Internet when moving in Germany: contract and router checklist

Can I take my internet contract with me?

If your provider can deliver the agreed service at the new address, the contract continues without restarting its term or changing its contents. A reasonable transfer fee is allowed, capped at the charge for a new connection. If it cannot deliver the agreed service, a one-month notice period applies to the statutory relocation cancellation right; cancellation can take effect at move-out if notice is given in time. Bundesnetzagentur guidance.

Ask for an answer about your existing contract, rather than just whether the postcode has coverage. Compare the written response with your contract summary before accepting a replacement offer. Save both documents in your moving folder.

Questions to send your provider

• Can you fulfil my current contract at the complete new address, including the apartment location?
• What connection date and appointment window can you confirm?
• Is a technician visit needed, and what access must I arrange?
• What transfer charge applies, and can I keep my existing router?
• If the service is unavailable, what evidence do you need for relocation cancellation?

A common trap: a move alone does not mean every internet contract can be cancelled immediately. Check availability before ordering a second contract. This is particularly useful when moving into a home where someone already has a connection. Verbraucherzentrale’s moving advice.

Make a simple connection plan

Start as soon as the address and dates are clear. The planning stages below are practical suggestions, not a universal legal notice period or a promise about installation times. Your provider’s confirmed dates determine the actual schedule.

Put the installation window beside the furniture delivery and key-handover appointments. If these overlap, decide who will answer the technician’s call and who will handle the movers. Ask the landlord or building manager how to arrange any necessary access to shared connection areas.

Planning example: if you receive the keys on Friday but the furniture arrives on Monday, ask whether connection work can happen during that gap. Confirm access and availability before relying on it. The dates are illustrative, not a provider guarantee.

If you need internet for work immediately, test an available phone hotspot at the new home in advance where possible. Check signal, data allowance and any extra charges. Download essential documents and keep appointment details accessible offline.

Pack a separate router kit

1. Photograph the connections. Before unplugging, take a useful picture of the cable arrangement. Store it privately; router labels can contain access credentials.
2. Keep matching equipment together. Pack the router, its correct power adapter and the connection cables you actually use. Use a pouch for small parts.
3. Protect the device. Use its original packaging if available, or cushion it securely. Keep liquids and heavy objects away.
4. Make it easy to find. Label the outside “Router — first evening”, without writing passwords on the box. Keep it accessible rather than beneath the main load.
5. Check provider instructions. Confirm whether rented equipment stays with you or must be returned. Keep any return receipt.

Use our packing guide for the rest of the household. Keep the router kit with the items you want to unpack first and tell the moving team which box needs to stay accessible.

What if the connection is delayed?

Contact the provider, record the issue number, and ask for the next confirmed step. Keep appointment confirmations, the start and end of any complete outage, and correspondence. Explain whether the issue is a missed appointment, an unsuccessful relocation or a fault after activation.

Relocation can involve a longer interruption: the same-address provider-switch rules on continued supply do not apply in the same way. Official distinction between moving and switching.

For a qualifying complete relocation outage lasting more than one working day, compensation for each further working day can be €10 or 20% of a fixed monthly fee, whichever is higher. A qualifying missed service or installation appointment can also attract compensation. Conditions and responsibility matter; this is not an automatic refund for every delay. See §59(4) TKG as applied to relocation by §60(3), and the regulator’s explanation.

Send the documented facts and request to the provider first. If the issue remains unresolved, use the Bundesnetzagentur’s help route linked in its guidance. Keep a workable backup for essential tasks while the case is being handled.

Common internet moving questions

Keep household admin beside your moving plan

Check our electricity moving checklist for the meter handover. The moving knowledge base helps you organise inventory and access details. Keep these tasks in one calendar while retaining separate provider confirmations.