A German internet address (your IP address) for your iPhone or iPad, whether you live abroad or visit Germany.
What a German address is for.
German TV.
Germany’s public TV is paid for by the Rundfunkbeitrag, the fee charged for each home in Germany. Much of it is online. Some programmes play worldwide, but others, such as some 24-hour live channels, play only in Germany because of rights.
Connect through Germany and TV apps see a German address. Their own rules still decide what plays.
ELSTER and BundID.
Doing your tax return in ELSTER, or signing in to BundID, from a hotel or holiday flat? Germany’s cyber security office, the BSI, advises: if you must handle sensitive data on someone else’s Wi-Fi, use a VPN. Orli VPN keeps that network from seeing which sites you use.
On German trains.
Deutsche Bahn offers free Wi-Fi to everyone on ICE trains, and suggests using a VPN on it. Turn Orli VPN on before you join the train’s network.
Close by.
Living in Austria, Switzerland or elsewhere in central Europe? Germany is often the nearest Orli VPN country, so your connection stays quick.
How to connect through Germany.
- Open Orli VPN.
- Tap Choose a location, then Germany.
- Press the button. When it says Protected, websites see an address there.
Good to know.
German banking apps.
If your bank’s app asks extra questions abroad or won’t let you in, try connecting through Germany. If that doesn’t help, switch Orli VPN off while you bank.
Apps that turn VPNs away.
A few apps turn away all VPN addresses, German ones too. Nothing is broken: use that app with Orli VPN off, and let us know which.
Paid services in the EU.
Live in Germany and pay for a streaming service? EU rules say it must keep working while you’re in another EU country for a while. So on a short EU trip, you may not need a German address for it. Free services, such as public TV, don’t have to follow this rule.
The law in Germany.
VPNs are legal in Germany, and the BSI suggests one on public Wi-Fi. A VPN changes your address, not the law: what’s illegal without one is illegal with one. Each service’s terms still apply too.
Our servers in Germany.
Our German servers are in Germany, so websites see a German address. Like every Orli VPN country, Germany shows in the app only once our first server there passes our checks. We add a country only after we’ve tested it.
Questions.
Can I watch German TV from abroad?
Some of it. Germany’s public broadcasters put many programmes online for the whole world. Some play only in Germany because of rights. A German address doesn’t change a service’s rules, so check the terms of the one you use.
Is a VPN legal in Germany?
Yes, using a VPN is legal in Germany. Whatever you do with it still has to be legal, as it would be without one.
Do I still pay the Rundfunkbeitrag if I move abroad?
Not if you move for good and give up your home in Germany: you can then deregister it. The fee belongs to a home in Germany, not to watching. If you keep the home, the fee usually stays.
Why won’t the train’s own portal open on an ICE?
Deutsche Bahn’s onboard portal doesn’t work while a VPN is on. Turn Orli VPN off to use it, then turn it on again, as Deutsche Bahn itself suggests.