moment is 0.01€, I have internet and can make calls (even tho I couldn’t make calls some days ago), but I cannot send SMS still. Why is that? And what are the payment methods for mobile bill? Thank you!
Hey Udona. Sorry, i don’t know much about Ortel’s system.
Hi Bastien,
My boyfriend is staying one month with me but he does not live in Germany. He doesn’t have any Anmeldung to proof his address. Can he use “any” address? Is he going to get any documents per mail?
Why do people need to register a Pre-paid number? is that going to some weird database?
Thanks!
Hey Esteban. If he is staying only one month, he is not considered a German resident so he doesn’t have to register. So yes, that is annoying to get a temporary number. What about Lycamobile as mentioned in the post?
Hallo bastien. Im on my 1st week here in DE and i really need a phone plan i already have anmeldung and konto i also have a german visa but for only 90 days but it would need to be extened for atleast years. O2 and Telekom said i would also need aufenhalterlaubnisausweis but i dont have it yet but i already have a wohnung. How can i get a phone plan without aufenthaltserlaubnis?? Vielen dank
Herr B. Maybe use a prepaid plan until you get a long term residence permit?
Hi Bastien. I have a O2 prepaid card. My wife wants to buy a new card but she has not decided yet. According to tariffs, it is better to buy a new O2 card or it doesn’t matter what company she chooses. Thank you
Hey Beni. I’m not sure i understand the question. Depends on what she wants. o2 may or may not be the best…
This is great post with useful tips!
I will be relocating with my family and I wonder if there is such a thing called “Family Plan” for mobile contract in Germany. If there is something close to this, what are the providers and key differences?
Hey Shan. You’d have to look for “Familientarife”. Telekom does pretty good ones i believe.
Very good tips thank you. But can you explain me something? I’ve bought a mobile phone with Sim card at Media Markt, my limit of gigabyte is 8gb, I have already spent it and still the internet is doing good, do they add extra tariff in my contract or? I mean I should pay more in the end of the month?
Hey Kladakis. It’s probably because you have 8GB of 4G speed, and 3G speed after that.
Are you American. I’m asking cause this man was like I need a German to get me a sin card cause I don’t have a German Id but I am like I’m the one paying though. An it’s prepaid not a contract
hi
i am iranian and i have bought a house in germany. i need a sim cart (contract) to use in iran because i dont stay in germany often.
can you suggest me which operator cost is cheaper for me?
Hey Abb. Maybe it’s best to use a prepaid card in this case?
i dont think so.
because i will be in germany each month and for along time. i am not tourist.
I’m confused; you said before you don’t stay in German often. Which one is it? Prepaid are used by all kinds of people, and it’s not for tourists, since you need a German address to get one.
Thank you for the tips.
I wasn’t able to get an appointment for the Anmeldung process until 4 weeks later. Although I was able to open a bank account with N26 and have my debiting information. Is it possible for me to obtain a cellphone/contract without my Anmeldebescheinigung?
Hey Michael, it seems that it’s become a requirements for most or all operators nowadays yes.
Hello,
Does anybody know how many simcards one is allowed to register on one’s name?
Hey Ragnar. As far as i know, there is no strict limitations on this. Why?
just turn up at the Bürgeramt (check their opening hours; they all vary!). They will not like this and will push you to get a ‘Termne’ (appointment) but stand firm, say you will wait. May be less than an hour (I had to wait 25 minutes). Could be longer but bring a book / have your phone and just sit tight. Def a better idea than waiting weeks for an appointment. You DEF need your passport and the landlord-filled form and contract. (if you don’t have their actual signature, be prepared to show them the email with it attached). Basically follow the info provided – very useful – by ‘Settle in Berlin’
Hi there! Great post- but where can I buy a simply sim in person? I don’t want to order it online, I’d like to try and get it and install it in one day.
Simply Tel is online only. Sorry Lina.
Thanks for the info.
My question is does it makes sense to get a prepaid sim card first then later change to contract post paid once the Germab bank account sorted out. Can the mobile numbers remains the same after switching to contract? thanks
Hey Glad. Yes, you can keep your phone number when changing providers. that’s not a problem.
Hello. Thank you for these useful tips, I wanted to find out more about purchasing a sim card on contract with a smartphone. I have seen the term ‘1€ im Red L’ on the Vodafone website… what does this mean?
At the moment the phone I want isn’t 1€ but it says at the top ‘1€ im Red L’… does this mean I can get it for 1€ or ..??
Hello,
This is a very useful tips. However, I am still undecided for me as I plan to be in Germany only for 4 months for an exchange program. As it is quite hard to find suitable place with anmeldung, do you think I should stick with prepaid plan then? Is it hard to get the prepaid plan without anmeldung? Thanks in advance!
Well, it used to be easy but it’s gotten harder since that new law, as mentioned in the post.
Wow, thank you so much for the phone tips. I am still undecided what to do. My daughter is going to study in Germany starting in September. She has been using Iphones forever, so we want to stay with that. Should I buy an unlocked Iphone 8 Plus here for $800 and get a SIM only contract for her in Germany? She will be in Flensburg — really far north, so I wonder what carrier would have the best coverage there. Or, do you think it would be less expensive to just get a phone plus a plan in Germany? She would need about 4G per month data. (She has unlimited here in the US.)
Thank you!
Hi Dawn, Coverage doesn’t vary across regions or carriers in Germany. I think it would be better for her to unlock her current iphone and use it with a sim-only plan in Germany. Much cheaper all around.
Hello!
I’m moving to Berlin in October to study a full-year there. The thing is that I was looking for a mobile phone provider which can give me unlimited internet access (I do not care about plans with SMS or calls, I just wanted to have unlimited data).
I’ve also looked for it on the other post about Internet connection but I’ve noticed that you only talk about plans with 1/2/3GB per month.
Is there anything that approximates to what I’m looking for?
Great blog by the way.
Thanks and
Greetings from Argentina,
Lucas
Hi Lucas. Unlimited data doesn’t exist here in Germany, i’m afraid. The biggest data plans usually are around 10G or 15Gb
Hey and how much do they cost montly? Which service would be cheaper? Thanks for the article btw.
Hey Carol. You can look at the comparison portals if you want to compare plans.
Hi.
I’m moving to Berlin form Toronto, Canada.
Does Germany offer plans that offer international sms messaging as well as cheaper international calls?
I’d like to be able to send international sms messages and make a few calls to Canada using my local German cell phone… What’s the best way to go about that?
Hi Abhijeet. They usually have fees grouped in zones… USA/Canada usually belong together in a more expensive group.From what i know, when plans do include it, it’s only calls to other EU countries.
Hi Abijeet,
there are may Mobile Calling App Services like Teleluft to make cheap calls from your smartphone.
Those are also prepaid based.
Hi
A useful information and good tips. Thanks for the article. Is it necesary to do a video call to activate the SIM card for a prepaid plan? I bought a O2 prepaid plan and to activate I had to do it, but they couldn’t activate th SIM card because I’m not registered on their data base, so I have to call to the custumer service to solve this 🙁
Incredible post! You helped me decide on a plan with Simply 🙂
Hi all! My girlfriend and myself moved to Munich a month and a half ago. She has her bank account already for more than a month. She earns 3,5 k EUR a month net and we were able to get internet, haftpflicht insurance and electricity contract on that bank account. However, trying to get a mobile phone contract, a SIM-only deal for up to 20 EUR a month, seems to be impossible. We tried mobilcom-debitel and klarmobil and both denied her due to credit rating issues, not specifying what kind of, however we guess it is because she doesn’t have a credit rating built up yet. My question is, how long does it take in Germany to build up a credit rating before you can get a phone contract? Or is there any other issues? Currently due to our short stay in Germany so far, no SEPA transfers were made yet out of her account.
Hi Virenque. Hard to say as only SCHUFA controls that. A matter of weeks in my opinion.
Hi Bastien,
Thanks for the article. Just wondering if Lycamobile offers 4G connection? I will be in Berlin for two months, will Lycamobile still be the best option? If not what would you recommend?
Many thanks in advance,
Luke
Hi Luke. Only 3G i believe.
Hi, thanks for the helpful article.
Do you know if there is such thing as a cooling off period in Germany? So in the UK, I’m pretty sure if you sign the contract, you still have 14 days or so to change your mind (usually/always without a penalty, I think). If so, would you happen to know what such a regulation is called in Germany?
Thanks in advance 🙂
Hi Beccy, The keyword you are looking for is called “Widerrufsrecht”, which many contracts offer, often for a period of 2 weeks yes. Check the contract details.
Hi Bastien,
I am also very grateful for all information I found on your blog, it made my life in Berlin much easier. I am also looking at buying a Simply card. Can I only do the regestration on their own website?
Thank you in advance,
Hi Fruzsi. Yes.
Hello.
Well done for the exceptional work in the whole website. I can not properly describe how much this have helped me so far while trying to settle in Berlin.
I have one question on this topic though.
I want to make a phone contract(haven’t decided with which provider yet) but i know that i will leave Berlin next january.This means that its less than a year and as far as i saw the least duration for a contract is a year.
What happens then?I mean can i terminate it earlier or so? Do i have to notify them before i leave or what?
Thank you very much in advance
Hi Igli. If you stay less than a year, then i would recommend a pre-paid plan if i were you.
Hi, I will be studying in Germany soon and I know what I need a german phone number to open a bank account.
Will a prepaid card already give me a local number that I can receive calls? or I must sign those 2-year contract (but that requires a german bank account!)
Thanks
Anna
Hi, yes, you can get a local nnumber with a pre-paid card.
Adding to my last question:
For the Simply Sim only, do I need to have the Anmeldung or a German bank account?
Yes, a german bank account.
Hi!
Thank you for your article.
Do you know if N26 is enough for a German bank account?
I just got denied a Simply SIM card and I really don’t know why. I just got here so maybe it’s because I don’t have a Schufa, but they don’t talk about it in the website.
They also said that their criteria for denial are secret …
Cheers
Hi Zach. I don’t think N26 is the issue here.
Thank you for the very informative blog!
I will be living in Berlin for 8 months probably. I need to have some calls/text/internet (2-3GB).
Since I will be here for 8 months and I already have my own phone I want a contract that is SIM only and goes per month.
You recommend Simply, which looks really good to me. My question is: how is their network and coverage? I guess it will be fine in Berlin, but do you know how it is in other places in Germany? And in other countries in Europe with the free roaming?
Thank you so much!
Simply uses the same network than o2, so same excellent coverage. 🙂
Hallo, I just arrived Hamburg by 31/10/2017, and the sales person(in Hamburg Airport) recommended me Lycamobile, with unlimited call and 5GB data usage with 40 Euro first buy and top up with 20 Euro monthly after this. I just check the rate today, I found that Lycamobile with my plan first buy only cost 9.99 Euro! I think I was cheated in the Hamburg Airport? However, Lycamobile did a good job. I have used google map go all over my small town to find a room, and the line is really fluent and smooth.
I am a master student from Malaysia, is going to stay for 2 years here. Do you have any recommendations of data plan which provide 5 GB data plan monthly and usable in Europe countries as well? (personally I don’t mind it’s prepaid or with contract as long as low budget)
Because I need to travel to other Europe countries sometimes for my studies or travel. Do you think Lycamobile still is the best for my current circumstances?
P/S: I had always get lost and might need google map to bring me to all destination mostly. Thank you very much! and thank you for writing this website and I suppose red this early!
Hi Tee, if you plan to move a lot Lycamobile is a great and flexible option. You pay a little bit more for the flexibility but it might be worth it in your case.
Hi there,
I just moved to Germany and urgently needed a number so I took up O2 prepaid with 1GB. However, I need more data because I need to call Home frequently. How to I add on data because the website is in German and I am not able to find such info. Can I convert my prepaid number to contract ?
Thanks.
Hi Rubita. I can’t provide customer support for o2, try to google translate the website.
Hi,
thanks for such an informative blog.
I am new here in Stuttgart and found the same issue with O2 with very low data capacity. Apart of all the details you have provided, Can you also write something regarding Phone exchange policy as if somebody is holding a new version of phone and want to get the latest one. Is that a easy thing to do here in Germany to have some exchange policy or offers ?
Hi Junaid. You can sign-up for special contracts allowing you to receive a new phone every year or so. Exchanges per say, i have never heard of it in Germany.
I landed in Berlin yesterday and have been trying to get a prepaid sim card from Vodafone & 3 locations that I tried said that they will not sell to anyone without German address. Does O2 have the same issues in store or will I be able to purchase with my passport for ID?
Hi Steve, it will be the same issue with o2 yes. Have you had a look at Lycamobile?
Hello, I am arriving to Berlin soon.. I want to buy a sim card sim card immediately after I land. are there any shops I can get the Simply sim card?
Yes, any o2 shops or any supermarkets mentioned in the post.
Hi
I am a international student from Nepal coming to Germany for my higher studies ! i will live there for like 3 years ! Am i eligible to buy mobile phones
in monthly installments along with the connection plan right after I come there ?
Hi Krishna. Buying a mobile phone with monthly installments will require you to have a good SCHUFA score, otherwise the operator will refuse your request. Find a cheap phone or find an offer with a one-off fee for the phone.
If, like me, you’re in Germany for a short term, I wanted to share a solution that’s working well for me.
With O2, after you use all your data, they only throttle you to 1 Mb/s, which is much faster than the 28 Kb/s offered by other providers, and honestly fast enough for everyday use. If 1MB/s sounds fast enough for you, you can get the O2 Free S on a monthly basis for €5 more, so a total of €25/month. This means you get 1GB of data at LTE speeds, and then infinite data at 1 Mb/s for only €25/month, with the ability to cancel any time.
Pretty good if you ask me 🙂
Hello, I’ll be in Berlin for two weeks for work, and I need a prepaid SIM to be able to make and receive calls as well as some surfing (like to this very helpful site). Any suggestions?
Thank you in advanced!
Hi Claudia, any of the suggestions in the article work. Lyca mobile is also a good suggestion in your situation.
This is very helpful. But I have an interesting case. I will be in Germany for a year and I use a lot of data, and might make calls to the US. For these reasons I was looking at a contract. But I simply can’t find a contract that isn’t 24 months long. What can I do? If I can’t get a contract what month-to-month plan do you recommend? Thank you!
Hi Grace. As mentioned in the post, a contract won’t work for you. You might want to go for prepaid or alternatively, go for Preis24 and compare month-to-month plans to be sure to get the best deals.
I’ve been looking at prepaid. The most GB I can find is 4. Am I looking in the wrong places?
Sorry to bother again!
Prepaid plans are limited but you can buy additional data if needed.
I assume you will not only use a cell phone but also a laptop or tablet? Or do you want to use solely your cell phone?
You could sign a 24 Months contract with a major provider like Telekom or Vodafone. According to my knowledge if people are relocating abroad they can cancel their 24 Months contract (Sonderkündigungsrecht) giving 3 Months notice https://www.toytowngermany.com/forum/topic/33510-ending-a-deutsche-telekom-contract/. Send registered letter!
Telekom offers a phone flat rate for Europe, the US, Canada and Mexiko for 3.90 Euro/Months extra. So you could call the US from home (landline simply buy a cheap phone) and talk as long as you want and use your internet connection with unlimited data at home. I pay around 42 Euro/Month. Included in the 42 Euro is the unlimited data for internet (fast connection), the modem, a landline (flat rate for German landlines) and the international flat rate region one (as described above). Call my friends in the US all the time, even their cell phones, never paid an extra fee. If you intend to stream tv shows etc. this would be the best option as it is fast and reliable.
If this is not an option, you can ask your friends and family in the US to download the Whats app app to their smart phones. Here you can send messages, pictures, videos and even call for free when connected to wifi.
Hi there,
I’m a youtube vlogger who will be trying to upload videos daily. I will be touring Germany for 9 months, before settling in Berlin.
Obviously, internet (lots) and uploading bandwith/limits are very important to me. Can you give any advice please?
Thank you! Love the site – you are great! 🙂
Ben.
Hi Ben. If you are going to settle in Berlin after your tour anyway; i’d advise you to register right away with at the Bürgeramt (if you can) to sign up for unlimited plans (with 1&1 for example), which unfortunately often comes with a contract only. Otherwise, take a prepaid sim card for normal use and upload your videos at night, whenever you have wifi. What’s your YouTube channel out of curiosity?
Hi
I am planning to be in Berlin for 3 months, looking for a phone plan which will allow me to also use GPS (google maps) and have internet connectivity for social media. do any of the prepaid plans have that?
Hi Shelach. Yes, most of pre-paid plans have data included in them, which allows you to have Google Maps and Social Media.
Avoid mobilcom!
I have had exceptionally bad experiences with mobilcom. I took mobilcom as a mobile carrier in 2012.
Ater two years I started having serious problems with connection. Now that I recall, I dont know if the internet ever worked properly.
I could not get online, which was the whole point of me taking this data connection. I tried to seek help from their shop in Bad Homburg. The shop said they could not help, the reason being, I guess they only sell new contracts. I decided to terminate the contract as the connection simply did not work. This was done in the same Bad Homburg shop. I even went back to their shop to doublecheck the termination was done as I still saw some mail from mobilcom. I thought this was the end of my bad experience. After over a year had passed I noticed in my bank statement that mobilcom is still withdrawing money from my account. I contacted mobilcom, and they said they never any termination of contract. As my mistake I should have saved and filed the termination paper. Now I have once more terminated the contract, but as expected in the fine print there is again a waiting period of 6moths or so… . On top of this mobilcom are uninterested and unwilling to help(no relies to my numerous contacts through their customerservice) with making my connection work. So I am again paying for absolutely nothing. Dont make the same mistake I made, avoid mobilcom
Hello, I am moving to Ravensburg in about a month for work and I’m having trouble deciding on what company to get a sim from. I will live there for 18 months and would like a plan that gives me somewhere around 10 gigs of data a month. Currently I’m looking at a 2 year plan from either Deutsche Telekom or O2 or a monthly plan from SimplyTel. I would prefer to go with a month to month service provider as I won’t be there for the full two years. SimplyTel seems to be significantly cheaper but I have no idea what their service is like (the cost is not super important). I also plan on doing a fair bit of traveling during my time there Do you have any advice for which provider I should choose? Thank you in advance.
Hi Nico. In terms of network access, all companies are riding the same radio waves so quality is consistent across all providers. I have no particular tip for you; you know best what your needs are.
Good day. I travel from the USA to Berlin and Hahnenklee every year for between three and six months. I am 65 years old and never have owned a television or Smart Phone, do not belong to any form of social media, have never sent a text, tweet, twang, toodle message. I am a widower and my mother-in-law is 90 years old in Florida and wants to hear from me while I am away. SO: 1) I must buy a phone which will work between the USA and Germany. ???Do you have a recommendation??? 2) I must buy some kind of plan which will allow me to call her daily for 10 – 15 minutes / day for 90 – 120 days. ??? Do you have a plan service to recommend ??? 3) I am used to reading maps and listening to weather forecasts but I understand that I can get GPS information and other helpful traveler’s information through a Smart Phone. ??? Do you have a plan that would give me FIRST the telephone service which I will need; and, SECOND, this sort of internet information. ??? Thank you; Matteus
Hi Matteus. 1) Most common smartphones can be used on European bands with no issues at all. When in doubt, ask a seller in the shop. If you only need GPS and weather forecasts function, you won’t need a high end phone. I’d recommend a Motorola G4 2016 or even a Motorola E3 (2016). The vast majority of plans include also internet access, as well a normal phone service. There are really no cheap plans to make calls to the US. You would need to commit to a yearly contract to have this option cheap. I would however recommended Lycamobile in your case with their International Bundles which includes free minutes to call the USA, normal phone service and internet service as well. Good luck.
After you cell pone contract is up do they have to unlock your phone? I have a 2 year contract that is ending in April 2017 with mobilcom-debitel. I gave them more then 90 days notice, but i also asked to have the phone unlocked and they said i need to call them. I would like to skip the sales pitch if possible, but i would also like to sell the phone when the contract is done.
Hi Douglas. I assume your contract is a standard phone + plan type contract. In this case, the phone will be yours at the end of the contract and you have every right to have it unlocked. You will need to enter a long series of numbers and characters to unlock it. They will give you that so that’s probably why they want you to call. Just be persistent.
Much appreciated Bastien!
ALDI
I went for ALDI and it was cumbersome to set it up, especially since there is no in-person customer service and the phone customer service wait is interminable.
You have to do so much more in setting up the account that I’ve never had to deal with before. Do one thing, wait for an email or SMS to confirm it and then go onto another step.
Then at the end of the month when I needed to pay for the next month, I could not. You need a German bank account to do the payment. They do not accept debit or credit cards or bank transfer from a foreign account.
I wrote to Aldi asking about using a foreign bank account and they never replied. Although they stated they would answer within 48 hours…it’s been a week.
I assume this is the rule with all prepaid cards or even contracts? You must pay with a German bank account or the dreaded EC card! Germany needs to get with the program and accept any and all MasterCards and VISAs, credit or debit cards.
Hi Ron. Thanks for the feedback. There was probably a mix up, you don’t need any bank account for prepaid cards, you buy credit at an Aldi supermarket or online. This is the case for all basic prepaid cards. If you go for any other plan with a contract (e.g with Aldi; Paket 300), you will need to have a German bank account indeed. That’s why i recommend the prepaid option if you haven’t opened one yet.
Hi Bastien,
Is the paket 300 not prepaid? I am thinking of getting an Aldi microSIM and either the Paket 300 or 600, which I understand can be paid for online with the credits on the microSIM added at an Aldi store. Is this not true, and if this is not true, does this basically mean any money on the card can only be used on a per SMS/minute/MB rate?
Thanks
My wife and I are going to be in Berlin in June for a month. I am going for work initiallyfor a few days but we are going to extend our stay to have a holiday. It seems we will not be able to buy a SIM at all- correct? Roaming is an alternative, but is quite expensive. Your advice will be appreciated.
Hi Fred. It might be less hassle to book an international plan from your home provider. In your case, the most convenient option could be to go for a prepaid SIM option with no commitment so have a look at the prepaid plans options i have listed. Compare what would be the cheapest. good luck.
Hi Fred,
Go for an operator named Lebara with prepaid plan. You can activate FLEXI XL plan which gives you 500 minutes of calling which includes both local and international in addition to 1 GB of 3G data.
Thank you! Super helpful!
Thank you! Very good tips!