Prepaid needs no address registration (ID requirement since 2017 yes, but any address counts, even a hotel). A contract with an installment phone is a different league: that is where SCHUFA looks.
Your First SIM: Prepaid on Arrival Day
You need a German number for everything — banks to deliveries. A prepaid card solves it on day one, without registration or a contract.
✓ Verified: 15/08/2026
WHAT TO DO
COSTS
- €Prepaid start ~€10 with a starter bundle
› Details and tips
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Max recommends:
My first week ran on a 10 € discounter eSIM: activated online in 15 minutes at the airport. You need the German number before the bank and Anmeldung.
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Lea recommends:
Prepaid requires no SCHUFA at all — ideal without history. The contract with an instalment phone can wait for your first German records.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Which network is best? ▾
Roughly: Telekom leads in the countryside, O2 is cheap in cities, Vodafone in between. Discounters run on the same three networks — what matters is which one.
Why can I not buy a SIM without registration? ▾
The law requires owner identification: passport plus video or post identification. Ten minutes online — and the SIM is tied to you, not to a friend of a friend.
Identification fails with my passport — now what? ▾
Document lists differ by operator. If video identification is fussy, counter identification (PostIdent) accepts more passports.
Can I get an eSIM before flying in? ▾
Yes — many prepaid tariffs sell eSIMs online with video identification, so you land with a German number already.