What Is the Best eSIM for Germany? (2026)
For a trip
Install an Airalo eSIM before you fly: 1 GB over 3 days costs EUR 3.44 and 10 GB over a week costs EUR 12.90. It needs no ID check and it connects the moment you land, so you are online before you reach passport control.
If you need a German number
A native Telekom eSIM is EUR 9.95 for 20 GB and ALDI TALK is EUR 8.99 for 25 GB, both per 28-day cycle and both with unlimited German and EU calls and SMS. Identity has to be verified first, in practice by VideoIdent with your passport. The crossover sits at about a month.
Jump to section
Which eSIM is the best for Germany?
★ Best before you land
Airalo
Installs in about two minutes with no ID check, from EUR 3.44 for 1 GB to EUR 12.90 for 10 GB over a week, with top-ups in the app.
Key information
- Number
- No German number, so no SMS to one
- Data
- Largest German plan range, tops up in the app
- Signup
- Deleting the profile loses it for good
Plans(3)
- Airalo Germany Moin Moin 1GB/3d1 GB / 3 daysEUR 3.44
- Airalo Germany Unlimited 3d (3GB/day FUP)Unlimited / 3 daysEUR 9.03
- Airalo Germany Moin Moin 10GB/7dOur pick here10 GB / 7 daysEUR 12.90
Prices as of 20 August 2026, verify on the provider site.
- German number
- No, data only
- Mobile network
- O2 (Telefónica) primarily; multi-network
- ID check to activate
- None
More details
- Runs for
- 7 days
- Receives SMS
- No, it has no German number
- Activation
- QR/app, ~2 min, no KYC
- Top-up
- In app
- Devices
- eSIM device, unlocked; iPhone XS+, Pixel 3+, S20+
Best for Anyone who wants data working the moment the plane doors open.
Best for unlimited data
Holafly
Sells nothing but unlimited: EUR 10.23 for 3 days up to EUR 63.55 for 30, so a heavy-use trip never watches a counter.
Key information
- Number
- No German number, so no SMS to one
- Data
- Fair use throttles after about 2 to 5 GB a day
- Support
- 24/7 multilingual support
Plans(3)
- Holafly Germany Unlimited 3dUnlimited / 3 daysEUR 10.23
- Holafly Germany Unlimited 7dOur pick hereUnlimited / 7 daysEUR 23.65
- Holafly Germany Unlimited 30dUnlimited / 30 daysEUR 63.55
Prices as of 20 August 2026, verify on the provider site.
- German number
- No, data only
- Mobile network
- Telekom & O2 (roaming)
- ID check to activate
- None
More details
- Runs for
- 7 days
- Receives SMS
- No, it has no German number
- Activation
- QR code, no KYC
- Top-up
- New plan each time
- Devices
- eSIM device
Best for Anyone who tethers, streams or navigates all day.
Best if a laptop travels with you
Ubigi
10 GB valid a full 30 days at EUR 10.75, and the only eSIM in this catalogue that lists Windows 10 and 11 laptops as well as phones.
Key information
- Number
- No German number, so no SMS to one
- Devices
- Installs on Windows 10 and 11 laptops too
- Signup
- Auto-renew is on by default on some plans
Plans(3)
- Ubigi Germany 3GB/15d3 GB / 15 daysEUR 6.02
- Ubigi Germany 10GB/30dOur pick here10 GB / 30 daysEUR 10.75
- Ubigi Germany 25GB/30d25 GB / 30 daysEUR 21.50
Prices as of 20 August 2026, verify on the provider site.
- German number
- No, data only
- Mobile network
- Multi (own core network)
- ID check to activate
- None
More details
- Runs for
- 30 days
- Receives SMS
- No, it has no German number
- Activation
- app/QR; install-once profile
- Top-up
- In app
- Devices
- eSIM device + Windows 10/11 eSIM laptops (unique)
Best for Anyone here on and off for a month, and anyone who wants the same eSIM in a laptop.
Best if you swap phones
Nomad
10 GB over 30 days at EUR 13.76, and the profile can be reinstalled, which Airalo's own record warns is not possible there.
Key information
- Number
- No German number, so no SMS to one
- Devices
- The eSIM profile can be reinstalled
- Signup
- Top-ups are not offered on every plan
Plans(3)
- Nomad Germany 1GB/7d1 GB / 7 daysEUR 3.87
- Nomad Germany Unlimited 3d (2GB/day then 512kbps)Unlimited / 3 daysEUR 9.46
- Nomad Germany 10GB/30dOur pick here10 GB / 30 daysEUR 13.76
Prices as of 20 August 2026, verify on the provider site.
- German number
- No, data only
- Mobile network
- O2/Telekom (varies)
- ID check to activate
- None
More details
- Runs for
- 30 days
- Receives SMS
- No, it has no German number
- Activation
- QR/app
- Top-up
- In app
- Devices
- eSIM device
Best for Anyone who changes handset mid-trip, or wants a free 1 GB trial first.
Best with a German number
Telekom eSIM
A German number on the D1 network for EUR 9.95 per 28-day cycle, with 20 GB, unlimited German and EU calls and SMS, and the eSIM QR issued free in the MeinMagenta app.
Key information
- Number
- German number, unlimited German and EU calls and SMS
- Network
- Telekom (D1), the best-rated German network
- Signup
- VideoIdent passport check before it activates
Plans(4)
- Telekom MagentaMobil Prepaid S 1GB/28d1 GB / 28 daysEUR 4.95
- Telekom MagentaMobil Prepaid M 20GB/28dOur pick here20 GB / 28 daysEUR 9.95
- Telekom MagentaMobil Prepaid L 40GB/28d40 GB / 28 daysEUR 14.95
- Telekom Prepaid 5G Jahrestarif 240GB/year (20GB/month)240 GB / 365 daysEUR 99.95
Prices as of 20 August 2026, verify on the provider site.
- German number
- Included
- Mobile network
- Telekom
- ID check to activate
- Yes, VideoIdent with a passport
More details
- Runs for
- 28 days
- Receives SMS
- Yes, to your German number
- Activation
- eSIM free with prepaid & contract; QR via MeinMagenta app; VideoIdent
- Top-up
- In app
- Devices
- eSIM-capable phone; German prepaid requires ID registration (TKG 2017) via VideoIdent/PostIdent
Best for Anyone staying long enough to need codes sent to a German number.
Most data per euro, with a German number
ALDI TALK eSIM
25 GB and a German number for EUR 8.99 per 28-day cycle, and 100 GB for EUR 18.99, the most data per euro of any native eSIM here.
Key information
- Number
- German number, unlimited German and EU calls and SMS
- Data
- 100 GB for EUR 18.99 on the top rung
- Signup
- Physical starter first, then a free eSIM swap
Plans(3)
- ALDI TALK Kombi-Paket S 25GB/28dOur pick here25 GB / 28 daysEUR 8.99
- ALDI TALK Kombi-Paket M 50GB/28d50 GB / 28 daysEUR 13.99
- ALDI TALK Kombi-Paket L 100GB/28d100 GB / 28 daysEUR 18.99
Prices as of 20 August 2026, verify on the provider site.
- German number
- Included
- Mobile network
- O2
- ID check to activate
- Yes, VideoIdent with a passport
More details
- Runs for
- 28 days
- Receives SMS
- Yes, to your German number
- Activation
- BUY PHYSICAL STARTER FIRST (EUR 9.99); eSIM only as free replacement AFTER activation via hotline; VideoIdent registration
- Top-up
- In app
- Devices
- eSIM-capable phone; German prepaid requires ID registration (TKG 2017) via VideoIdent/PostIdent
Best for Anyone who wants a German number and a big allowance for the price of a travel eSIM.
Native or travel eSIM, which do you need?
A travel eSIM is data only. It installs in about two minutes, needs no identity check, and works on landing, which makes it the right answer for a stay of days to a couple of weeks. What it cannot do is receive an SMS sent to a German mobile number, because it does not carry one, and it expires on a fixed date rather than renewing.
A native eSIM from Telekom or ALDI TALK is a real German prepaid line: a German number, unlimited German and EU calls and SMS, no German address and no German bank account. It is not the no-paperwork option, though. Germany requires identity verification before any line activates, so plan on a VideoIdent session with your passport, which runs 24 hours a day, and on activation landing anywhere from minutes to hours later.
Watch the billing period as well. Both native picks bill every 28 days, not every calendar month, which is 13 payments a year rather than 12: ALDI TALK Kombi-Paket S at EUR 8.99 is an effective EUR 9.74 a month and Telekom MagentaMobil Prepaid M at EUR 9.95 is an effective EUR 10.78 a month. The one native rung that escapes the cycle is Telekom's annual pack: 240 GB over 365 days for EUR 99.95, paid once.
Every eSIM we compared
We compared 159 eSIM plansfrom Airalo, Holafly, Saily, Nomad, Ubigi and twelve other travel brands, plus the native German eSIMs from Telekom, Vodafone, O2, ALDI TALK, congstar and 1&1. The full catalogue lives on the market overview.
View all 159 eSIM plansThe full market overview: every plan from every provider with its data, validity and price, filterable and re-rankable.Frequently asked questions
Can I get a German eSIM before I arrive?
Partly. An Airalo travel eSIM installs before you fly and connects the moment you land, because it needs no identity check. A native German eSIM from Telekom or ALDI TALK can be ordered in advance, but it only starts working after your identity is verified, and activation can take minutes to hours after that check.
Do I need a German address for a native eSIM?
No, not for prepaid. The Telekom MagentaMobil Prepaid and ALDI TALK Kombi-Paket tariffs behind these eSIMs need no German address and no German bank account. What they do need is identity verification: VideoIdent works with any passport and runs 24 hours a day.
What is the difference between a native and a travel eSIM?
A native eSIM is a real German line: a German number, unlimited German and EU calls and SMS, and an identity check before it activates. A travel eSIM such as Airalo, Holafly, Ubigi or Nomad is data only. It installs in about two minutes with no ID check, but it cannot receive an SMS sent to a German mobile number.
Is a travel eSIM or a native eSIM cheaper?
For a stay of days to about two weeks the travel eSIM wins on simplicity: Airalo Germany starts at EUR 3.44 for 1 GB over 3 days. From about a month a native eSIM wins outright: ALDI TALK gives 25 GB and a German number for EUR 8.99 per 28-day cycle, an effective EUR 9.74 a month.
Why is a German prepaid eSIM billed every 28 days?
Most German prepaid tariffs run on a 28-day cycle rather than a calendar month, so they renew 13 times a year instead of 12. ALDI TALK Kombi-Paket S at EUR 8.99 works out at an effective EUR 9.74 a month, and Telekom MagentaMobil Prepaid M at EUR 9.95 works out at an effective EUR 10.78 a month.