In this guide, I show you how German phone numbers are formatted, and how to call people in Germany. It's very easy.

How to write German phone numbers

A German phone number has 3 parts: the country code, the area code, and the rest of the phone number.

Take this number for example: +49 30 901820.

  • +49 is the country code (Ländervorwahl) for Germany1. The "+" important. If you can't dial "+49" on your phone, dial "0049" instead. 004930901820 is the same as +4930901820.
  • 30 is the area code (Vorwahl). The area code for Berlin is 301, 2, but cellphones have different area codes. You can see a full list here.
  • 901820 is the rest of the phone number. It can have more digits, or fewer digits.

You can write the same number without a country code. Just add "0" in front of it: 030 901820.

Here is another number: +49 1522 3433333

  • +49 is the country code (Ländervorwahl) for Germany
  • 1522 is the area code (Vorwahl) for a Vodaphone mobile phone.
  • 3433333 is the rest of the phone number.

You can write the same number without a country code. Just add "0" in front of it: 01522 3433333.

How to dial German phone numbers

There are 3 ways to call a German phone number:

  • Dial the whole number
    For example, +49 152 901820 or 0049 152 901820. You must put a + or a 00 in front of the number. When you call from another country, dial the whole number.
  • Dial the regional number
    For example, 030 901820. You must put a 0 in front of the number. When you call from Germany, you can dial the regional number.
  • Dial the local number
    For example, 901820. When you call from the same area, dial the local number.