What Are the Best SIM Cards for International Calls from Germany? (2026)
Very few German tariffs bundle international minutes at all. For most people arriving in Germany the answer is Lyca Mobile Lyca Flat 20 GB: EUR 11.99 per 28-day cycle for 20 GB on the O2 network with unlimited domestic calls, 100 international minutes to more than 50 countries, English-language support, and no SCHUFA check or German bank account. Lebara HELLO! 5 at EUR 7.99 is the cheaper entry, and Ortel Mobile Smart World at EUR 9.99 carries the most data.
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Which SIM Is Best for International Calls?
Best overall
Lyca Mobile Lyca Flat 20 GB: EUR 11.99 per 28-day cycle, 20 GB on O2, 100 international minutes to 50+ countries, English support.
Cheapest entry
Lebara HELLO! 5: EUR 7.99 per 28-day cycle, 5 GB on O2, 80 minutes to 50 countries, multilingual support including English.
Most data with minutes
Ortel Mobile Smart World: EUR 9.99 per 28-day cycle, 25 GB on O2, international minute bundles to Asia and Africa.
Best if you can sign a contract
Telekom MagentaMobil L: EUR 59.95 a month for 100 GB on the Telekom network, with a call flat to the EU, Switzerland, the UK and Türkiye.
What Are the International Calling Options?
There are three routes, and which one you can take depends less on price than on paperwork. The first is a prepaid international MVNO. Lyca Mobile, Lebara and Ortel Mobile all ride the O2 network, all bundle international minutes, and none of them needs a German address, a German bank account or a SCHUFA check. Identity verification is still required, as it is on every German SIM.
The second is a contract tariff with the calling built in. Telekom MagentaMobil L at EUR 59.95 a month includes a call flat to the EU, Switzerland, the UK and Türkiye plus 25 GB of non-EU roaming data a year, and MagentaMobil XL at EUR 84.95 raises that to 50 GB a year with unlimited domestic data and two MultiSIMs. Both run on a 24-month term with a EUR 39.95 connection fee, and both need an address, a SEPA direct debit and a credit check.
The third is paying by the minute on an ordinary tariff. Telekom prepaid quotes 29 ct per minute to more than 140 countries. Two warnings before you assume any tariff will do: fraenk blocks international calls from Germany entirely, and the prepaid intro prices on this page roughly double once the promo cycles run out.
Top SIM Cards for International Calls
MagentaMobil L
100 GB, Unlimited minutes, Unlimited SMS on Telekom for EUR 59.95 a month. 25 GB/year non-EU roaming data plus call flat to EU/CH/UK/TR
Get plan100 GB, Unlimited minutes, Unlimited SMS on Telekom. eSIM available. monthly contract, 24-month minimum term
Pros
- EUR 59.95 per month
- 25 GB/year non-EU roaming data plus call flat to EU/CH/UK/TR
- Requires a German address
Cons
- Needs a German bank account and a SCHUFA check
- 64 kbit/s throttle after 100 GB
- 59.95 EUR monthly plus 39.95 EUR connection fee
Best for International callers
MagentaMobil XL
Unlimited, Unlimited minutes, Unlimited SMS on Telekom for EUR 84.95 a month. 50 GB/year non-EU roaming data plus call flat to EU/CH/UK/TR; 2 free MultiSIMs
Get planUnlimited, Unlimited minutes, Unlimited SMS on Telekom. eSIM available. monthly contract, 24-month minimum term
Pros
- EUR 84.95 per month
- 50 GB/year non-EU roaming data plus call flat to EU/CH/UK/TR; 2 free MultiSIMs
- Requires a German address
Cons
- Needs a German bank account and a SCHUFA check
- 84.95 EUR monthly is Germany's priciest mainstream tariff
- EU roaming capped at ~110 GB/year-cycle fair use
Best for International callers
Lyca Flat 20 GB
20 GB, Unlimited minutes, Unlimited SMS on O2 for EUR 11.99 per 28-day cycle. 100 international minutes to 50+ countries included
Get plan20 GB, Unlimited minutes, Unlimited SMS on O2. eSIM available. 28-day cycle, 13 payments a year
Pros
- EUR 11.99 per 28-day cycle
- 100 international minutes to 50+ countries included
- No German address needed
Cons
- Promo prices double after the intro cycles, catalogue ranks on regular price
- Promo grid changes monthly (International Plus XL seen at 17.99/22.49 EUR for 90-160 GB)
- German consumer forums report slow refund handling
Best for International callers
Lebara HELLO! 5
5 GB, Unlimited minutes, Unlimited SMS on O2 for EUR 7.99 per 28-day cycle. 80 minutes to 50 countries included
Get plan5 GB, Unlimited minutes, Unlimited SMS on O2. eSIM available. 28-day cycle, 13 payments a year
Pros
- EUR 7.99 per 28-day cycle
- 80 minutes to 50 countries included
- No German address needed
Cons
- Price roughly doubles after promo months, rank on 7.99 EUR
- Small 5 GB base volume
- Promo grid volatile month to month
Best for International callers
Ortel Smart World
25 GB, Unlimited minutes, Unlimited SMS on O2 for EUR 9.99 per 28-day cycle. international minute bundles to Asia/Africa included per option
Get plan25 GB, Unlimited minutes, Unlimited SMS on O2. eSIM available. 28-day cycle, 13 payments a year
Pros
- EUR 9.99 per 28-day cycle
- international minute bundles to Asia/Africa included per option
- No German address needed
Cons
- Promo-to-regular price doubling
- Volumes change in near-monthly promo cycles
Best for International callers
Frequently Asked Questions
Which German SIM is best for international calls?
Lyca Mobile Lyca Flat 20 GB. It costs EUR 11.99 per 28-day cycle, carries 20 GB with unlimited domestic calls and SMS on the O2 network, and bundles 100 international minutes to more than 50 countries. Support and the website are in English, and it needs no SCHUFA check and no German bank account.
Are international calls included in cheap German tariffs?
Usually not. Only a handful of German tariffs bundle international minutes at all: Lyca Mobile, Lebara and Ortel Mobile on prepaid, plus Telekom MagentaMobil L and XL on contract. Telekom prepaid charges 29 ct per minute to more than 140 countries instead, and fraenk blocks international calls from Germany entirely.
Do I need a German bank account to get an international calling SIM?
Not for the prepaid options. Lyca Mobile, Lebara and Ortel Mobile all run without a German address and without a German bank account. Telekom MagentaMobil L and XL are contract tariffs and do need a German address, a SEPA direct debit and a SCHUFA check. Identity verification is required either way, on every German SIM.
Why does the price go up after the first few months?
All three prepaid options lead with an intro price. Lyca Mobile is EUR 5.99 for the first 6 cycles and EUR 11.99 afterwards, Lebara is EUR 3.99 for 3 cycles and EUR 7.99 afterwards, and Ortel Mobile is EUR 4.99 for the first cycle and EUR 9.99 afterwards. All three also bill per 28-day cycle, which is 13 payments a year rather than 12.