Overview

There are three different options. You can choose a contract that includes a phone, a contract with a certain amount of data, call minutes, and SMS, or simply a prepaid SIM card.

Contract with phone included: You'll sign a contract with a certain volume of data, call minutes, and SMS. It will be more expensive than a regular contract because of the phone. The phone's price is basically included in your monthly payment.

Regular contract: This type of contract includes a certain volume of data, call minutes, and SMS. The monthly amount will increase or decrease depending on how much data you need or want.

Prepaid SIM card: You simply buy a SIM card and load a certain amount of money onto it. You pay a low monthly fee and only for the amount of data you use, the number of calls you make, or SMS you send. You'll mostly find them in supermarkets.

Comparison

To help you make the best choice of mobile plans, we'll present a comparison table highlighting the pros and cons of each type.

Other Important Tips for Contract Options

If you plan to stay in Germany for more than a few months, we recommend signing up for a mobile phone contract, as it will be cheaper and more convenient in the long run. With a long-term contract, you'll benefit from discounts, bonuses, etc., so there's no reason not to choose one.

You might also wonder if it's possible to use your phone and SIM card right after arriving in Germany — the answer is yes for the phone, but probably not for your SIM card. Actually, it depends on different countries. If you can buy a roaming plan in your home country in advance that's valid for a week, then your SIM card will work in Germany. Otherwise, here's what will happen:

• Your mobile phone won't have a network in Germany.
• Your service provider will give you automatic international roaming service, but at a very high price.

Pay attention to this so you can plan everything in advance.

The actual cost of a monthly plan for mobile contracts depends heavily on individual needs and, of course, on providers. Some of the most popular are:

• Telekom
• Vodafone
• O2
• Blau
• Aldi Talk
• 1&1
• yourfone
• klarmobil.de
• mobilcom debitel
• congstar

Competition among them is strong, so you can take advantage of relatively low prices, averaging from 10 to 30 euros. Also, when signing a SIM card contract, pay attention to the first and second year prices to see if they're the same or if there's a big gap between them. You wouldn't want to pay a very cheap price at first and a ridiculously expensive one next year, right?

Contract Cancellation

Contract cancellation can be a bit complicated. Sometimes, people have to leave Germany earlier than planned or simply return to their home country after graduation. At that point, you need to provide your provider with authorized documents to prove that you're leaving Germany and request the contract cancellation. Before signing, it's important to ask your provider if it's possible to cancel the contract in such a case. If they accept the request, you may have to pay an amount equivalent to 3 months as a cancellation fee. If you simply leave Germany without canceling the contract, your credit score will drop and it's not guaranteed that a future visit to Germany or another EU country will be possible. There's no need to take that risk — just follow the rules and everything will be fine.

We hope this article has answered your questions about German SIM cards. If you have any other questions about living and studying in Germany, don't hesitate to contact us. Our team is always ready to help you!