How long does it take for a SIM card to activate (Europe)?
I have been wondering whether or not to buy a new SIM card when I take side trips to countries bordering Germany (one for each country). However, I have heard that each time I get a new SIM card, it may take 24-48 hours to activate -- in which case a 4-day trip to Austria, for instance, may not be worth it. Is this 24-48 hour rule true?
Best Answer
The activation of new SIM cards by Vodafone Germany and Italy are both instant. Same for Sunrise in Switzerland. I suspect immediate activation is standard for most networks today.
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How long does it usually take for a SIM card to activate?
The time for a SIM card's activation can vary massively, depending on what the reason for the change is \u2013 most activations take between 15 minutes and four hours. If it's still not working after this time, try to turn your phone off and on again. If it's still not activated after that, try to re-insert the SIM.Is there a SIM card that works in all of Europe?
The Orange Prepaid SIM is one of the best roaming SIMs for Europe as the plan allows you to use your minutes allowance to call anywhere worldwide. It comes with 2 hours and 1000 texts that can be used to call any number in the world as well as 20GB of data that works across the UK and many European countries.How do I know when my SIM has been activated?
know your new SIM has been activated when you see the signal bars at the top of your device's screen.Can I put a European SIM card in my iPhone?
Virtually all modern smartphones (iPhone 7 and newer) are compatible with Europe's mobile infrastructure and every major US carrier has international data plans \u2014 so your smartphone should automatically work once you arrive in Europe because the major US carriers have partnerships with local European carriers.ORANGE | Prepaid SIM Card for Europe | TRAVEL MOBILE - English
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Answer 2
In Poland (bordering Germany from east) activating a sim card doesn't take any time. You just insert it into your phone and first call made by you activates a sim card instantly. We have 4 big operators and I've used 3 of them: Plus, Play and Orange, but as far as I know also T-Mobile works in this way.
Answer 3
It depends on how the provider works. Sometimes resellers like Aldi offering sim-cards are simply resellers of a larger telco offering and as such, requests for new activations can sometimes take longer than others due to prioritisation of the assignment of the phone number.
Once upon a time it could take upwards of two days to activate a sim card, in most cases nowadays, it takes at most an hour (usually instantly), and in worse case situations it can take about 12 hours (although it is rare it would take this long in 2014).
Answer 4
Aldi takes longer than 36 hours. I'm still waiting. Much easier to buy a sim in UK, France, and Iceland. Germany requires registration using a local address. I hate this kind of red tape. Notice how many of the mobile operators are based in several countries yet you have to either pay for roaming (which is still a rip off) or get a new sim locally. These companies certainly are good at making money!
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