[wolfbln]

Just to follow up on this:
One month into the new regulations, there is still a mess and chaos about prepaid registration in Germany, especially what foreigners are concerned.

The government and the regulator stepped in and highlighted that foreigners will still be able to buy and register prepaid SIM cards, but in fact still face major obstacles.

One major problem is the "address". German nationals are registered at a residency with street address which is stated in the national ID cards. This system doesn't apply to foreigners of many nations and all passports (even German) doesn't state an address. Yet some providers seem to insist on this address. Vodafone and O2 mostly just take any German address that you might give to them like a hotel or B&B address, but Telekom often likes to see some official document stating this address.

The regulator has maintained the (missing) address must not be a reason not to be registered. But this news hasn't reached all providers yet. Furthermore, there are major problems with the videoID (also called webID or online ID). Due to high demand (as some brands can only be registered this way now), you have to wait online for hours to get an agent. That's why first brands start to register at the point of purchase, which is the only way that makes sense. On top of that the videoID companies are only able to register citizens from the EU and major overseas nations like the US, China, Russia etc. with their passports (or ID cards, if applicable). Other citizens like from Brazil or Thailand can't register these brands for now.

For the time being you can buy and register O2 and Vodafone in their branded stores and in the stores of some resellers like Saturn/MediaMarkt. These are the brands which are recommended for the least trouble. Telekom and Congstar can also be registered in T-Point stores, but some still want to see an official confirmation of your residency. The UK-based ethno provider Lebara steps in and has started a number of registration points in their resellers stores. They accept all nations and passports and resell the Telekom network cheaper (but only without LTE). Their direct competitor Lycamobile took 4 weeks (!) to register a SIM card and can't be a choice. Tchibo and Aldi Süd also register their own brands in their stores.

So what is a foreigner to do, if he/she wants a German prepaid SIM card???

1.) Before entering the country: We have "roam like at home" in the EU/EEA now. So if you come from another EU/EEA country, you might think of taking your SIM from there and use it roaming in Germany at the domestic rate.

2.) Online: There are "used" or "pre-activated" SIM cards offered on eBay.de. This market seems to be legal as the re-selling of old SIM cards is not illegal. Some dealers do it in higher quantities and then you'll risk being shut off, if detected by the operator. No further consequences are known for this trade.

3.) Already in the country: Try to get to the branded stores of the operators like O2 and Vodafone or resellers like MediaMarkt/Saturn and other chains. Don't buy the SIM where it can't be registered like in a gas station, supermarket or newspaper kiosk. A German shopping street or center still gives you a limited choice, but not every provider may be at your disposal. This is unfortunately true for the cheaper brands from Aldi, Lidl or online operators. As a last resort you can go to an area where a lot of non-EU immigrants live like Turkish living areas and to the small phone stores there run by immigrants. They'll often know a way too - whether legal or not - and probably for a small surcharge.

In Germany everybody is quite unhappy with the new law. The consumers are frustrated that they can't get registered, the operators have extra work and costs and can't deal with demand. And everybody wonders, if SIM card registration like this (skipping all old SIM cards in the age of roam like at home) really makes sense.