New in Germany: how to get a SIM card
Where to buy a SIM card in Germany, what it costs, how activation with your ID works and when your current SIM card is enough.
All prices in this guide come from our comparison of 274 German mobile tariffs and are average prices per month over 24 months, one-time costs included. As of .
The key points
- Buying: starter packs are sold at supermarket tills, in drugstores, at petrol stations and kiosks, or online from the provider, often as an eSIM.
- Activating: every SIM card must be checked against an identity document before first use. This usually works online by video call, at a post office or in a shop.
- Start without a contract: prepaid needs no German bank account and no SCHUFA credit check, and you can stop at any time.
- Keeping your number: a SIM card from another EU country works in Germany at domestic prices, but it is meant for travel, not for living here.
SIM cards from the supermarket
Most German supermarket chains have their own mobile brand. The starter pack hangs at the till, usually costs a few euros and often includes some credit. The tariffs run on the networks of the big operators and are often cheaper than the operators’ own.
| Brand | Sold at | Network | Tariffs | Cheapest tariff |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ALDI TALK | ALDI | o2 network | 3 | ALDI TALK Tarif S 25 GB / 4 weeks, then unlimited top-ups, Ø €10.82 |
| Lidl Connect | Lidl | Vodafone network | 7 | Lidl Connect SMART XS 2 GB / 4 weeks, Ø €5.41 |
| NettoKOM | Netto | o2 network | 8 | NettoKOM EASY 500 MB / 4 weeks, Ø €3.24 |
| Penny Mobil | PENNY | Telekom network | 6 | Penny Mobil Prepaid Basic 2 GB / 4 weeks, Ø €5.51 |
| ja!mobil | REWE | Telekom network | 4 | ja!mobil Prepaid Basic 2 GB / 4 weeks, Ø €5.51 |
| KAUFLAND mobil | Kaufland | Telekom network | 6 | KAUFLAND mobil SMART XS 1 GB / 4 weeks, Ø €5.82 |
| EDEKA smart | EDEKA | Telekom network | 7 | EDEKA smart kombi S 5G 2 GB / 4 weeks, Ø €5.36 |
All tariffs without a contract: prepaid tariffs compared.
Activating with your ID
Since 2017, every provider has to check your name, address and date of birth against an identity document before activating a SIM card. After buying, you enter your details online and confirm them, usually by Video-Ident (a video call where you show your passport or ID card), by Postident at a post office or with the online ID function. Only then does the card work. Which documents count and what to do if one method fails: ID check for a German SIM card.
Using a SIM card from another EU country
Within the EU you call and surf with your home tariff at domestic prices (“roam like at home”). For the first weeks that is often enough. Roaming is meant for travel, though: if you use the card mainly abroad for months, your provider may charge extra. Authorities, banks and employers in Germany also often expect a German number. With dual SIM or an eSIM you keep both numbers on the same phone.
Prepaid or contract?
Prepaid is the easiest start: no bank account, no credit check, no minimum term. If you stay, you can switch later and keep your number for free. How to pay without a German account: mobile plan without a German bank account. What pays off: contract, monthly or prepaid.
Quick answers
Can I buy a SIM card in a German supermarket and use it right away?
You can buy it, but usually not use it at once: every SIM card must be activated with an identity document first, for example by video call (Video-Ident) or at a post office (Postident). This often takes from a few minutes to a few hours.
Which supermarket SIM is the cheapest?
Among the supermarket brands, EDEKA smart Jahrespaket Start 5G is the cheapest today: 60 GB / year for an average of €5.83 a month.
Is my SIM card from another EU country enough?
For a trip, yes: within the EU you call and surf at domestic prices. If you live in Germany permanently, you need a German SIM card, because roaming is meant for travel and your provider may charge extra if you mostly use it abroad.