This guide explains how German phone numbers are formatted, and how to call people in Germany.
German phone number format
German phone numbers have 3 parts:
- The country code (Ländervorwahl)
Germany’s country code is +49 or 0049. - The area code (Vorwahl)
Berlin’s area code is 30. Mobile phone numbers have a different area code, like 1522. See the list of area codes. If there is no country code, put a 0 before the area code. For example, 030 or 01522. - The local number (Rufnummer)
This is the rest of the phone number. For example, 901820.
You can write the number without the country code. You must add a 0 in front of the number:
- +49 30 901820 ➞ 030 901820
- +49 1522 3433333 ➞ 01522 3433333
Sometimes, phone numbers are written as +49 (0)30 901820. This is the same as +49 30 901820 or 030 901820.
How to dial German phone numbers
There are 3 ways to call a German phone number:
- Dial the international number
For example, +49 30 901820 or 0049 30 901820. This is the easiest way, because it always works. If you call from another country, you must dial the international number. - Dial the national number
For example, 030 901820. You must put a 0 in front of area code. If you call from Germany, you can dial the national number. - Dial the local number
For example, 901820. If you call from the same area, you can dial the local number.
Example 1: +49 30 901820, 0049 30 901820, 030 901820 and 901820 are the same phone number.
Example 2: +49 1522 3433333, 0049 1522 3433333 and 01522 3433333 are the same phone number.
How to format German phone numbers
In German, follow the DIN 5008 format: +49 1522 343333. Each part is separated by a space. Without the area code, it’s 01522 343333.1
In English, follow the E.123 format: +49 1522 343333. Without the area code, it’s (01522) 343333.5
Special phone numbers
Emergency numbers
Toll-free numbers
If a number starts with 0800, it’s a toll-free (gebührenfrei) number. For example, 0800 285 85 85. Toll-free numbers are completely free for the caller.2 Your mobile phone company won’t charge you anything.
There are 2 ways to call German toll-free numbers:
- Without the country code
For example, 0800 285 85 85. This will work from anywhere in Germany. - With the country code
If you call from another country, put the country code before the number, and remove the first 0. For example, +49 800 285 85 85 or 0049 800 285 85 85.
Some toll-free numbers don’t work with Skype, or don’t let you call from another country.3
Premium numbers
If a number starts with 0900 or 0137, it’s a premium number.4 When you call premium numbers, you pay a fee. For example, 09008 529 366 11 is a legal hotline that costs €2.99 per minute. The cost is charged on your phone bill.