Germany First Week Guide. Mobile Phone Line, Internet and the Fear of Being Offline 😱

Your plane landed in Germany, and you passed through passport control. The excitement is at its peak! You reach for your phone to send a "I arrived safely" message to your family or post a cool "New beginnings 🇩🇪" story on Instagram. But wait, what’s this? No signal. No internet. 🤯 Welcome! Meet your first and most urgent test in Germany: Communication.

If you are used to the cheap and fast internet available on every corner in Turkey, the system in Germany might surprise (and frustrate) you. Here, getting a SIM card or setting up home internet is a bureaucratic process, and a wrong step can cost you dearly. In this article, we explain the SIM card issue you need to handle right away, the difficulties of connecting home internet, and how to survive those first days without connection. 👇👇👇

📱 1. The Big Question: Prepaid or Contract (Vertrag)? When you walk into a phone store in Germany (Telekom, Vodafone, O2), they will immediately offer you fancy 24-month contracts (Vertrag). It might look attractive with a new phone, but...

⚠️ WARNING for Newcomers: The 24-Month Contract Trap!

• What is the Risk? Contracts in Germany are usually binding for 24 months and very difficult to cancel. It is a big gamble to commit to a 2-year debt when it is not yet clear how long you will stay, how much internet you will need, or which operator has the best reception in your home.

• Bureaucracy: Getting a contract usually requires a German bank account (IBAN) and a residence permit (Anmeldung). You may not have these in your first days.

✅ Life-Saving Advice: Supermarket SIM Cards (Prepaid) Common advice in chat groups: Definitely get a Prepaid card initially!

• What is it? No commitment, no contract. Pay-as-you-go. You can cancel anytime.

• Where to Buy? Supermarket brands like Aldi Talk (Aldi), Lidl Connect (Lidl), and ja! mobil (Rewe) are very popular. You buy a "Starter Set" at the checkout. Prices are affordable (e.g., 10-20 GB of internet for 10-15€ per month).

• How to Activate? After buying the pack, you must verify your identity online via video call (Video-Ident). You will need to show your passport and declare an address in Germany (sometimes even a hotel/Airbnb address might suffice).

🏠 2. The Home Internet Nightmare: Why Does DSL Take Weeks? You found a house, congratulations! Now you want to connect the internet immediately. You called a provider and made an appointment.

• The Bitter Truth: They won't give you an appointment for tomorrow, but likely for 3-6 weeks later!

• Why? Technical service processes in Germany are incredibly slow. Especially for DSL (cabled) connections, a technician needs to come to the house, and finding an appointment is difficult.

Temporary Solutions (Survival Kit):

• Unlimited Mobile Data: Some operators (e.g., Freenet Funk, O2 Test Karte) offer unlimited mobile internet at affordable daily or monthly rates. You can use this for a month.

• Portable Router (Gigacube): Companies like Vodafone or O2 have portable modems called "Gigacube" that you just plug in and use. It covers your home Wi-Fi needs until DSL is connected, but it is a bit costly.

📡 3. Wi-Fi Hunting: Free City Hotspots To get things done while you have no internet, you will need to become a "Wi-Fi hunter."

• Libraries and Universities: The fastest and most reliable free internet is here. If you are a student, the "eduroam" network is a lifesaver.

• Cafes and Fast-Food Chains: Wi-Fi is plentiful in places like Starbucks and McDonald's, but it may not always be fast.

• What is Freifunk? It is a public and free Wi-Fi initiative established by volunteers in Germany. You can connect to the "Freifunk" network in some squares or cafes, especially in big cities. It is password-free and easy to use.