What Are the Best SIM Cards for Students in Germany? (2026)
Germany has no student mobile tariff: the cheap young tariffs are gated on your date of birth, not on an enrolment certificate, and all three are 24-month contracts that need a German address, a SEPA direct debit and a SCHUFA credit check. Most students in their first weeks should therefore buy prepaid. The best value on this page is congstar Prepaid Allnet M at EUR 10 for 30 GB on the Telekom network, or Vodafone CallYa Jahrespaket M if you can pay EUR 99.99 once for 250 GB across 365 days.
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What Is the Best Student SIM Card?
Best in your first week
congstar Prepaid Allnet M: EUR 10 for 30 GB with unlimited calls and SMS on the Telekom network. No German address, no German bank account, 28-day cycle.
Cheapest per month
Vodafone CallYa Jahrespaket M: one payment of EUR 99.99 buys 250 GB to spread over 365 days, about EUR 8.33 a month equivalent.
Cheapest contract data
1&1 All-Net-Flat 50 GB: 50 GB at a permanent EUR 14.99, online only, and it needs a SCHUFA check and a SEPA account.
Most data once you are settled
congstar Allnet Flat M: 100 GB on the Telekom network for EUR 24 a month on a 24-month term, capped at 50 Mbit/s.
What Do Students Need From a SIM Card?
Three things decide the answer in Germany, and only one of them is price. First, what you can actually sign: every contract tariff on this page requires a German address, a SEPA direct debit and a SCHUFA credit check, which a student who landed last week does not have. Prepaid asks for none of those. Second, identity: activating any German SIM requires verified ID, prepaid included, and VideoIdent with a passport runs 24/7.
Third, the billing cycle. Most German prepaid tariffs renew every 28 days, so the price you see is charged 13 times a year rather than 12. congstar Prepaid Allnet M at EUR 10 per cycle costs about EUR 10.83 a month in practice. fraenk and SIMon mobile bill on the calendar month and are monthly cancellable, so they carry no 13th payment.
On coverage, the three physical networks are Telekom (D1), Vodafone (D2) and O2 from Telefónica. Telekom is the best-rated German network in connect 01/2026 and Ookla Q1-Q2 2026 testing; O2 has the highest measured 5G availability in Germany per Ookla H1 2025, but its rural coverage still trails Telekom and Vodafone. 1&1 runs its own 5G and falls back to Vodafone national roaming.
Are There Student Tariffs in Germany?
Not in the sense most arrivals expect. Germany has youth tariffs, and the gate is your date of birth rather than an enrolment certificate. Telekom MagentaMobil M Young is for under-28s at EUR 24.95 for the first 24 months and EUR 39.95 afterwards, with 100 GB. Vodafone Mobil Young M is also under-28, at EUR 27.99 for the first 24 months and EUR 39.99 afterwards, with 200 GB. O2 Mobile S young has the widest gate, running up to your 29th birthday, at EUR 14.99 for 15 GB.
All three are 24-month contracts with a credit check, which is why they sit below prepaid in this ranking for anyone who has just arrived. Come back to them once you are registered, have a German bank account and have a SCHUFA record.
Top Student SIM Cards
CallYa Jahrespaket M
250 GB, Unlimited minutes, Unlimited SMS on Vodafone for EUR 8.33. No German address and no German bank account.
Get plan250 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 Students
O2 Mobile on Demand M
50 GB, Unlimited minutes, Unlimited SMS on O2 for EUR 19.99. Needs a German address, a SEPA direct debit and a credit check.
Get plan50 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
1&1 All-Net-Flat 50 GB
50 GB, Unlimited minutes, Unlimited SMS on 1&1 for EUR 14.99. Needs a German address, a SEPA direct debit and a credit check.
Get plan50 GB, Unlimited minutes, Unlimited SMS on 1&1. eSIM available. monthly contract; 24-month term or monthly-cancellable variant
Pros
- EUR 14.99 per month
- eSIM
- Requires a German address
Cons
- Needs a German bank account and a SCHUFA check
- Roaming-dependent outside the young 1&1 grid (own-network 5G area coverage ~2% per BNetzA Dec 2025)
- Postpaid only with credit check
Best for Students
congstar Prepaid Allnet M
30 GB, Unlimited minutes, Unlimited SMS on Telekom for EUR 10 per 28-day cycle. No German address and no German bank account.
Get plan30 GB, Unlimited minutes, Unlimited SMS on Telekom. eSIM available. 28-day cycle, 13 payments a year
Pros
- EUR 10 per 28-day cycle
- eSIM
- No German address needed
Cons
- Speed capped at 25 Mbit/s
- 28-day cycle = 13 payments a year
- Regular 30 GB rises to 33 GB only in promotions
Best for Students
congstar Allnet Flat M
100 GB, Unlimited minutes, Unlimited SMS on Telekom for EUR 24. Needs a German address, a SEPA direct debit and a credit check.
Get plan100 GB, Unlimited minutes, Unlimited SMS on Telekom. eSIM available. monthly contract, 24-month term or monthly-cancellable Flex
Pros
- EUR 24 per month
- eSIM
- Requires a German address
Cons
- Needs a German bank account and a SCHUFA check
- 50 Mbit/s speed cap
- Tier prices move in weekly actions, re-verify at build time
Best for Students
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best SIM card for students in Germany?
For a student who has just arrived, congstar Prepaid Allnet M is the strongest pick: EUR 10 for 30 GB with unlimited calls and SMS on the Telekom network, no German address and no German bank account. If you can pay a year up front, Vodafone CallYa Jahrespaket M works out cheaper at EUR 8.33 a month equivalent for 250 GB over 365 days.
Do students get a discount on German mobile tariffs?
No. Germany's cheap tariffs for young people are age-gated, not enrolment-gated. Telekom MagentaMobil Young and Vodafone Mobil Young are for under-28s, and O2's young price runs up to your 29th birthday. None of them asks for proof of study, and none of them is a student discount.
Do I need ID to buy a SIM card in Germany?
Yes. Identity verification is required to activate every SIM in Germany, prepaid included. A passport works, and VideoIdent runs 24/7. What prepaid tariffs do not need is a German address or a German bank account. Contract tariffs need both, plus a SEPA direct debit and a SCHUFA credit check.
Why is my prepaid tariff billed every 28 days?
Most German prepaid tariffs renew on a 28-day cycle, which means 13 payments a year rather than 12. congstar Prepaid Allnet M at EUR 10 per cycle therefore costs about EUR 10.83 a month. fraenk and SIMon mobile bill on the calendar month instead, so they have no 13th payment.