German phone number guide

You struggle to call a friend living in Germany? Typing a German phone number might be challenging depending on whom you call and where you call from. In this article, we explain: 

• the formats of German landline numbers
• the formats for German mobile numbers
• toll numbers to be aware of before getting a huge bill shock 
• the overview of emergency numbers in Germany

How to call a German phone number?

Let’s start with an example, Foreigners Office in Berlin:

+49 30 902694000

Country code + Area code + Individual number

(to call this number when you are outside of Germany)

or

030 902694000

(to call when you are in Germany)

Area code + Individual number

German phone numbers are made up of three parts:

1. The country code for Germany, which is +49 (Ländervorwahl).
2. The local area code, such as Berlin (030) (Vorwahl).
3. The individual German phone number, for example, 902694000 – this could be as short as two digits

Let’s have a look at the country code and local area code details now.

Country code for Germany

The country code for Germany is +49 and it is only needed if calling from abroad. The “+” represents “00,” so if you can’t input the “+,” simply dial “00.” Additionally, when using +49 or 0049, drop the leading “0” from the area code.

Local area codes in Germany

Let’s return to our example, 030 902694000. In this example, 030 is our local area code number. The area code of German landline numbers is arranged by geography. Here are the area codes for the ten largest cities in Germany:

In case you need to find the full list of local area codes in Germany, you can use the area codes tool from Dastelefonbuch.de internet site.

Understanding German mobile phone number format

Let’s pick another example to understand the German cell phone number format:

+49 151 42227832

Here again +49 represents the country code of Germany. The next three or four digit prefix such as 151, 171, 179 or even 1521 represented the network provider codes but this separation is not valid anymore due to number portability regulations in Germany. So the final German Phone Number would look like:

+49 151 1234567

or like

+49 1521 12345678

When you want to call a German mobile phone number from abroad, the same rules as with landline numbers apply. You have to add the +49 or 0049 and drop the first 0 of the prefix.

When calling from a mobile phone number in Germany, you can’t drop the area code or prefix. 

Toll numbers in Germany

In Germany, Sonderrufnummer refers to special service phone numbers that typically incur additional costs when dialed. These numbers are used for various services, including customer support, voting on TV shows, or even entertainment. The main types of Sonderrufnummer are:

– 0190 or 0900 numbers: Often associated with premium services such as adult entertainment hotlines or professional services such as legal advice lines. Calls to an 0900 number cost a maximum of 3 euros per minute or 30 euros per call. Avoid calling 0900 hotlines unless you expect a surprise on your next phone bill!

– 0180 numbers: Commonly used by businesses for customer service hotlines. While waiting in a queue is free, you pay up to €0.20 per minute from a landline and €0.42 per minute from a mobile phone once connected. It is better to check before making a call.

– 0137 numbers: These are used for voting or participation in TV shows, with a cost usually around €0.50 per call.

– 0800 numbers: All special numbers beginning with 0800 are so-called free call or free phone services and are always free of charge for the person calling.

It’s important to be aware of these numbers, as they can quickly add up in costs, especially for mobile phone users. Detailed information on the price limits for the various list of special German phone number can be found in Section 112 of the Telecommunications Act of Germany (only in German).

Emergency phone numbers in Germany

Germany has two distinct emergency numbers:

– 110: For police emergencies.

– 112: For medical or fire emergencies.

On top of this, those German phone number are also available:

– 116117: On-call doctor service

– 0800 00 22 8 33 (or 22833 from your cell phone – 69 cents/minute): Pharmacy on call in Germany

It is best to have a detailed look at our article on Emergency numbers in Germany to understand when and how to call those emergency numbers in Germany.