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Germany · English · Independent

Digital Germany,
explained
without fuss.

Notes on the practical side of tech life in Germany — SIM cards, banking apps, VPNs, smart home gear. Written for people who moved here and found the official documentation spectacularly unhelpful.

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Published in 2026
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Topic areas
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What we cover

Connectivity

Getting a SIM card in Germany as a foreigner

The registration process is different from most countries. Here is what actually happens at the store and what you need to bring.

5 min read SIM · Telekom · Vodafone
Connectivity

eSIM vs physical SIM in Germany: a practical comparison

When eSIM actually makes sense here versus when it just adds friction. The carriers don't all behave the same way.

4 min read eSIM · Comparisons
Banking

Neobank comparison for Germany residents in 2026

N26, Wise, Revolut — all work here, but not identically. Which one handles German tax paperwork, which handles Lastschrift reliably.

7 min read N26 · Wise · Revolut
Privacy

Does a VPN actually matter living in Germany?

Germany has different geo-restrictions and different ISP logging rules than most countries. Here is what changes when you use one.

6 min read VPN · Privacy · ISP
Smart Home

Setting up a smart home in a German rental apartment

Mietrecht shapes what you can and cannot mount, drill, or modify. Here is a sensible setup that fits within standard tenancy terms.

8 min read Home Tech · Rental · IoT

Recent dispatches

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SIM cards laid out on a surface showing different sizes
Connectivity

Getting a SIM card in Germany as a foreigner

The registration process trips up a lot of people. Here is exactly what to expect and what identification you need to bring.

Leon Bauer June 2026 5 min
Person using laptop in a dark setting, screen illuminating their workspace
Privacy

Does a VPN actually matter living in Germany?

Different geo-restrictions, different ISP rules. What a VPN actually changes here versus the usual marketing pitch.

Marta Zwolinska May 2026 6 min
Person holding a bank card while using a laptop for online banking
Banking

Neobank comparison for Germany residents in 2026

N26, Wise, Revolut — all work in Germany, but not identically. Which one handles Lastschrift and German tax documents reliably.

Leon Bauer April 2026 7 min

Everything on the site

Common questions

Two people: Leon Bauer, who has spent several years looking at how mobile networks and fintech products actually behave in DACH markets, and Marta Zwolinska, who focuses on privacy infrastructure and data regulation in the EU. Neither of them works for any of the companies mentioned on this site.
No. Hab3r is independently operated by Hab3r UG, a small company based in Hürth, Germany. The site carries no advertising and has no commercial relationship with any of the products or services it covers.
Whenever something changes in a meaningful way — a carrier changes its registration requirements, a neobank updates its fee structure, a regulation shifts. There is no fixed schedule. Each dispatch has a published date and, where relevant, a last-reviewed date.
Yes. The contact form is the best route. Factual corrections are taken seriously — if something is wrong, it will be corrected and noted at the top of the relevant piece.