4 ms·

I've never had an issue with a foreign passport buying a SIM. You usually need a local address but you can just use your hotels.

herbst 5y ago
I usually did not either. However Netherlands and Germany have been an exception. In the Netherlands every mobile provider shoo me out of their shop refering to yallo or libera. I had an apartment and was staying 2 months, so this wasn't the issue. And Germany was essentially the same except I only tried with 3 or so providers. Most tourists still pick one of the shitty providers available at the airport or train station and go with that. Some of them provide a faster verification do you can walk out having internet, in Austria if you buy internet at a supermarket (it's uncomplicated there) it can take a few hours to verify. Or Italy, if you arrive in Venedig you find ads for internet packages everywhere. I actually needed to go to the mainland to buy a a normal SIM. As no one on the island acknowledged the cheaper packages available. My point is, it's complicated Source: I've spent months (if not years) with my laptop In Europe and Asia and internet always was the #1 priority. I also do not know if things are better today
- Symbiote 5y ago
  For a short-term stay, why not just use Lebera, or a similar operator? They have short-term or no-contract options at low prices, and often have a website in English.
  - herbst 5y ago
    It's not low price compared to local alternatives. I was work travelling so internet was a must, I always tried getting the best rate as part of my welcome to a new country ritual :) Also what is short? In Austria I get a new prepaid for every few days I stay (because uncomplicated and cheap). In the Netherlands libera was the only real option even thought I was there for 2 months.
- mejutoco 5y ago
  As another data point. A few years a go I bought a sim card in Germany (mediamarkt I think). They asked for the Anmeldung document (proof of residence, needed also to open a bank account) and photocopied it.
herbst 5y ago
I just remembered the actual issue in Netherland, Germany as well as Switzerland. Normal Prepaid is generally expensive, what you want is a always cancelable contract to get the fairest (most local) price for a short time. And here is where it gets more complicated based on residence and stuff Edit:// I spent over 200€ on prepaid internet that 2 months I was in the Netherlands. A always cancel contract would have costed I think about 20$ a month for unlimited (and way faster) internet

herbst 5y ago

I usually did not either. However Netherlands and Germany have been an exception. In the Netherlands every mobile provider shoo me out of their shop refering to yallo or libera. I had an apartment and was staying 2 months, so this wasn't the issue. And Germany was essentially the same except I only tried with 3 or so providers. Most tourists still pick one of the shitty providers available at the airport or train station and go with that. Some of them provide a faster verification do you can walk out having internet, in Austria if you buy internet at a supermarket (it's uncomplicated there) it can take a few hours to verify. Or Italy, if you arrive in Venedig you find ads for internet packages everywhere. I actually needed to go to the mainland to buy a a normal SIM. As no one on the island acknowledged the cheaper packages available. My point is, it's complicated Source: I've spent months (if not years) with my laptop In Europe and Asia and internet always was the #1 priority. I also do not know if things are better today

Symbiote 5y ago
For a short-term stay, why not just use Lebera, or a similar operator? They have short-term or no-contract options at low prices, and often have a website in English.
- herbst 5y ago
  It's not low price compared to local alternatives. I was work travelling so internet was a must, I always tried getting the best rate as part of my welcome to a new country ritual :) Also what is short? In Austria I get a new prepaid for every few days I stay (because uncomplicated and cheap). In the Netherlands libera was the only real option even thought I was there for 2 months.
mejutoco 5y ago
As another data point. A few years a go I bought a sim card in Germany (mediamarkt I think). They asked for the Anmeldung document (proof of residence, needed also to open a bank account) and photocopied it.

herbst 5y ago

I just remembered the actual issue in Netherland, Germany as well as Switzerland. Normal Prepaid is generally expensive, what you want is a always cancelable contract to get the fairest (most local) price for a short time. And here is where it gets more complicated based on residence and stuff Edit:// I spent over 200€ on prepaid internet that 2 months I was in the Netherlands. A always cancel contract would have costed I think about 20$ a month for unlimited (and way faster) internet