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German phrases for getting a mobile SIM card in Germany

Say “Ich hätte gern eine Prepaid-Karte” and have your ID ready: the assistant asks “Haben Sie einen Ausweis mit Foto?”. Ask “Wie viel Datenvolumen habe ich pro Monat?” and “Gibt es eine Mindestvertragslaufzeit?”. To keep a number, ask “Kann ich meine alte Nummer behalten?”. Online, providers often check ID by video call.

Try it · about two minutes

In a phone shop you buy a prepaid SIM, show your ID and ask whether you can keep your old number.

Sound on: the shop assistant speaks German. You choose what to say back, and Frasa tells you why it works.

How does the conversation usually go?

  1. Shop assistant

    Wie kann ich Ihnen helfen?

    How can I help you?

    You

    Ich hätte gern eine Prepaid-Karte.

    I’d like a prepaid card, please.

  2. Shop assistant

    Haben Sie einen Ausweis mit Foto?

    Do you have photo ID?

    You

    Ich habe meinen Reisepass dabei.

    I have my passport with me.

  3. Shop assistant

    Bitte warten Sie hier.

    Please wait here.

    You

    Wie viel Datenvolumen habe ich pro Monat?

    How much data do I get each month?

  4. Shop assistant

    Zehn Gigabyte im Monat, und es gibt keine Mindestvertragslaufzeit. Möchten Sie eine neue Nummer?

    Ten gigabytes a month, and there is no minimum term. Would you like a new number?

    You

    Ich möchte eine neue Nummer, bitte.

    I’d like a new number, please.

  5. Shop assistant

    Karte oder bar?

    Card or cash?

    You

    Ich möchte kontaktlos bezahlen.

    I’d like to pay contactless.

  6. Shop assistant

    Möchten Sie den Kassenbon?

    Would you like the receipt?

    You

    Ja, bitte.

    Yes, please.

Which German phrases do you need?

  • Ich möchte einen Handyvertrag.

    I want a phone contract.

  • Haben Sie einen Ausweis mit Foto?

    Do you have photo ID?

  • Ich habe meinen Reisepass dabei.

    I have my passport with me.

  • Wie viel Datenvolumen habe ich pro Monat?

    How much data do I get each month?

  • Gibt es eine Mindestvertragslaufzeit?

    Is there a minimum contract period?

  • Gibt es eine Anschlussgebühr?

    Is there a fee to start the service?

  • Kann ich meine alte Nummer behalten?

    Can I keep my old number?

  • Wie viel kostet das im Monat?

    How much is it a month?

  • Karte oder bar?

    Card or cash?

  • Ich möchte kontaktlos bezahlen.

    I’d like to pay contactless.

What is worth knowing in Germany?

Have your ID ready

Shops usually ask to see an ID card or passport when you buy a SIM. Online, providers often check by video call (Video-Ident) before the SIM works.

Ich habe meinen Reisepass dabei.

I have my passport with me.

Prepaid or contract

Prepaid means you pay in advance and top up when you need to, with usually no contract. A Handyvertrag is a monthly plan that often runs for a minimum period, so ask about the term before you sign.

Gibt es eine Mindestvertragslaufzeit?

Is there a minimum contract period?

Keeping your number

Moving an old number to a new SIM usually works between German providers. A number from abroad normally stays with its old provider, so you may end up with a new German number.

Kann ich meine alte Nummer behalten?

Can I keep my old number?

Questions about this situation

Which German phrases matter most here?
“Ich möchte einen Handyvertrag.” (I want a phone contract); “Haben Sie einen Ausweis mit Foto?” (Do you have photo ID); “Ich habe meinen Reisepass dabei.” (I have my passport with me). The full list is above.
Can I hear how they sound?
Yes: press the speaker next to a phrase to hear it, recorded for the Frasa app.
How can I practise this conversation?
Press “Start the conversation” above to play it through and choose your replies, with a note on why some fit better in Germany. Frasa, an iPhone app, lets you save these phrases and rehearse them out loud.

Related situations in German

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Practise these phrases in Frasa

Frasa is an iPhone app for the conversations in front of you. Save phrases like these, rehearse them out loud, and they come back until they stick.

AI-generated. May be inaccurate.