Mobile Telephony in Germany

Questions & answers about mobile phone providers for homes, links & guides to comparisons.

Questions & Answers[edit]

Can I use my SIM card from another country in Germany? [edit]

Yes, if your provider allows roaming (which it does very likely). You might need to enable it, especially data roaming.

In Germany, the following standards are in operation:

2G (EDGE)
3G (UMTS)
4G (LTE)
and partially starting with 5G

See a more technical list at Wikipedia.

How much does it cost to use my foreign SIM card Germany? [edit]

SIM card from another EU country

If your foreign SIM card is from another EU country, then the EU roaming regulations apply. Basically:

You pay the same rates as if you were in the home country of your SIM card.
However, after 4 months being abroad your home SIM card provider has the right the cancel the contract, as they can assume that you now live in Germany.

SIM Card from a Non-EU country

It totally depends on the rates of your SIM card provider.

When Do I need a German SIM card? [edit]

When you want to be reachable by a German (mobile) number.
When you want a flat rate for calls to German (mobile) numbers, and your current provider does not offer it.
When you do not habe EU roaming, or when it stopped working.

Do I need a verification? [edit]

By law, your name and address needs to be verified with

a legal document (passport or national ID), and
a German street address (you don't need an Anmeldung (to be registered) there but it should exist.

You can read here more about the details.

SIM Card offers[edit]

Selected[edit]

Here are selected offers suitable for expats.

Vodafone CallYa: Prepaid SIM (no minimum term) with unlimited calls & SMS to Germany, 200 min/SMS to EU countries and 100 min/SMS to Turkey, roaming within EU:
- €9.99 / month with 6 GB data
- €14.99 / month with 10 GB data
Sipgate prepaid: Prepaid eSIM (no minimum term) with bookable packages:
- unlimited calls/SMS to all EU countries: €19.95
- mobile and free landline number in Germany
- roaming with EU

Comparisons[edit]

Below are 3 sub-pages, each one with a customizable calculator: Select your preferred network operator and for example also the data volume you need per month and get a regularly updated list of results.