Mobile Telephony in Germany

Questions & Answers

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

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?

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?

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?

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.

Overviews of SIM card offers

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.

More guides

Long and detailed guide for Germany at Prepaid Data SIM Card Wiki