# What Are the Best SIM Cards for New Arrivals in Germany? (2026) > Which SIM plan is best when you have just arrived in Germany. Re-scored on a newcomer weighting: ease of buying at 45%, English support at 20%. By Jules de Bruin · URL: https://www.guide-germany.com/telecom/sim/best-for-new-arrivals **The verdict for new arrivals** Buy **ALDI TALK Kombi-Paket S 25GB/28d at EUR 8.99 per 28 days** for **25 GB** on the **O2** network. That is **unlimited calls and SMS** included, at about **EUR 0.36 per GB**. It is sold at any Aldi till and activates the same day, so it is the one tariff you can hold before you have an address or a bank account. Aldi shuts on Sundays, so a Sunday landing means the airport or a main-station shop. **What it takes to activate** Germany verifies identity on **every** SIM, prepaid included, so there is no anonymous German SIM. A passport is enough: **VideoIdent** runs 24/7 and the line is live within hours. Prepaid asks for **no German address and no German bank account**. A contract asks for a registered address, a **SEPA direct debit** and a **SCHUFA** check, which is why week one is a prepaid week. Prepaid also renews every **28 days**, so it is **13 payments a year**, not 12. ## Which SIM plan is the best for new arrivals? Sort byOur rankingEffective monthly pricePrice per GBCoverageSorted by **effective monthly price**, not our recommendation. The default view is our ranking, weights published below. Sorted by **price per gb**, not our recommendation. The default view is our ranking, weights published below. Sorted by **coverage**, not our recommendation. The default view is our ranking, weights published below. #1 by price per gbEUR 0.36 per GB★ Newcomer pick ### ALDI TALK Kombi-Paket S 25GB/28d 4.0Comes with a German +49 number, so bank and ELSTER SMS codes arrive. Key information ContractPrepaid, no lock-inCoverageRuns on the O2 networkSupportGerman-only support[Get ALDI TALK](https://www.alditalk.de/)Plans(4) - ALDI TALK Jahrespaket60 GB / per year · Unlimited minutes, Unlimited SMS · EUR 0.10 per GBEUR 5.83 - ALDI TALK Kombi-Paket S 25GB/28dOur pick here25 GB / per 28 days · EUR 0.36 per GBEUR 8.99 - ALDI TALK M/L50 GB / per 28 days · Unlimited minutes, Unlimited SMS · EUR 0.28 per GBEUR 13.99 - Aldi Daten Home&Go S150 GB / per 28 days · EUR 0.13 per GBEUR 19.99 Prices as of 17 August 2026, verify on the provider site. Price per GB EUR 0.36Price per GBBestEUR 0.36More detailsPhysical networkO2eSIMYesID to activatePassport or ID cardBilling cycleMonthlyBest for new arrivals who want the most data per euro. ALDI TALKALDI TALK Kombi-Paket S 25GB/28d · 25 GB / per 28 daysEUR 8.99#1 by effective monthly priceEUR 4.95 per 28 days#1 by coverageTelekomAlso great ### Telekom MagentaMobil Prepaid S 1GB/28d 4.0VideoIdent, then a free eSIM QR inside the MeinMagenta app. Key information ContractPrepaid, no lock-inCoverageRuns on the Telekom networkSupportGerman-only support[Get Telekom](https://www.telekom.de/prepaid)Plans(4) - Telekom MagentaMobil Prepaid S 1GB/28dOur pick here1 GB / per 28 days · EUR 4.95 per GBEUR 4.95 - MagentaMobil Prepaid M20 GB / per 28 days · Unlimited minutes, Unlimited SMS · EUR 0.50 per GBEUR 9.95 - MagentaMobil Prepaid L40 GB / per 28 days · Unlimited minutes, Unlimited SMS · EUR 0.37 per GBEUR 14.95 - Telekom Prepaid 5G Jahrestarif 240GB/year (20GB/month)240 GB / per year · EUR 0.50 per GBEUR 99.95 Prices as of 17 August 2026, verify on the provider site. Price per GB EUR 4.95Price per GBEUR 4.95More detailsPhysical networkTelekomeSIMYesID to activatePassport or ID cardBilling cycleMonthlyBest for new arrivals who need a different physical network. TelekomTelekom MagentaMobil Prepaid S 1GB/28d · 1 GB / per 28 daysEUR 4.95#2 by price per gbEUR 0.50 per GBBest value ### O2 my Prepaid S 20GB/28d (+app/Lastschrift bonuses up to +11GB; summer promo to 30 Sep 2026: M=50GB, L=100GB) 4.0SIM and shipping are free, and the eSIM swap happens in the Mein O2 app. Key information ContractPrepaid, no lock-inCoverageRuns on the O2 networkSupportGerman-only support[Get O2](https://www.o2online.de/mobilfunk/prepaid/)Plans(4) - O2 my Prepaid S 20GB/28d (+app/Lastschrift bonuses up to +11GB; summer promo to 30 Sep 2026: M=50GB, L=100GB)Our pick here20 GB / per 28 days · EUR 0.50 per GBEUR 9.99 - O2 my Prepaid M40 GB / per 28 days · Unlimited minutes, Unlimited SMS · EUR 0.37 per GBEUR 14.99 - O2 my Prepaid L80 GB / per 28 days · Unlimited minutes, Unlimited SMS · EUR 0.25 per GBEUR 19.99 - O2 my Prepaid Max999 GB / per 28 days · Unlimited minutes, Unlimited SMS · EUR 0.37 per GBEUR 74.99 Prices as of 17 August 2026, verify on the provider site. Price per GB EUR 0.50Price per GBEUR 0.50More detailsPhysical networkO2eSIMYesID to activatePassport or ID cardBilling cycleMonthlyBest for new arrivals who need a different physical network. O2O2 my Prepaid S 20GB/28d (+app/Lastschrift bonuses up to +11GB; summer promo to 30 Sep 2026: M=50GB, L=100GB) · 20 GB / per 28 daysEUR 9.99#2 by effective monthly priceEUR 4.99 per 28 days#3 by coverageVodafone ### Vodafone CallYa Start 2GB/28d 4.0eSIM is free on CallYa, set up in MeinVodafone after VideoIdent. Key information ContractPrepaid, no lock-inCoverageRuns on the Vodafone networkSupportGerman-only support[Get Vodafone](https://www.vodafone.de/freikarten/)Plans(4) - Vodafone CallYa Start 2GB/28dOur pick here2 GB / per 28 days · EUR 2.50 per GBEUR 4.99 - CallYa Jahrespaket M250 GB / per year · Unlimited minutes, Unlimited SMS · EUR 0.04 per GBEUR 8.33 - CallYa Allnet Flat S25 GB / per 28 days · Unlimited minutes, Unlimited SMS · EUR 0.40 per GBEUR 9.99 - CallYa Allnet Flat M50 GB / per 28 days · Unlimited minutes, Unlimited SMS · EUR 0.30 per GBEUR 14.99 Prices as of 17 August 2026, verify on the provider site. Price per GB EUR 2.50Price per GBEUR 2.50More detailsPhysical networkVodafoneeSIMYesID to activatePassport or ID cardBilling cycleMonthlyBest for new arrivals who need a different physical network. VodafoneVodafone CallYa Start 2GB/28d · 2 GB / per 28 daysEUR 4.99#3 by effective monthly priceEUR 5.85 per 28 days#3 by price per gbEUR 1.17 per GB#2 by coverageTelekom ### congstar Prepaid Allnet S (~5GB/28d, effective from EUR 5.85) 4.0The eSIM QR arrives in the app within minutes, once VideoIdent clears. Key information ContractPrepaid, no lock-inCoverageRuns on the Telekom networkSupportGerman-only support[Get congstar](https://www.congstar.de/prepaid/)Plans(4) - congstar Prepaid Allnet S (~5GB/28d, effective from EUR 5.85)Our pick here5 GB / per 28 days · EUR 1.17 per GBEUR 5.85 - congstar Jahrespaket365 GB / per year · Unlimited minutes, Unlimited SMS · EUR 0.04 per GBEUR 8.33 - congstar Prepaid Allnet M30 GB / per 28 days · Unlimited minutes, Unlimited SMS · EUR 0.33 per GBEUR 10 - congstar Prepaid Allnet L (~25GB/28d)25 GB / per 28 days · EUR 0.52 per GBEUR 13 Prices as of 17 August 2026, verify on the provider site. Price per GB EUR 1.17Price per GBEUR 1.17More detailsPhysical networkTelekomeSIMYesID to activatePassport or ID cardBilling cycleMonthlyBest for new arrivals who need a different physical network. congstarcongstar Prepaid Allnet S (~5GB/28d, effective from EUR 5.85) · 5 GB / per 28 daysEUR 5.85Also a strong fit Same eligibility, a different shop or network. [Every plan is in the full market overview.](/telecom/sim/complete-market-and-price-overview) **This ranking differs from the general one.** The general page picks fraenk at EUR 10 for 25 GB. The reason is the weighting, not new information: **Ease of buying** moves from **30%** to **45%** and **Price per GB** moves from **25%** to **15%**. Read the cycle before the price. **ALDI TALK** and **O2 my Prepaid** renew every **28 days**, so an **EUR 8.99** pack works out at about **EUR 9.74** a month once the thirteenth renewal is counted. **fraenk** and **SIMon mobile** bill on the calendar month instead, and have no thirteenth payment to plan for. How we ranked this for new arrivals5 criteria, weights publishedA reader we describe as new arrivals is not the average reader, so this page does not use the average weights. **Ease of buying** carries **45%** here against **30%** on the general ranking, and **Price per GB** carries **15%** here against **25%** on the general ranking. The weights were fixed on **17 August 2026**, before the prices were collected. ### Criteria weighting Fixed 17 August 2026, before pricing was collectedEase of buying*Whether you need a German address, a SEPA direct debit or a SCHUFA check*****30%45%Price per GB*What a gigabyte actually costs once the promo ends*****25%15%Coverage*Which of the three German networks carries you outside the cities*****25%15%English support*Whether the app and the helpline speak your language*****10%20%Contract freedom*How fast you can leave without paying to exit*****10%5%** General ranking** This pageWeights total 100% on both. A blocker caps any score at 1.0. ## What is ruled out, and why A blocker is not a drawback. It is something that makes the product unbuyable for this reader, and it caps the score at **1.0** however good the tariff is otherwise. Blocked for this reader MagentaMobil Prepaid Mpassport requiredCallYa Classicpassport required for activationCallYa Startpassport requiredCallYa Allnet Flat Spassport required ## What you actually need to activate a German SIM on arrival A passport, and this is the part nobody warns a new arrival about. Every tariff in [the catalogue](/telecom/sim/complete-market-and-price-overview) requires identity verification before the SIM works, prepaid and contract alike, so Germany has no walk-out-and-use-it option. **VideoIdent** works with any passport and runs **24/7**, and activation takes **minutes to hours** after the call. Vending-machine SIMs are not a shortcut either: the plastic is instant, the online ID check still has to happen. What prepaid does not ask for is a **German address** or a **German bank account**. A contract tariff asks for both, plus a **SEPA direct debit** and [a **SCHUFA** credit check](/finance/open-bank-account), and a reader who registered their address last week has no credit history to check. Buy prepaid now, revisit contracts once you are [registered](/moving/address-registration) and settled. Where to buy on the day: at **Frankfurt Airport**, Telekom and Vodafone shops sit landside and SIM vending machines are in the terminals. In any city, the **Aldi**, **Lidl**, **Penny** and **REWE** checkouts sell starter packs. Airport prices are the same as in town, so there is nothing to gain by waiting. The one trap is **Sunday**: no supermarket SIMs, with airport and main-station shops as the exception. ## The same tariffs, ranked for other readers [View all 98 plansThe plan picker is the full market overview: every named tier from every provider with its allowance, price and EUR per GB, filterable by situation and re-rankable.→](/telecom/sim/complete-market-and-price-overview)[for students](/telecom/sim-cards-for-students)for new arrivals[for residents](/telecom/sim-cards-for-residents)[for stays under 3 months](/telecom/sim-cards-for-short-stays)[for tourists](/telecom/esim/holiday-one-week)[for families](/telecom/sim-cards-for-families)Every persona page ranks the same catalogue. Only the weights differ, and each page states its own. If you are already down to two tariffs, the full market overview puts every named tier side by side on price, data and EUR per GB. ## How we compared these Five criteria, weighted for this reader and published above, fixed on **17 August 2026** before the prices were collected. Every price comes from the provider's own page, dated in the catalogue. A blocker caps a product at **1.0**. Unlimited allowances are capped at **200 GB** when calculating EUR per GB, or every unlimited plan would win that column automatically. One limit worth stating: the catalogue carries **one fit score per persona**, not a score per criterion, so the ordering reflects that score and the editorial reasoning behind it rather than an arithmetic weighted total. Per-criterion scoring is the next data pass; until it lands, the weights explain the ranking rather than compute it. Of the 98 plans in the catalogue, 15 score 4 or 5 for this reader, across 5 providers. Where fewer than three providers clear that line, the third card is still the next best option available and is labelled for what it wins on, not presented as a strong fit. Sources: provider tariff pages and dated German price sources, accessed August 2026. Some links earn a commission at the same rate for every provider, so no weighting favours a payer. --- Source: https://www.guide-germany.com/telecom/sim/best-for-new-arrivals Last updated: n/a Format: LLM-readable Markdown twin (.md) of the canonical HTML page.