As of October 23, 2026, the main AI features you cannot use from Germany are ChatGPT dots on the Pro plan (excluded in the EEA, Switzerland, and the UK at launch), Gemini in Chrome (no EU member state among its supported locales), Chrome auto browse (US only), and Claude Duet (a US-only research preview). The core products, ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini with their paid plans, are sold in Germany, and OpenAI says eligible users in the EEA can use GPT-5.6 where their plan includes it.
Every item below was read on a vendor's help center or pricing page, or on EUR-Lex and the European Commission's site, on October 23, 2026. Prices were checked from a browser located in Germany. Availability changes often, so each row names its source.
| Feature | Vendor | Status for the EU and Germany | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| ChatGPT dots (always-on agents) | OpenAI | Pro access excludes the EEA, Switzerland, and the UK at launch (September 29, 2026). Also offered on Business Premium; EEA availability there is not stated | ChatGPT release notes |
| Personalized ads in ChatGPT | OpenAI | Not initially available in the EEA or Switzerland; contextual ads can still appear on Free and Go | Ads in ChatGPT help article |
| ChatGPT Finances on Free and Go | OpenAI | Rolling out in the U.S. only (October 2, 2026) | ChatGPT release notes |
| Gemini in Chrome | The supported-locale list includes no EU member state; German is a supported language | Google Help: Gemini in Chrome | |
| Chrome auto browse | Only for Google AI Pro and Ultra subscribers in the U.S. | Google Chrome AI page | |
| Claude Duet | Anthropic | U.S. only during the research preview (Pro and Max, waitlist) | Claude Help Center |
What does work in Germany
- ChatGPT Free, Go (€8), Plus (€23), Pro (from €103), and Business (Standard €26 monthly or €21 billed annually), at the prices chatgpt.com shows in Germany. The page does not state whether VAT is included.
- GPT-5.6 for eligible users in the EEA, Switzerland, and the UK, where their plan includes it, per OpenAI's models help article.
- Claude Free, Pro, Max, Team, and Enterprise. Anthropic shows prices in US dollars even in Germany and says they exclude tax; for Pro it mentions local-currency pricing "where supported".
- Google AI Plus (€4.99), AI Pro (€21.99, with Gemini 4 Argon and Deep Research), and AI Ultra (from €99.99), as shown on Google's German subscription page, which does not state VAT treatment.
- Microsoft 365 Single (€10.00 a month), Family (€13.00), Premium (€22.00), and Microsoft 365 Pro (€110.00), per Microsoft's German pages.
- ChatGPT ads: OpenAI expanded ads to 31 European markets including Germany in a post dated August 18, 2026. Plus and higher plans have no ads.
Prices in Germany at a glance
| Vendor | Plans and prices shown | Currency and tax |
|---|---|---|
| OpenAI (ChatGPT) | Go €8, Plus €23, Pro from €103, Business Standard €26 monthly or €21 billed annually | Euro; VAT not stated |
| Google AI | AI Plus €4.99, AI Pro €21.99, AI Ultra from €99.99 or €219.99 | Euro; VAT not stated |
| Anthropic (Claude) | Pro $20 monthly or $17 billed annually, Max $100 or $200 | US dollars only, excluding tax |
| Perplexity | Pro $17 billed annually, Max $200 | US dollars shown; local currency selectable at checkout |
| Mistral | Pro 17.84 € with Germany selected | Euro, including taxes |
| Microsoft 365 | Single €10.00, Family €13.00, Premium €22.00, Microsoft 365 Pro €110.00 per month | Euro; VAT not stated |
| X Subscription and Cursor | No euro prices found | US dollars, excluding tax |
One more German quirk: Google showed two live versions of Google AI Plus on October 23, 2026, €4.99 with 400 GB on gemini.google and a 2 TB plan at €9.99 on Google One. Which one applies to you depends on where you buy, so check the checkout page.
Where your data can stay in Europe
| Vendor | What is offered | Who gets it |
|---|---|---|
| OpenAI | Data residency at rest in Europe (EEA and Switzerland) and inference residency in Europe | Eligible API customers and new ChatGPT Enterprise and Edu customers; inference residency requires data residency in the same region |
| Anthropic | No EU option: API inference_geo is "us" or "global", and workspace geo is "us" only | n/a (US-only inference costs 1.1x) |
| Microsoft 365 | EU Data Boundary: data stored and processed in the EU and EFTA | Customers whose sign-up location is in the EU or EFTA; Multi-Geo customers are excluded |
| Lovable | Lists "EU inference" and Git sync data residency | Enterprise plan |
What the EU AI Act changes in 2026
- The AI Act's general date of application was August 2, 2026, and the transparency duties in Article 50 apply from that date.
- Article 50 requires providers to tell people they are interacting with an AI system unless that is obvious, requires providers of generative systems to mark outputs in a machine-readable way, and requires deployers to disclose deepfakes and AI-generated text published to inform the public on matters of public interest.
- Generative systems placed on the market before August 2, 2026 have until December 2, 2026 to meet the marking duty in Article 50(2), under the Digital Omnibus on AI (Regulation (EU) 2026/1744).
- The Omnibus rewrote the AI literacy duty in Article 4: providers and deployers must "take measures to support the development of AI literacy" of their staff, without having to guarantee a specific level for any individual.
- High-risk obligations now apply from December 2, 2027 (Annex III systems) and August 2, 2028 (Annex I systems).
What to do if a feature is not available
- Choose ChatGPT Enterprise or the OpenAI API with European data residency if data location is a hard requirement and you want OpenAI models.
- Choose Microsoft 365 with the EU Data Boundary if your organization already runs on Microsoft and signed up in the EU or EFTA.
- Choose Anthropic only if US or global processing is acceptable: its API offers no EU option as of October 23, 2026.
- Check the vendor's release notes before you plan around a feature that launched US-first; several features in the table above say "at launch" or "preview".
FAQ
Is ChatGPT available in Germany?
Yes. On October 23, 2026, chatgpt.com showed Go at €8, Plus at €23, and Pro from €103 a month to a visitor in Germany. Some features are limited: ChatGPT dots on Pro excluded the EEA at launch, and personalized ads are not initially offered in the EEA.
Can I use Gemini in Chrome in Germany?
Not according to Google's help page on October 23, 2026: its list of supported locales contains no EU member state, although German is a supported language. Chrome auto browse is limited to Google AI Pro and Ultra subscribers in the U.S.
Does Claude offer EU data residency?
No. Anthropic's data residency page lists inference_geo values of "us" or "global" and a workspace geo of "us" only, with US-only inference priced at 1.1x. Its Enterprise plan lists US-only inference, not EU residency.
Do AI subscription prices in Germany include VAT?
Often the vendor does not say. OpenAI and Google show euro prices without stating VAT treatment. Anthropic shows USD prices excluding tax. Mistral is an exception: it shows 17.84 € including taxes for Pro with Germany selected.
What does the EU AI Act mean for a company using ChatGPT or Claude?
As a deployer, the duties most likely to touch you are the Article 50 disclosures (deepfakes, and AI-generated text published to inform the public on matters of public interest) and the Article 4 duty to support staff AI literacy. This is not legal advice; check the regulation text or your counsel for your case.