Prepaid sim card in Germany.
Feb 9th, 2018, 04:40 PM
#1
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Prepaid sim card in Germany.
I heared that to buy and use a prepaid sim card for tourists in Germany becomes almost impossible after a new regulation for activation. Would you kindly give me the current situation in Germany about buying a prepaid sim? I will visit Frankurt next month from Tokyo.
Feb 9th, 2018, 11:10 PM
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Almost impossible - no.
Less convenient - yes.
In a nutshell: The new regulation makes it impossible to get any SIM card without ID registration - regardless whether you're a citizen or visitor. The purpose was to limit loopholes for terrorists to make anonymous phone calls.
In practice: You can still get prepaid SIM cards in supermarkets, convenience stores, gas stations etc etc. - and online.
BUT, those places will usually not have the manpower or tools for a person-by-person registration procedure. Therefore you'll need to complete the registration procedure by VideoIdent (video chat with the provider where you literally show your ID via the phone's cam) or a snail-mail procedure at the next post office.
Some major resellers like Aldi (and possibly others) do offer on-site registration but your SIM card will not be activated until that registration has been sent to the actual provider, and the provider has entered that data into its system. This may take a day or two. Usually no big deal, but a hassle for a tourist who only stays a week.
Nevertheless, the real brick-and-mortar stores of the mobile network operators (T-Mobile, Vodafone, O2) have the staff and stuff to complete the ID registration and SIM activation on-site.
Some will charge an extra fee for that service (appr. €10), though.
So, the easiest way to get a SIM card for Germany would be
- get one of those international SIM cards online which also have low rates for calls within or from Germany to your home country
- go to a T-Mobile, Vodafone or O2 store (of which there are zillions in Germany, even every tiny town has them) and buy, register and activate there
Less convenient - yes.
In a nutshell: The new regulation makes it impossible to get any SIM card without ID registration - regardless whether you're a citizen or visitor. The purpose was to limit loopholes for terrorists to make anonymous phone calls.
In practice: You can still get prepaid SIM cards in supermarkets, convenience stores, gas stations etc etc. - and online.
BUT, those places will usually not have the manpower or tools for a person-by-person registration procedure. Therefore you'll need to complete the registration procedure by VideoIdent (video chat with the provider where you literally show your ID via the phone's cam) or a snail-mail procedure at the next post office.
Some major resellers like Aldi (and possibly others) do offer on-site registration but your SIM card will not be activated until that registration has been sent to the actual provider, and the provider has entered that data into its system. This may take a day or two. Usually no big deal, but a hassle for a tourist who only stays a week.
Nevertheless, the real brick-and-mortar stores of the mobile network operators (T-Mobile, Vodafone, O2) have the staff and stuff to complete the ID registration and SIM activation on-site.
Some will charge an extra fee for that service (appr. €10), though.
So, the easiest way to get a SIM card for Germany would be
- get one of those international SIM cards online which also have low rates for calls within or from Germany to your home country
- go to a T-Mobile, Vodafone or O2 store (of which there are zillions in Germany, even every tiny town has them) and buy, register and activate there
Feb 10th, 2018, 04:15 PM
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Thank you for your reply.😄
Thank you so much for your detailed advice. I'm really appreciate it. I think I will prepare a international SIM card and take it with me. I found some in Amazon and it costs about 30euro here. I also try to buy a Vodafone SIM at a shop in the Skyline plaza Frankurt where the hotel I will stay is very close. I will visit Germany once more time in this year so I would like to have an experience for the next time. Thank you very much.
Almost impossible - no.
Less convenient - yes.
In a nutshell: The new regulation makes it impossible to get any SIM card without ID registration - regardless whether you're a citizen or visitor. The purpose was to limit loopholes for terrorists to make anonymous phone calls.
In practice: You can still get prepaid SIM cards in supermarkets, convenience stores, gas stations etc etc. - and online.
BUT, those places will usually not have the manpower or tools for a person-by-person registration procedure. Therefore you'll need to complete the registration procedure by VideoIdent (video chat with the provider where you literally show your ID via the phone's cam) or a snail-mail procedure at the next post office.
Some major resellers like Aldi (and possibly others) do offer on-site registration but your SIM card will not be activated until that registration has been sent to the actual provider, and the provider has entered that data into its system. This may take a day or two. Usually no big deal, but a hassle for a tourist who only stays a week.
Nevertheless, the real brick-and-mortar stores of the mobile network operators (T-Mobile, Vodafone, O2) have the staff and stuff to complete the ID registration and SIM activation on-site.
Some will charge an extra fee for that service (appr. €10), though.
So, the easiest way to get a SIM card for Germany would be
- get one of those international SIM cards online which also have low rates for calls within or from Germany to your home country
- go to a T-Mobile, Vodafone or O2 store (of which there are zillions in Germany, even every tiny town has them) and buy, register and activate there
Less convenient - yes.
In a nutshell: The new regulation makes it impossible to get any SIM card without ID registration - regardless whether you're a citizen or visitor. The purpose was to limit loopholes for terrorists to make anonymous phone calls.
In practice: You can still get prepaid SIM cards in supermarkets, convenience stores, gas stations etc etc. - and online.
BUT, those places will usually not have the manpower or tools for a person-by-person registration procedure. Therefore you'll need to complete the registration procedure by VideoIdent (video chat with the provider where you literally show your ID via the phone's cam) or a snail-mail procedure at the next post office.
Some major resellers like Aldi (and possibly others) do offer on-site registration but your SIM card will not be activated until that registration has been sent to the actual provider, and the provider has entered that data into its system. This may take a day or two. Usually no big deal, but a hassle for a tourist who only stays a week.
Nevertheless, the real brick-and-mortar stores of the mobile network operators (T-Mobile, Vodafone, O2) have the staff and stuff to complete the ID registration and SIM activation on-site.
Some will charge an extra fee for that service (appr. €10), though.
So, the easiest way to get a SIM card for Germany would be
- get one of those international SIM cards online which also have low rates for calls within or from Germany to your home country
- go to a T-Mobile, Vodafone or O2 store (of which there are zillions in Germany, even every tiny town has them) and buy, register and activate there
