Getting a German mobile number (prepaid, contract or eSIM)

Before you start

• A valid passport, national ID card or German residence document
• A phone that is not locked to another network, or that supports eSIM

Documents you need

• Passport or national ID card

  Required by law for the identity check on prepaid SIMs. Online video identification may not accept every country's passport; a shop is the fallback.

  required

• Residence permit (electronic residence permit card)

  Also accepted as an identity document for SIM registration.

  optional

• Bank account (IBAN)

  Needed for contracts and for automatic top-ups; prepaid can usually be topped up with vouchers or cards instead.

  optional

• Registration certificate or other proof of your German address

  Not required by law for prepaid, but some providers ask for a German address, particularly for contracts.

  optional

Step by step

1. 1

   Step 1: Decide between prepaid and a contract

   Prepaid (Prepaid):

   • you top up credit or pay for a package in advance, so there are no surprise bills;
   • packages can usually be changed or stopped monthly;
   • no credit check, which makes it the easiest option when you have just arrived;
   • if you do not use or top up the SIM for a long time, providers may first restrict and then deactivate it, and remaining credit can be lost.

   Contract (Laufzeitvertrag, postpaid):

   • billed monthly after use; often combined with a subsidised phone;
   • the initial term can be up to 24 months, and every provider must also offer a term of at most 12 months; after the initial term you can cancel at any time with one month's notice;
   • the provider usually checks your creditworthiness, for example with SCHUFA. With no or a poor credit record, you can be refused.

   Check how a prepaid package is billed: some run for four weeks rather than a calendar month, which means 13 payments a year instead of 12.

2. 2

   Step 2: Check coverage and choose a provider

   Germany has several network operators, and many cheaper brands resell capacity on their networks. Coverage differs by area, so check the network at your home and workplace. The Bundesnetzagentur publishes coverage information and an app to report dead spots (Funkloch) on its consumer pages.

   Compare tariffs by monthly price, data volume, speed limits, the length of the billing period and the price after any introductory offer. Before you sign a contract, the provider must give you a short contract summary (Vertragszusammenfassung).

3. 3

   Step 3: Verify your identity

   By law, the provider records your name, address and date of birth and, for prepaid SIMs, must check them against an official document before activation. Accepted documents include a passport, an identity card with a photo, a residence permit and certain documents issued in the asylum procedure. Providers may also use other procedures approved by the Bundesnetzagentur, but these still rely on such a document.

   In practice you have three routes:

   • In a shop: the simplest option. Bring your passport or ID card; the staff check it and activate the SIM.
   • Online video identification (VideoIdent): you show your document and face on a video call. Not every provider accepts every passport for this; check the list before you buy a SIM online.
   • Online ID function (eID) of a German ID card, an EU eID card or an electronic residence permit, which the law recognises, where the provider offers it.

   The identity check also applies when you order an eSIM.

4. 4

   Step 4: Activate the SIM or eSIM and port your number if you want

   An eSIM is a SIM profile that you download onto a chip built into the phone, usually by scanning a QR code. It is useful if you want to keep your home SIM in the phone as a second line. Check that your phone supports eSIM and is not locked to another operator.

   To keep an existing German number, ask the new provider to port it (Rufnummernmitnahme). Porting is free of charge, and you can request it up to one month after your old contract ends (some contracts allow longer). Your name and details must match at both providers.

5. 5

   Step 5: Protect yourself from unwanted charges

   • Ask your provider to block third-party billing (Drittanbietersperre). This stops subscriptions and purchases from other companies being charged to your phone bill, and the law requires the block to be free of charge (§ 61 (2) TKG).
   • Ignore and report SMS and messenger messages that ask you to click links or pay. The Bundesnetzagentur collects complaints about unsolicited messages and manipulated caller numbers.
   • Set a SIM PIN and keep your account password safe, because your number is often used for two-factor authentication.

Emergency calls

Using your phone in other EU countries

Keeping your SIM from home

Watch out

Common mistakes

• Ordering a SIM online, then finding that video identification does not accept your passport. Check the provider's accepted documents first, or go to a shop.
• Assuming a prepaid package renews monthly when it actually renews every four weeks.
• Letting a prepaid SIM sit unused for months and losing the number and credit.
• Forgetting to cancel a contract on time. Note the end of the initial term; after that, one month's notice is enough.

Tips

• Start with prepaid and switch to a contract later if you need one; you can take your number with you.
• Write down your PUK and customer number when you get the SIM.
• If you need mobile internet at home while you wait for a fixed line, choose a prepaid package with a large data volume and use your phone as a hotspot.
• Register in the nora emergency app once you have a German number.

Frequently asked questions

Editorial answers written by our team, based on the sources below.

Official links

In your plan

• Get a German SIM cardAdd to plan
• Order internet for your homeAdd to plan

Sources

Written and checked by HomiStart editorial against the official sources below. Next scheduled check: 3 Apr 2027.