Cancelling German telecom contracts: the rules tilted your way

Both sit in TKG § 56. First: die anfängliche Laufzeit eines Vertrages… darf 24 Monate nicht überschreiten — the initial term of a consumer telecom contract may not exceed 24 months. Second: where a contract silently renews after that initial term, kann der Endnutzer einen solchen Vertrag… jederzeit unter Einhaltung einer Kündigungsfrist von einem Monat kündigen — cancellable at any time on one month's notice. No anniversary windows, no year-two lock-in.

Source: TKG § 56 — gesetze-im-internet.de, read 10 September 2026.

§ 56 also obliges the provider, before a renewal, to inform you auf einem dauerhaften Datenträger — on a durable medium — of the silent renewal and your cancellation options. In practice that's the email or letter that arrives near the end of your initial term; it's the legally-mandated cue to act, not marketing. Cancel in text form, keep the confirmation, and time the switch so your number ports cleanly.

Source: TKG § 56 Abs. 3 — gesetze-im-internet.de, read 10 September 2026.

These rules cover telecom contracts; other German subscriptions follow their own consumer-contract regimes, so check each contract's terms individually. On a move abroad, cancel telecoms in writing with your leaving date, and pair the sweep with the rest of the unwind: the Rundfunkbeitrag deregistration and a Nachsendeauftrag so final bills and confirmations still reach you. Unreturned routers are the classic parting invoice — send the hardware back tracked.

Source: Telekommunikationsgesetz — gesetze-im-internet.de, read 10 September 2026.