Phone & internetDE
Phone & internet · Germany
Checked 2026-10-14

📅 How long can a phone or internet contract last in Germany, and how do I end it?

The short answer

A first contract term may last at most 24 months, and providers must also offer you a contract of at most 12 months. After a tacit renewal you can cancel at any time with one month's notice, at no extra cost (§ 56 TKG).

Phone and internet contracts often start with a minimum term and then run on. How long that first term may be, and how much notice you give once it is over, depends on the rules in Germany.

Official source: gesetze-im-internet.de · Checked 2026-10-14

📜 The rules in Germany

The details

  • Before a tacit renewal, the provider must tell you on a durable medium that the contract will renew, how to stop that by cancelling in time, and that you can then cancel monthly. (gesetze-im-internet.de)
  • Ordering extra services or devices may not extend your original term, unless you expressly agree to that when ordering. (bundesnetzagentur.de)
  • Your bill must show the contract start, the current end of the minimum term, the notice period and the last day your cancellation must arrive to stop a renewal. (bundesnetzagentur.de)
  • If the provider lets you sign up on its website, it must also offer an online cancellation button and confirm your cancellation and its date electronically at once. (bundesnetzagentur.de)

Schlichtungsstelle Telekommunikation der Bundesnetzagentur

Handles disputes over refused monthly cancellations, extra cancellation fees and terms over 24 months.

🔗 bundesnetzagentur.de
Official source: bundesnetzagentur.de · Checked 2026-10-14

🪜 Step by step

  1. Find your start date and termYour contract summary or online account shows when the minimum term ends and whether the contract now runs on.
  2. Check the notice periodOnce the minimum term is over, the notice period is often short. The rule for Germany is on this page.
  3. Give notice in a way you can proveUse the provider’s online cancellation, an email or a letter, and keep the confirmation with the end date.
  4. Return equipment and check the last billSend back rented equipment if you are asked to, and check that you are not billed after the end date.

📇 Who to contact

Schlichtungsstelle Telekommunikation der BundesnetzagenturHandles disputes over refused monthly cancellations, extra cancellation fees and terms over 24 months.🔗 www.bundesnetzagentur.de/DE/Vportal/Schlichtung/Schlichtung_TK/start.html
BundesnetzagenturSupervises phone and internet providers and explains your rightsFor information, and to report a provider that breaks the rules📞 0228 14 15 16🔗 www.bundesnetzagentur.de/DE/Vportal/TK/start.html
VerbraucherzentraleIndependent advice for consumersFor advice, template letters and a second opinion🔗 www.verbraucherzentrale.de

Sponsor this page → One labelled block, €100 a month. Founding price €75 until 31 January 2027.

❓ Questions

Can I leave during the minimum term?

Usually only by paying an exit fee or the remaining charges. Some situations, such as a change to your contract terms, can give you the right to leave earlier.

Does my contract renew automatically?

Many contracts run on after the minimum term. Whether the provider must remind you first, and how you can end it then, is in the rules for Germany on this page.

Does a phone bought with the contract change anything?

A phone or other equipment bought with the contract can come with its own payments. Check whether they continue if you end the service.

📎 Sources

Checked: 2026-10-14

🧭 Is this still correct?

We check this information carefully, but phone numbers, websites and rules change — and sometimes we get something wrong. Spotted a mistake or a change? Let us know below.

🔗 Also useful

❔How do I cancel my phone or online contract? · Can I?→✉️Write my letter: Leave a phone or internet contract · Complaints→📶Phone or internet contract · Who do I contact?→☎️Unwanted sales calls · Who do I contact?→📈Price rise→🔄Switching provider→📝Contract summary & cooling-off→📲Keep your number→🐢Slow internet→

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