Internet and Mobile Contracts in Germany for Expats
Internet and mobile contracts in Germany for expats: DSL, cable and fibre, SIM cards, the 24-month limit, moving and your rights if the line is slow.
Internet and mobile contracts in Germany for expats follow rules that surprise many newcomers: long minimum terms, a credit check, an ID check for SIM cards and, in many flats, a wait of several weeks before the line works. The good news is that German telecom law gives consumers firm rights, from a 24-month cap on contract length to a right to reduce your fee if the speed is not delivered. This guide explains the technologies, the contract terms, what changes when you move, how to get a SIM card as a new arrival and what to do when the connection disappoints. It stays neutral and does not recommend any provider.
Quick answer: internet and mobile contracts in Germany for expats
In short: Order home internet as soon as you have a rental contract, because installation can take weeks. Contracts run up to 24 months, with a 12-month alternative on request, and after the minimum term you can cancel with one month's notice. For mobile, a prepaid SIM needs your passport or residence permit, and a monthly contract usually needs a bank account and a Schufa check. If the service is clearly slower than promised, you can reduce the fee.
Types of home internet in Germany
Which technology you can get depends on your building and street, not on your preferences. Tariffs are sold in speed tiers, and the same provider may sell several technologies.
| Technology | How it reaches you | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| DSL / VDSL | Over the copper telephone line, with VDSL using fibre up to the street cabinet | Widely available. Speed falls with the distance from the cabinet, so the real speed can differ from the tier you booked. |
| Cable (coax) | Through the television cable socket in the flat | Common in cities and in blocks with a cable connection. The line is shared with neighbours, so speed can fall at busy times. |
| Fibre (FTTH / FTTB) | Optical fibre to the building or into the flat | A long-lasting option. The owner of the building often has to agree to the installation, so ask your landlord. |
| 5G or LTE home internet | Mobile network, usually with a router that holds a SIM card | Useful where no fast fixed line exists or to bridge the wait for installation. Speed depends on coverage and how many people use the same mobile cell. |
Some tariffs bundle the internet connection with a landline number, television or a mobile plan. Bundles can be convenient, but they also tie several services to one contract and one term, so check what happens to each part if you cancel.
How to check what is available at your address
- Get the exact address and floor. Availability is decided building by building. Ask the landlord or the previous tenant which connections exist, and whether a fibre or cable socket is already installed.
- Use the provider's own availability check. Every provider shows on its website which speed tiers it can deliver to your address. Run the check with several providers, because they use different networks.
- Use the official coverage maps. The Bundesnetzagentur runs the Gigabit-Grundbuch with a broadband atlas that shows fixed-line and mobile coverage information. It is a good second opinion, but the provider's address check is more specific.
- Read the contract summary. Before you sign, the provider must give you a free summary of the contract that lists the main features, the prices, the term and the conditions for renewal and cancellation (§54 TKG). For internet access it also covers the speeds. Read it before you click "order".
- Plan for the installation date. A technician appointment, and sometimes a permission from the building owner, can push activation back by weeks. Order early and ask for the activation date in writing.
If you are still looking for a flat, ask during viewings which connections the building has. Our guide to finding an apartment explains the rental process, and the Anmeldung guide covers the address registration that you will need for most contracts.
The main providers, named neutrally
The German market has national brands and regional fibre companies. This list is for orientation only and is neither complete nor a ranking. Prices change often and depend on your address, so we do not quote any: check current prices on each provider's own page.
| Type | Examples | What to compare |
|---|---|---|
| National fixed-line and mobile groups | Telekom, Vodafone, O2 (Telefónica), 1&1 | Technologies available at your address, speed tiers, mobile bundles, contract term and device terms. |
| Regional and fibre companies | Local utilities and fibre builders such as M-net or Deutsche Glasfaser, depending on the region | Whether fibre is already in your street, the installation fee and the term. |
| Discount and brand tariffs | Brands that resell the networks of the groups above | Network quality, whether support is available in English, and what the cancellation rules say. |
Comparison portals can help you to scan the market, but they earn money from commission and do not list every offer. Always confirm the final price, the term and the one-off fees on the provider's page, and keep the contract summary. If you want to see how a connection fits into your monthly budget, look at the cost of living guide and the net salary calculator to work out what is left after tax and social contributions.
Contract terms: the 24-month limit and cancellation
The Telecommunications Act (Telekommunikationsgesetz, TKG) sets the main rules for consumer contracts.
| Rule | What it means for you | Legal basis |
|---|---|---|
| Maximum initial term | No more than 24 months | §56(1) TKG |
| Short alternative | The provider must offer a version with an initial term of no more than 12 months | §56(1) TKG |
| After the minimum term | If the contract renews automatically, you can cancel at any time with one month's notice, at no cost | §56(3) and (4) TKG |
| Reminder before renewal | The provider must tell you in good time on a durable medium about the renewal and your right to cancel | §56(3) TKG |
| Provider changes the contract | If a provider changes your contract unilaterally to your disadvantage, you can cancel without notice and at no cost, within three months of its notice | §57(1) TKG |
| Online cancellation button | Contracts signed on a website must be cancellable through a clearly labelled button | §312k BGB |
Practical tips on cancelling
- Diary the end of the minimum term. Even though you can cancel monthly afterwards, you only profit if you notice that the cheaper introductory price has expired.
- Cancel in text form (email or the provider's online form) and keep the confirmation. The online cancellation button must give you a confirmation with the date and time.
- When you switch providers, the new provider leads the process. By law the service may not be interrupted for more than one working day when you switch (§59 TKG), and you can ask to keep your number.
- If you bought a phone or router together with the contract, read the device terms. Where you can end a contract early, the provider may only ask for compensation for devices you keep, limited to their pro-rated value or the remaining fees (§56(4) TKG).
Moving house: what happens to your contract
Moving is the moment when many people discover their rights, usually the hard way. Under §60 TKG:
- If your provider offers the service at your new address, the contract continues, with the same term and other conditions.
- The provider may charge a reasonable fee for the effort of moving, but not more than the price of a new connection.
- If the provider does not offer the service at the new address, you can cancel with one month's notice, effective on your move-out date or later.
- Providers and network operators have to cooperate so that the service starts at your new address on the day you agreed.
In practice: tell the provider your new address as soon as you have your new rental contract, ask which technology is available there and get the activation date in writing. If you are relocating within Germany, see the guides on moving to Germany and, once you arrive, registering your address. Newcomers on a work visa, for example a Blue Card holder, often need the line running in the first week, so a 5G home router or a mobile hotspot can bridge the gap.
Mobile: prepaid, postpaid and eSIM
| Prepaid | Postpaid (monthly contract) | |
|---|---|---|
| How you pay | Top up credit or buy a monthly package in advance | A fixed monthly fee, billed by direct debit in most cases |
| Term | Often none, or a short package period | Up to 24 months, with a 12-month version on request |
| Credit check | Normally not needed | Common, usually with a Schufa query |
| Bank account | Often possible without a German account | Usually needs a German IBAN for direct debit |
| Best for | First weeks in Germany, short stays, low usage | Long-term residents with a German account and steady needs |
What is an eSIM?
An eSIM is a SIM card built into the phone. Instead of a plastic card, you receive a QR code or an activation profile and install it in the phone's settings. It is convenient for newcomers, because you can set up a number before you land and you can keep a home-country number on the same phone. You need a phone that supports eSIM and is not locked to another network. The same ID rules apply: an eSIM is a SIM, so the provider still has to verify your identity for prepaid.
Roaming and your home number
Within the EU, your plan generally works across borders. Outside the EU, check what your tariff includes. Many expats keep their old SIM or eSIM for bank codes and two-factor logins from home, and use a German number for everyday life.
ID verification for SIM cards
German law requires providers to collect and verify subscriber data. For prepaid mobile services, the provider must check your name and date of birth before it activates the SIM (§172 TKG). Accepted evidence includes:
- An identity card, a passport or another official photo ID, including residence permits.
- An electronic identity verification under the German identity laws.
- Other procedures that the Bundesnetzagentur has approved, which always rely on an identity document.
Shops, post offices and online video-identification services all offer these checks. The provider must also store your name, address and date of birth for the numbers assigned to you. If you do not yet have a German address, ask the provider what it accepts. Many providers simply need your passport and a registered address. Our visa guide explains which documents you receive on arrival.
Schufa check and what newcomers can do
Providers that offer a monthly fee, a financed phone or a router usually check your creditworthiness first. In Germany, that is often done through Schufa or a similar agency. As a new arrival you have no German record, which is not the same as a bad record, but it can lead to extra steps:
- Prepaid first. A prepaid SIM and a 5G home router or an unlimited data pack let you start without a credit check.
- Deposit or other conditions. Some providers ask for a deposit or limit the equipment you can finance.
- Open a German bank account. A German IBAN is the key for direct debit and builds trust. See our bank account guide.
- Understand your Schufa record. Read the Schufa guide to see which data is stored and how to request your own copy.
If an employer or a blocked account setup is part of your arrival, keep payslips or account statements to hand, as they can help when a provider asks for proof of income.
If your line is slow or fails: your rights
Slower than advertised
The Bundesnetzagentur provides the free Breitbandmessung, a desktop app and a browser test that compare the speed you get with the speed you have contracted. Its mobile counterpart is the Mobilfunk-Check app. The results can serve as proof that the service does not match your contract.
Under §57(4) TKG, a consumer may reduce the fee or terminate without notice if there is a significant, continuous or recurring deviation of the actual internet speed or other quality parameters from the performance the provider advertised, established with a certified monitoring mechanism. The fee reduction is proportional to the shortfall. The Bundesnetzagentur may define what counts as significant, so read its current guidance before you write to your provider.
- Measure several times, on different days and at different times of day, using a cable connection to the router. Save the reports.
- Compare the results with the speeds stated in your contract summary.
- Write to the provider in text form, attach the measurements, describe the shortfall and ask for a fix or a proportional fee reduction, with a deadline.
- If it does not respond, contact the consumer advice centre (Verbraucherzentrale) or file a complaint with the Bundesnetzagentur.
No connection at all
You can require a provider to clear a fault promptly and free of charge, unless you caused it (§58 TKG). If a fault is not fixed within one calendar day, the provider has to tell you by the next day what it has done and when it expects to fix the fault. After a complete outage of more than two calendar days, you can claim compensation for each day of outage: the higher of €5 or 10% of the monthly fee on days three and four, and the higher of €10 or 20% of the monthly fee from day five. A missed technician appointment can also earn you the higher of €10 or 20% of the monthly fee per appointment. Compensation for an outage is offset against any fee reduction for the same period.
Keep a log. Write down the date and time of each fault report, the ticket number and the name of the support agent. Providers must document the receipt of a fault report, but your own record makes any later claim much easier.
The Rundfunkbeitrag: a bill that is not optional
The Rundfunkbeitrag is the broadcasting fee for public radio and television. It has nothing to do with your internet provider, but it arrives in the same first weeks as your other household bills. It is charged per dwelling: one fee for each flat, no matter how many people live there or how many devices you own. The official site states €18.36 per month for a private household (as of October 2026; an increase from 2027 has been recommended but not yet decided, so check the current amount). When you register your address with the registry, the details are passed on to the contribution service, which then writes to the people concerned. You can also register yourself online. The site has an English information page.
If you share a flat, agree who registers and pays, and who gets a share back. Once you have a German bank account, you can pay it by direct debit. The fee is part of the fixed costs listed in our cost of living guide.
Checklist for your first weeks
Before you move in
- Ask the landlord which connections the building has and whether a fibre or cable socket is installed.
- Check availability with several providers and read the contract summary.
- Ask for the 12-month version and compare the total cost with the 24-month one.
In the first week
- Buy a prepaid SIM or install an eSIM with your passport or residence permit.
- Register your address and then the Rundfunkbeitrag.
- Open a German bank account, so that you can use direct debit.
After a few months
- Diary the end of your minimum term and the notice period.
- Run a Breitbandmessung if the connection feels slow, and save the reports.
- Keep your telecom invoices: if you work from home, ask a tax advisor whether part of the costs counts. See the tax return guide for the basics.
Settling in is more than a phone line. Employers and offices will ask for your health insurance next. If you are unsure about public or private cover, our private health insurance guide explains the rules, and independent consultants at MyHealthcareBroker can compare insurers for you in English. For people on a visa, see expat health insurance for visas. If you move with children, ask about family insurance. Related guides: sick pay, long-term care insurance and pension.
FAQ
How long can an internet or mobile contract run in Germany?
Can I cancel after the minimum term ends?
What happens to my internet contract if I move?
Do I need to show ID to buy a German SIM card?
Will a provider run a Schufa check on me?
My internet is slower than promised. What can I do?
Do I have to pay the broadcasting fee (Rundfunkbeitrag)?
Sources
Checked on 16 October 2026. Laws can change, and providers' terms differ, so confirm your own case with your provider or the Verbraucherzentrale.
- Contract summary and information duties: §54 TKG
- 24-month maximum term, 12-month offer, one-month notice after the initial term: §56 TKG
- Contract changes, fee reduction and extraordinary termination: §57 TKG
- Fault clearance and compensation: §58 TKG
- Provider switching and number portability: §59 TKG
- Moving house: §60 TKG
- Prepaid SIM identity verification: §172 TKG
- Online cancellation button: §312k BGB
- Speed measurement: Breitbandmessung (Bundesnetzagentur)
- Coverage information: Gigabit-Grundbuch and Breitbandatlas
- Broadcasting fee €18.36 per dwelling per month: Beitragsservice, rundfunkbeitrag.de; information in English
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