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(EU) Cheap Prepaid SIM with little to no top up requirement?
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this post was submitted on 11 Sep 2025
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In NL, one option is to get one of these: https://top06.nl/products/lyca-mobile-simkaart-5-euro-beltegoed
It is also possible to buy one of these with cash from many shops.
This one lasts 6 months each. You can buy several of these and replace every 6 months if you don't mind changing the phone number, or top-up €5 every ~6 months. You can buy the 5 euro top-up code in person from many shops, using cash, or online in a website like this one: https://kaartdirect.nl/beltegoed/lycamobile
Live in Germany but perhaps this will help others :)
I looked up LycaMobile in Germany and was surprised to find you have an entire 'Prepaid SIM' wiki, ha! https://www.prepaid-wiki.de/tarife/Lyca_Mobile
Germany is not too far from NL. I think you can just order a Dutch SIM card. If all you want is for it to be active, I don't think it would be a problem as you would not actually use roaming services. Just top up via code every 5.5 months or so by dialing 101CODE#
I have not tested this myself so there may be some special rules I am not aware of, but I have often kept phone numbers abroad for years - just not Germany specifically
Hm, was expecting there to be some kind of artificial hurdle preventing me from getting a foreign SIM. But looks like I can just choose any SIM I like (read: minimal top up fees) from a country without annoying KYC regulations. The shipping fees to Germany for the shop linked above are reasonable.
Will report back if I find a cheaper deal in case someone else is interested. Thanks!
Hmm, you are right, it is possible that the initial activation is more difficult if you are not in NL.
I found a forum post of someome having problems with a KPN sim card, but for LycaMobile I still don't know: https://community.kpn.com/prepaid-16/sim-card-activation-doesn-t-work-in-germany-591780
I wil be going to Germany in a few days so I will bring one of those SIM cards and check what happens when I try to activate it, I'll report back.