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A German number without a contract or bank account
Written by
Janine El-Saghir
Janine El Saghir is an editor at How-to-Germany.com, where she specializes in the practical aspects of daily life and integration for expatriates. With years of...
Reviewed by
Erkan Boga
Erkan Boga is the founder and CEO of qmedia GmbH, the publishing house behind How-to-Germany.com. He established the platform with the clear vision of creating...
Edited by
Sadie Voss
Content Lead & Editor
Sadie Voss is the Lead Editor for How-to-Germany.com. As an expat who carved her own way into Berlin from the United States, Sadie is deeply...
Best prepaid rates
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Advertising notice: provider links in this overview are affiliate links — we receive a commission from the provider for sign-ups made through them.
- A prepaid SIM card is the simplest solution after arriving in Germany or for a temporary stay.
- With a prepaid SIM card, you get a German mobile connection without a long-term contract, without a German bank account and without a credit check.
- Every prepaid card must be activated with an ID check before it works — online by video, at a post office, with the eID function of a residence permit or in a shop. A valid passport and a temporary German address are enough.
- With a prepaid SIM card, you usually buy a telephone flat rate and a data package for a fee every 4 weeks; the price depends largely on the included data volume and speed.
- Excellent prepaid tariffs are available from the three network operators, Telekom, Vodafone and O2, and from their discount brands and the supermarket brands congstar, Aldi Talk, Lidl Connect and Edeka smart.
- EU roaming is included everywhere; Switzerland and the UK depend on the provider.
The mobile market in Germany
General information about the German mobile market may help you choose the right prepaid SIM card. Here is an overview of the most important facts.
Network providers and resellers
There are only 4 network operators in Germany:
- Deutsche Telekom (the former D1 network)
- Vodafone (the former D2 network)
- O2/Telefónica
- 1&1 (the newest operator, still building its own network)
In addition, numerous other mobile providers — congstar and Edeka smart on the Telekom network, Lidl Connect on the Vodafone network, Aldi Talk and Blau on the O2 network — operate on the market as resellers or so-called mobile discounters. They do not have their own mobile networks but cooperate with the network operators to offer their services. The resellers often offer very competitive rates and frequently score particularly favourably compared to the network operators.
If you opt for a reseller’s prepaid SIM card, you will still use the Telekom, Vodafone or O2 mobile network. Network quality is high across all three: in the connect network test 01/2026, Telekom was rated “outstanding” (975 points) and Vodafone and O2 “very good” (937 points each). Telekom and Vodafone are available nationwide; O2 is strong in cities and towns, but its signal can be less consistent in some remote rural spots.
LTE and 5G
LTE (long-term evolution) is the standard used across all German mobile networks. At the same time, all three major network operators — Telekom, Vodafone and O2 — operate their own 5G networks, and 1&1 is building a fourth. Coverage continues to expand, particularly in rural areas, and the Federal Network Agency’s coverage map (Mobilfunk-Monitoring) shows the state of every network at your address.
5G offers significantly higher data speeds and lower latency than LTE. To use it, you need a compatible smartphone and a tariff that includes 5G access. However, for everyday activities such as browsing, messaging, video calls, and streaming, an LTE connection is usually sufficient.
5G is the fifth generation of mobile communications and the successor to LTE (4G). The 5G standard supports much higher data transfer rates than LTE, making it an important basis for many digital features. To use 5G, you need a smartphone that supports this technology. However, an LTE connection is perfectly adequate for everyday smartphone use.
Types of mobile phone contracts in Germany
In Germany, various types of mobile phone contracts are offered. The most common are 24-month contracts — the longest initial term the Telecommunications Act allows, and every provider must also offer a version with a term of no more than 12 months. In addition, there are mobile phone contracts with a monthly notice period. A German bank account or another SEPA account is required to conclude these contracts, and for 2-year contracts the providers usually obtain a SCHUFA credit check in advance.
A straightforward alternative to these mobile phone contracts is a prepaid SIM card.
SCHUFA is a credit reference agency that provides banks, mobile phone providers, and other companies with data on potential customers’ creditworthiness and payment behaviour. For expats who have not been living in Germany for long or are only living here temporarily, a SCHUFA check can be a major hurdle, even for those with a good credit history at home: since no data about them is stored with SCHUFA, the provider cannot assess the risk and may decline the contract. How the check works and what to do after a rejection: SCHUFA and telecom contracts.
Prepaid SIM Card in Germany — ideal for expats
A prepaid plan can be an ideal solution for expats in Germany:
- The card is issued without a contract term and, therefore, without a notice period.
- You can use it for any period, pause its use when you are abroad, or easily switch to another provider that offers you better services or conditions.
- You do not need a bank account in Germany for a prepaid SIM card.
- No SCHUFA check is involved, because there is nothing to owe.
Prepaid tariffs — in 2 different variants
With classic prepaid tariffs, you pay a fixed price for each minute of calls and each text message. You can book data packages separately as required daily, weekly, or monthly. In practice, these offers play only a minor role today and are often advertised as “free cards” — Vodafone CallYa Classic and the O2 Prepaid Freikarte are the two best-known examples.
With a modern prepaid plan, you pay a package price every 4 weeks. Like with postpaid plans, you get a flat rate for phone calls, text messages, and mobile internet. The providers offer scaled packages that differ mainly in the included data volume. The package renews automatically as long as there is enough credit on the card.
Top up a prepaid SIM card
The most important feature of a prepaid SIM card is that you can only use the card if you have previously topped up credit. When the credit is used up, phone calls or your internet connection will be disconnected. The package fee for the tariff is also debited from your prepaid credit.
You can top up your prepaid SIM card without a bank account in Germany using various methods — a bank transfer is therefore not necessary:
- Top-up vouchers: You can buy them in shops (supermarkets, kiosks, petrol stations — Aldi Talk vouchers at every Aldi checkout) and activate them via a code.
- Directly in the app: The providers’ apps allow you to top up credit using a credit card or PayPal.
- Online top-up: You can use your provider’s online portal to top up your prepaid SIM card.
Most providers also offer an automatic top-up once your credit has been used, charged to a card or account you register once. If you want to pause using your prepaid SIM card, deactivate the automatic top-up first.
How to find the best prepaid SIM card
Consider the following criteria when ordering a prepaid SIM card. The features and conditions below apply to the modern prepaid packages:
General price-performance ratio
A prepaid plan should meet your requirements and offer an optimal price-performance ratio.
You can almost always find cheaper rates from resellers. Nevertheless, some good reasons exist to purchase your prepaid SIM card from one of the major network operators. In particular, Telekom and Vodafone offer a wide range of prepaid packages tailored to different user groups, the highest speeds in their networks, and a dense shop network for activation and help.
However, it is important that you know what you expect from your mobile plan — in this case, you can search specifically for suitable offers in favourable conditions.
The mobile communications market in Germany is highly competitive — and the prepaid segment is no exception. Many providers also offer promotions for their prepaid plans to attract new customers. You can benefit from a permanently reduced package price, a starter bonus, or additional data volume for the first packages.
Telephone flat rates
Most modern prepaid packages include a telephone flat rate to the German landline network. However, classic or basic prepaid plans, such as the smallest MagentaMobil Prepaid package or Vodafone CallYa Classic, charge per minute or limit the minutes to other networks.
The current trend is moving towards allnet flat rates, which allow you to make unlimited free calls to all German mobile networks. The three network operators offer allnet flat rates in most of their packages, and you can also find good prepaid plans with allnet flat from the resellers.
Data packages
The data volume of your prepaid SIM card is a crucial criterion for determining whether the tariff meets your needs. Prepaid plans usually include a limited flat rate for high-speed internet, ranging from entry-level volumes of just 1 GB to larger packages with several dozen gigabytes. Some providers also offer prepaid tariffs with very high or even unlimited data allowances — Telekom’s MagentaMobil Prepaid Max, Vodafone’s CallYa Black and O2’s Prepaid Max. The included data volume significantly influences the price of your prepaid SIM card.
When you have used up your high-speed data package, your provider will reduce the data speed. However, you can typically buy additional data volume, usually at a high price per gigabyte. If your data package is permanently insufficient, switching to a bigger package is the better choice.
How much mobile data you require per month depends on your usage behaviour. If you mainly browse the internet, use messaging apps, and occasionally make online calls, around 5 to 10 GB per month may be sufficient. Regular video calls, social media use, and navigation apps often require 10 to 20 GB per month. For frequent music and video streaming, online gaming, or intensive smartphone use, you should consider a tariff with at least 20 to 50 GB of data per month.
Data speed
Telekom, Vodafone and O2 sell prepaid packages with data speeds of up to 300 Mbit/s in their 5G networks. Resellers and discounters cap the speed lower: Aldi Talk packages run at up to 100 Mbit/s, congstar’s prepaid packages at 25 Mbit/s, Lidl Connect includes 5G in all Smart and Data tariffs. The cap is printed in the tariff details of every package.
These data speeds are adequate for less data-intensive applications, and even a good-quality video call is no problem. However, if you use your smartphone intensively for streaming or gaming, check both the included data volume and the maximum speed. A tariff from a network operator may still be the better choice if you need consistently high speeds.
Four-week or annual packages
As an alternative to the 4-week packages, Telekom (Prepaid Jahrestarif), Vodafone (CallYa 1-Year), congstar (Prepaid Jahrespaket), Aldi Talk (Jahres-Pakete) and Lidl Connect (Jahrestarife) also offer annual prepaid tariffs. With these plans, you pay for the entire year in advance and receive an allnet flat rate for calls and SMS as well as a fixed data allowance for the year.
Whether an annual tariff is worthwhile depends largely on your data usage and on how long you stay. These plans can offer good value if you use your prepaid SIM card regularly throughout the year. However, because the fee is paid in advance, they are less suitable for short stays or situations where you may stop using the card before the end of the 12-month period.
Using your cell phone abroad
Thanks to EU roaming, you can use your prepaid SIM card in the European Union, in Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway, and since 2026 in Moldova and Ukraine under the same conditions as in Germany. Switzerland and the United Kingdom are not part of these rules: Telekom includes both in its roaming zone, Vodafone includes the UK but not Switzerland, O2 charges a day pass in Switzerland, Aldi Talk bills the UK like the EU zone until the end of 2026. If you travel to these countries often, compare the roaming conditions before you buy — the overview per provider is on our SIM card page.
If you are travelling outside the EU roaming area, a local prepaid SIM card or an international eSIM is the cheaper choice. Several German providers block data use outside the EU by default as a cost protection, which you can switch off in the app.
Buy, manage, and cancel prepaid SIM cards
You can buy your prepaid SIM card online or, if available, in one of your provider’s shops. To activate the card, you have to go through an identity verification, which German law has required of every provider since 1 July 2017, today in § 172 of the Telecommunications Act (in force since 1 December 2021). You do not need a German residence permit or an Anmeldung to activate a prepaid SIM card: the law accepts a valid passport, a national ID card, any other official photo ID that is valid in Germany, and residence permits, and the registration only needs a German contact address, which can be a hotel, hostel, Airbnb or short-term apartment. If you buy online, you verify your identity via VideoIdent, at a post office (PostIdent), with the eID function of your ID document or in a shop.
For the VideoIdent verification, you require an internet-enabled device (smartphone, tablet, or laptop). Depending on the provider, a video call with an agent or an automated app (Nect) checks your ID document and your face; your card is then activated within minutes to a few hours, in rare cases within 24 hours.
For expats, tourists, and non-EU passport holders, VideoIdent can sometimes fail even when you are legally allowed to activate a prepaid SIM. If this happens, try the following practical workarounds:
- Choose PostIdent if available: congstar, SIMon mobile, Edeka smart and Vodafone let you verify your identity at a Deutsche Post branch instead of by video call.
- Go to a physical shop: Telekom, Vodafone, O2 and many partner shops can activate a SIM card in person; Aldi Talk lists more than 10,000 partner shops for this.
- Use your residence permit’s eID: the electronic residence permit (eAT) has an online ID function that congstar and Vodafone accept for activation.
- Try another provider: the identification partners differ (WebID, Nect, Deutsche Post), and one may accept a passport the other rejects.
- Enter your data exactly as in the passport: a mismatch between the registration and the document is a common reason for rejection, as is poor lighting or glare on the document.
Every route, with the documents each provider accepts, is described step by step in our guide to SIM card verification in Germany.
You can manage your prepaid SIM card online or in your provider’s mobile app.
If you buy a physical prepaid SIM card online, it will take a few days for the card to arrive. Vodafone CallYa, O2 Prepaid, Aldi Talk and Edeka smart deliver the prepaid card as an eSIM instead: after the identity check you receive the profile by email or in the app and can use it immediately. You need a smartphone that supports eSIM — dialling *#06# shows an EID number on eSIM-capable phones.
If the card is not used for a long time, it will be deactivated — at O2, for example, the card stays active as long as you top up or make a paid call at least every six months, and you then have three months to claim the remaining credit. Make sure that an automatic top-up is switched off before you stop using the card.
Cancellation is only necessary if you want to change providers and keep your phone number, or if you want the remaining credit paid out. Most providers accept a cancellation through the customer portal, the app or a letter; O2 asks prepaid customers for a signed letter and offers a form that also covers the credit refund and the release of the number.
Number portability when changing providers
You will receive a German mobile phone number with your first prepaid SIM card. If you change providers, you have a legal right to keep this number free of charge — § 59 of the Telecommunications Act forbids any fee for the transfer, and for mobile numbers you can request it at any time, not only at the end of a contract.
To transfer a prepaid number, you ask your current provider to release the number (a “Portierungserklärung” — at O2, for example, through the customer portal, valid for 30 days) and order the transfer with the new provider. Your new provider then initiates the porting process and activates the number on the agreed day. Any remaining credit on the old card is not transferred, so use it up or claim it back first. Many providers offer a switching bonus for number portability.
Conclusion
A prepaid SIM card is the ideal choice for expats in Germany, especially if you have just arrived or are only staying for a limited time. It offers maximum flexibility without requiring a contract, a German bank account, a SCHUFA check, a residence permit or an Anmeldung. You can enjoy reliable connectivity tailored to your needs with competitive rates from the network operators Telekom, Vodafone and O2 and affordable options from the resellers and supermarket brands.
From our perspective, Telekom, Vodafone and O2 score with particularly strong prepaid offers because they combine direct network access, reliable service, and a wide range of packages. Resellers can still be the better choice if you mainly want a low package price. By comparing the available tariffs before you buy, you can get the best value for your money.
Frequently Asked Questions — FAQ
Few. Prepaid packages cost a little more per gigabyte than a 24-month contract, the speed cap at discount brands is lower than at the network operators, and you cannot bundle a smartphone into the price. In return you get no minimum term, no direct debit and no credit check — and every provider must also sell contracts that can be cancelled monthly, so the gap to a contract has become small.
No. You top up with vouchers from supermarkets, kiosks and petrol stations, with a credit card or PayPal in the provider’s app, or through the online portal. A bank account only becomes necessary if you want an automatic top-up by direct debit — and even that works with a card at most providers.
A valid passport, national ID card or residence permit and a German contact address — a hotel, hostel or short-term flat is fine, and no Anmeldung is required. The provider checks your identity by video call or automated app, at a Deutsche Post branch, with the eID function of an electronic residence permit, or in a shop. Activation usually takes minutes to a few hours after a successful check.
Yes. Vodafone CallYa, O2 Prepaid, Aldi Talk and Edeka smart deliver the prepaid card as an eSIM: after the identity check you receive a QR code by email or the profile in the app and are online without waiting for the post. Your phone must support eSIM; dialling *#06# shows an EID on compatible devices.
In the EU, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Moldova and Ukraine, yes, at domestic prices. Switzerland and the UK depend on the provider: Telekom includes both, Vodafone includes the UK but not Switzerland, O2 charges a day pass in Switzerland, and Aldi Talk bills the UK like the EU zone until the end of 2026. Check the roaming price list before you travel.
Yes, free of charge and at any time — § 59 of the Telecommunications Act forbids fees for the transfer of a mobile number. Ask your current provider to release the number (at O2 this is done in the customer portal and stays valid for 30 days), then order the transfer with the new provider. Remaining credit is not transferred, so use it up or claim it back first.