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Cancel internet and phone contracts

Checked on 4 October 2026

Internet access and phone services have their own rules in the EU: the European Electronic Communications Code limits how long the first commitment may bind you and makes contracts easier to leave once they have been extended automatically.

Here you’ll find the checked cancellation routes and what to know before you switch.

Providers in this category

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Notice period and minimum term

If you switch provider and want to keep your phone number, you usually request the transfer at the new provider. Cancel the old contract only once you know how the switch will work, so you are not left without a connection.

In the EU, a consumer contract for internet access or phone services may bind you for at most 24 months at first (Directive (EU) 2018/1972, Art. 105).

Once such a contract has been extended automatically, you can cancel at any time with at most one month’s notice, and without costs other than for the service during the notice period (Art. 105 EECC).

The EECC is an EU directive that applies through the national laws of the member states. The details, and any rules beyond it, are explained in the guides for Germany, the Netherlands, France and Spain.

Whatever your country, your own terms come first in practice: the minimum term, the notice period and the renewal date are usually in your account, your order confirmation or the terms and conditions. Check them before you cancel.

If you signed up online or by phone, you can usually withdraw within 14 days without giving a reason. In the EU this comes from the Consumer Rights Directive (Directive 2011/83/EU, Art. 9); in the UK from the Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013.

Special cancellation rights

  • Withdrawal in the first 14 days: Contracts concluded online or by phone can usually be withdrawn within 14 days without a reason (Directive 2011/83/EU, Art. 9; in the UK the Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013). Withdrawing is not the same as cancelling: it undoes the contract. Under the EU directive, the right can end earlier for digital content and services that start straight away with your consent.
  • After an automatic extension: In the EU, a contract that has been extended automatically can be cancelled at any time with at most one month’s notice, without costs other than for the service during the notice period (Art. 105 EECC).

Common pitfalls

  • Equipment: A router, dish or other hardware may have to be returned when the contract ends, or may be yours to keep. Check your terms so you don’t pay for missing equipment.
  • Keep your number: If you want to keep a phone number, arrange the transfer before the old contract ends. Once a contract ends without a transfer, the number can be lost.
  • No gap in service: If you rely on the connection for work or school, line up the new service before the old one stops.
  • Retention offers: After you cancel, some providers offer discounts. Accepting one can mean a new contract with a new commitment. Ask for any offer in writing.
  • Check the confirmation: Make sure the cancellation confirmation shows the right end date and every service you cancelled, including add-ons.

Cancellation letter template

Copy the text into an email or a letter and replace the details in square brackets. You’ll find your customer and contract numbers on your invoice or in your account.

Cancellation of my contract “[Provider]”

[First name Surname]
[Street and house number]
[Postcode and town]
[Email address]

To: [Provider]
[Postal or email address of [Provider]]

[Place], [Date]

Customer number: [Customer number]
Contract number: [Contract number, if any]

Dear Sir or Madam,

I hereby give notice to cancel my contract “[Provider]” at the earliest possible date.
Please confirm in writing that you have received this cancellation and the date on which the contract ends.

Yours faithfully,
[First name Surname]

Sources

This guide is general information, not legal advice. Your contract and the law of the country you live in decide. If there is a dispute, your national consumer organisation or, in the EU, the European Consumer Centres Network (ECC-Net) can help.