Update for Obtaining SIM Cards in Germany (2018)?

What will you be using your phone's for? Will you be using them mostly for data? If so, you can always buy a SIM card from the UK or the Netherlands or some other country that does not require you to register it in country like Germany does. Last May, I bought a Dutch Vodafone SIM card on eBay, activated it in the US, and used it in Slovenia, Italy, and France. Other people have done similar things with UK SIM cards. I don't know about the rules about shipping SIM cards to Columbia, but you could certainly give that a try. But those will work best for data, not for calls to German phone numbers. Data is all I needed so I didn't care about the voice options. I was able to use Google Hangout to make calls back to the US. For Columbia, you might use Skype, or Google Hangouts, for a few cents per minute. You can also use Skype or Google Hangouts to make calls within Europe for a few cents per minute.

But yes, since last June, the EU has done away with most roaming fees for Mobile plans in the EU.

But yes, since last June, the EU has done away with most roaming fees for Mobile plans in the EU.

Be careful about that when buying a sim card. There are no roaming fees any more for calls from your country of residence to other EU countries but not vice versa and not between other EU states. So you would need an explicit multi-country option.

Thanks, for the feedback. I hear what you are saying about data because we use our TIGO plan extensively with Whatsapp & Skype. However, I have some relatives in Germany who still use land-lines and non-Smart phones, Plus, it is nice to be able to call a hotel on the fly without worrying about Internet. I'm thinking I will pick up a card when I go to the States. Madrid airport may be an option as well.

You can call landlines with Skype too. It cost a few cents per minute. You do have to buy credit in blocks of about $10.

As it turns out, getting a SIM card for my unlocked cell phone was simple. When I arrived in Munich, I was able to purchase a SIM card from Deutsche Telekom for less than 20 Euros at the Marienplatz store. I purchased the Magenta Mobil prepaid plan which cost me 19.99 and then received a rebate of 10 Euros for my first GB of data. Subsequently, bought another 10 Euros of minutes for voice calls. So, all in, the service set me back about 20 Euros. The phone number does not expire, and I can refill on-line. I used my cousin's address to register the SIM and showed my US passport.

So I think I've been convinced of buying a SIM card in Europe. One thing that someone mentioned is that my U.S. SIM could be lost. In that case, I'm assuming it can be replaced in the U.S.

Good to here the German SIM was no issue after all, Curt!

Jules, when I take out my US SIM card when traveling, I find something larger to put it in to keep it from getting lost. I find for example that the hard plastic case a camera SD memory card is normally shipped in (roughly 3/4" length and width) is large enough that I'm not so likely to lose it, and it snaps shot securely. But if you lose your original SIM by accident and need to replace it? Yes, you can generally get a replacement but probably not free. The logistics of replacing a lost SIM card so you keep your original phone number depend on the mobile carrier and the type of phone.

Good to hear that it’s gotten easier to get a SIM card in Germany. I bought one in the UK for my Germany trip to avoid any potential problem problems.

Regarding storing your SIM card. In the Vodafone shop in London the SIM cards come in a little credit card sized card. When the clerk installed my UK SIM card she just used some tape to attach my home SIM to the card. I put that into a white envelope and sealed it. Worked fine and found it easily on my way home.

Yes, if you are planning to get a SIM card in Europe, definitely have a place prepared to put your US SIM so it won't get lost or damaged. Like Andrew, I find that an SD card case works well.

The Deutsche Telekom shell fit my Tigo micro SIM card perfectly, so that's where I stored it. When I was getting to leave Germany, I swapped out the cards, and now have my Deutsche Telekom SIM back in tis original shell.