eSIM Germany: Mobile Data for Visitors and Travellers

The phrase Germany eSIM can mean two quite different things. People who live in Germany usually mean the eSIM version of their own mobile contract, which comes with a German number. This page is about something else: a prepaid data plan for anyone who spends a limited time in the country.

An Anosim eSIM for Germany provides mobile internet and nothing more. It has no phone number, no call minutes and no SMS, and it is not a substitute for a contract with a German provider. Its job is to keep you online during the trip, while your usual SIM and your usual number stay in the phone.

Whether it pays off depends mostly on the country your current SIM comes from:

- Visitors from outside the EU, for instance from North America or Asia, often face roaming charges from their home provider while in Germany. A local data plan keeps those out of the picture.
- Visitors from the United Kingdom: Britain has left the EU, so EU roaming rules do not protect British tariffs in Germany.
- Visitors with a SIM from another EU country frequently have data in Germany included through EU roaming. The details differ from tariff to tariff, so look at your own contract before buying. For them, the eSIM mainly makes sense if they want travel data kept apart from their home allowance.

Once switched on, the eSIM uses local networks in Germany. Coverage is listed for Berlin, Hamburg, Munich, Cologne, Frankfurt, Stuttgart, Dusseldorf, Dortmund, Essen and Bremen, plus other cities. Looking for an eSIM for Berlin in particular? Choose the Germany plan; the capital is part of it.

You are on 3G, 4G/LTE or 5G, depending on the operator and the spot you are in. On a train ride from Hamburg to Cologne the network type can therefore change along the way. The operator's fair-use policy may also reduce speeds.

Spread over a few days, the setup takes almost no effort:

A few days before you leave

Before the trip to Germany, confirm that your phone handles eSIM and is free of any SIM lock. Some iPhone models sold in mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau come without eSIM. Then pick Germany on the eSIM page, choose a plan, log in and pay from your Anosim balance. You top that up with cryptocurrency or a bank transfer, and nobody asks for an ID.

The evening before the flight

Join a Wi-Fi network and scan the QR code you received. The code can be used only once: leave the eSIM profile on the phone afterwards and do not scan the code a second time. Keep the new line switched off for now. The plan appears in your account under My eSIM Plans.

After landing in Frankfurt, Munich or Berlin

Turn the eSIM on, make it your line for mobile data and enable data roaming for it. Within a minute or two it normally finds a German network. From this first connection the validity of your plan counts. Buying early is fine, because you have up to 180 days after purchase to activate it.

Still no signal after a few minutes?

Reboot the phone, toggle airplane mode once, and set the network selection to automatic. If that does not solve it, write to support rather than deleting the profile.

Germany borders nine countries, so plenty of trips do not end at its borders. Heading on to Amsterdam or Rotterdam? See eSIM Netherlands. Going south to Zurich or Geneva? Keep in mind that Switzerland is outside the EU; details are on eSIM Switzerland.

For a route through several countries, a regional plan can replace separate eSIMs. Check on eSIM Europe and in the order form that Germany and every other stop on your route are included.

Because the eSIM carries data only, it cannot receive text messages. Should a ticket app, a food delivery service or an online shop in Germany insist on confirming your account by SMS, use an Anosim number alongside the eSIM:

- Activation when you need one code, once.
- Rent Service when the same service is likely to ask again later.
- Rent Number when one number should work for any service.

If a number is virtual, it is labelled as such in the provider selection.

A prepaid eSIM Germany plan is paid once, up front, from your balance. There is no monthly fee, no minimum term and nothing to cancel when you fly home. As a travel eSIM Germany plan it covers what most visitors do on the go: maps and public transport apps, messengers, WhatsApp calls, streaming and sending photos.

Your own SIM remains active next to the eSIM, so people can still reach your regular number, for example on WhatsApp. Whether the data can be shared via hotspot depends on the network operator. Our support team is there around the clock via Telegram, the website chat and email. More destinations are listed on the eSIM overview.