# Which SIM Card Should You Choose in Germany? (2026) > Match a German SIM card to your situation in 2026. What prepaid needs, what a contract needs, and why most German prepaid tariffs bill 13 times a year. By Jules de Bruin · URL: https://www.guide-germany.com/telecom/sim-finder In Germany the first question is not price, it is paperwork: **every SIM needs verified identity**, prepaid needs no German address and no German bank account, and every contract tariff needs an address, a SEPA direct debit and [a SCHUFA credit check](/finance/open-bank-account). If you have just arrived, start with **Telekom MagentaMobil Prepaid M** at EUR 9.95 per 28-day cycle for 20 GB, or take a free **Vodafone CallYa Classic** SIM if all you need is a German number. ## Find the Right SIM Card ### No German address yet [Telekom MagentaMobil Prepaid M](#de-mob-002): EUR 9.95 per 28-day cycle for 20 GB on the best-rated German network, English support, eSIM, SIM card EUR 9.95 with EUR 10 credit. ### Just need a German number [Vodafone CallYa Classic](#de-mob-007): a genuinely free SIM with nothing bundled, charged at 9 ct per minute, 9 ct per SMS and 3 ct per MB. Add a 4-week option pack from EUR 4.99 when you need one. ### Cheapest per month over a year [Vodafone CallYa Jahrespaket M](#de-mob-013): one payment of EUR 99.99 for 250 GB to spread across 365 days, about EUR 8.33 a month equivalent. ### Once you are registered [O2 Mobile on Demand M](#de-mob-030): 50 GB for EUR 19.99 a month on a 24-month term with a EUR 39.99 connection fee, plus free 1 GB top-ups on demand. ## Which Plan Fits Your Situation? Work through it in this order. If you have no German address and no SEPA direct debit, you are buying prepaid, and that is not a compromise: Telekom, Vodafone and O2 all sell their own prepaid tariffs on their own networks. If you are [registered](/moving/address-registration) and have a German bank account, [the contract tariffs](/telecom/prepaid-vs-postpaid) open up, and so do the age-gated young prices for anyone under 28, or under 29 at O2. Then [choose a network](/telecom/best-mobile-network). Telekom (D1) is the best-rated German network in connect 01/2026 and Ookla Q1-Q2 2026 testing. O2 from Telefónica has the highest measured 5G availability in Germany per Ookla H1 2025, though its rural coverage still trails Telekom and Vodafone. Vodafone (D2) sits between them. 1&1 runs its own 5G with Vodafone national roaming underneath. Telecoms in Germany are regulated by the Bundesnetzagentur. Finally, check the billing cycle before you compare prices. Most German prepaid tariffs, including every MagentaMobil Prepaid tier, every CallYa Allnet Flat tier and every O2 my Prepaid tier, renew every 28 days. That is 13 payments a year, not 12, so MagentaMobil Prepaid M at EUR 9.95 works out at roughly EUR 10.78 a month. fraenk and SIMon mobile are the calendar-month exceptions, both monthly cancellable. One practical note on buying: identity verification is mandatory on every German SIM, and even a vending-machine SIM has to be verified online afterwards. VideoIdent works with any passport, 24/7, and activation can take minutes to hours. Supermarket checkouts at Aldi, Lidl, Penny and REWE sell SIMs, but German shops close on Sundays, so airport and main-station shops are the Sunday exception. Airport prices are the same as in town. ## Recommended SIM Cards ### MagentaMobil Prepaid M 4.020 GB, Unlimited minutes, Unlimited SMS on Telekom for EUR 9.95 per 28-day cycle. No German address and no German bank account. [Get plan](https://www.telekom.de/mobilfunk/prepaid)20 GBEUR 9.9528-day cycle20 GB, Unlimited minutes, Unlimited SMS on Telekom. eSIM available. 28-day cycle, 13 payments a year Pros - **EUR 9.95** per 28-day cycle - eSIM - No German address needed Cons - 28-day cycle: 13 renewals per year (~129 EUR/yr) - Promo data (**33 GB**) is a recurring new-customer action, not guaranteed - Pricier per GB than congstar/fraenk on the same network Best for Newcomers ### CallYa Classic 4.0Pay per use on Vodafone for EUR 0. No German address and no German bank account. [Get plan](https://www.vodafone.de/callya)Pay per useEUR 0monthPay per use on Vodafone. eSIM available. pay-as-you-go, no cycle Pros - **EUR 0** per month - eSIM - No German address needed Cons - 3 ct/MB data is punitive without an option pack - No allowance included, keep it out of price rankings Best for Newcomers ### CallYa Start 4.02 GB, Unlimited minutes, Unlimited SMS on Vodafone for EUR 4.99 per 28-day cycle. No German address and no German bank account. [Get plan](https://www.vodafone.de/callya)2 GBEUR 4.9928-day cycle2 GB, Unlimited minutes, Unlimited SMS on Vodafone. eSIM available. 28-day cycle, 13 payments a year Pros - **EUR 4.99** per 28-day cycle - eSIM - No German address needed Cons - **2 GB** is tight for a smartphone main line - 28-day cycle = 13 payments per year Best for Newcomers ### CallYa Jahrespaket M 4.0250 GB, Unlimited minutes, Unlimited SMS on Vodafone for EUR 8.33. No German address and no German bank account. [Get plan](https://www.vodafone.de/callya)250 GBEUR 8.33month250 GB, Unlimited minutes, Unlimited SMS on Vodafone. eSIM available. 365 days, 250 GB total to self-allocate (~8.33 EUR/month equivalent) Pros - **EUR 8.33** per month - eSIM - No German address needed Cons - Data expires after 365 days, no rollover beyond - Unused volume is lost if you leave early - XS tier (49.99 EUR/**20 GB**) is poor value per GB Best for Newcomers ### O2 Mobile on Demand M 4.050 GB, Unlimited minutes, Unlimited SMS on O2 for EUR 19.99. Needs a German address, a SEPA direct debit and a credit check. [Get plan](https://www.o2online.de/mobilfunk/tarife)50 GBEUR 19.99month50 GB, Unlimited minutes, Unlimited SMS on O2. eSIM available. monthly contract, 24-month minimum term Pros - **EUR 19.99** per month - eSIM - Requires a German address Cons - Needs a German bank account and a SCHUFA check - 39.99 EUR connection fee - 24-month lock-in for the best price Best for Students ## Related Guides [### Best SIM Cards The seven-tariff ranking.](/telecom/sim)[### Mobile Plans Guide Prepaid, contract and 28-day cycles.](/telecom/mobile-plans)[### Best Mobile Network Telekom, Vodafone and O2 coverage.](/telecom/best-mobile-network)[### eSIM Finder German eSIMs and data-only travel eSIMs.](/telecom/esim-finder) ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How do I choose the right SIM card in Germany? Start with paperwork, not price. If you have no German address, no SEPA direct debit and no SCHUFA record yet, you can only buy prepaid, which rules out every contract tariff. Then pick a network: Telekom (D1), Vodafone (D2) or O2 from Telefónica. Then check the billing cycle, because most German prepaid tariffs renew every 28 days and are charged 13 times a year. ### Which SIM card is best for newcomers to Germany? Telekom MagentaMobil Prepaid M at EUR 9.95 per 28-day cycle: 20 GB with unlimited calls and SMS on the best-rated German network, English-language support, and an eSIM you can activate the day you land. The SIM card itself costs EUR 9.95 and comes with EUR 10 of starting credit. Vodafone CallYa Classic is the free alternative if you only need a German number. ### Do I need a German address or bank account for a SIM card? Not for prepaid. Prepaid tariffs need neither a German address nor a German bank account. Contract tariffs need both, plus a SEPA direct debit and a SCHUFA credit check. What you always need, on every German SIM, is verified identity: VideoIdent works with any passport and runs 24/7, and activation can take minutes to hours afterwards. --- Source: https://www.guide-germany.com/telecom/sim-finder Last updated: n/a Format: LLM-readable Markdown twin (.md) of the canonical HTML page.