phones Country calling codes · EN / 中文
🇩🇪

Germany +49

International code · Europe

Key facts

International code+49
International format+49 XXX XXXXXXXe.g. +49 151 234 5678
Mobile prefixesXXX XXXXXXXXe.g. 151 234 5678
Mobile length10–11 digits
Landline format0XXX XXXXXXX
Domestic trunk0

How to read a number

+4915123456789

+49Country code
Germany.
151Carrier range (example)
Written 0151 domestically — 0 is the trunk prefix, dropped when dialling from abroad. 0151 was originally issued by Telekom; other ranges are listed under “Number ranges & quality”.
23456789Remaining 8 digits
Subscriber number. Per the Federal Network Agency, numbers starting 015 are 11 digits in national format (excluding the leading 0), while most 0160/0170 ranges are 10 and 0176 is 11.

Domestic format: 0151 2345 6789. German mobile numbers are not a fixed length — 10 or 11 digits depending on the range.

This section checked 2026-09-16. Sources: www.bundesnetzagentur.de/DE/Fachthemen/Telekommunikation/Nummerierung/MobileDienste/LaengeRNB/start.html · www.bundesnetzagentur.de/DE/Fachthemen/Telekommunikation/Nummerierung/MobileDienste/Nummernplan_MobileDienste.pdf?__blob=publicationFile&v=2

Number ranges & quality

RangeTypeNotes
015x / 016x / 017x Mobile carrier German mobile ranges (10 or 11 digits nationally, depending on the range).
Intl SMSStable
Virtual-number riskLow
ID requiredPrepaid SIMs need an identity check before activation (TKG § 172); video ident is allowed and foreigners can use a passport.

Physical SIMs can sign up without issues. WhatsApp is the mainstream messaging app in Germany.

Carriers & prefixes

Mobile prefixes by carrier.

Number portability applies — a prefix only shows the original carrier. Telecommunications Act § 59: users may port their number at any time, and since 1 December 2021 operators may not charge for it. So ranges only show who originally issued a number — after porting they say nothing about the current operator.

  • Telekom Mobile carrier

    01511, 01512, 01514~01517, 015180~015189, 0160, 0170, 0171, 0175

    Owner: Deutsche Telekom. Ranges per the Federal Network Agency’s allocation list of 25 Aug 2025.

  • Vodafone Mobile carrier

    01520, 01522, 01523, 01525, 01526, 01529, 0162, 0172~0174

    Owner: Vodafone Group. Note that 01521 belongs to Lycamobile, not Vodafone.

  • O2 (Telefónica) Mobile carrier

    015700~015704, 015706, 01573, 01575~01579, 01590, 0163, 0176~0179

    Owner: Telefónica Germany.

  • 1&1 Mobile carrier

    015550~015569

    Owner: United Internet. Running its own network since 8 December 2023 as Germany’s fourth MNO; where its own network doesn’t reach, it roams on O2 and Vodafone domestically.

This section checked 2026-09-16. Sources: www.bundesnetzagentur.de/DE/Fachthemen/Telekommunikation/Nummerierung/MobileDienste/zugeteilteRNB/start.html · www.bundesnetzagentur.de/DE/Fachthemen/Telekommunikation/Nummerierung/MobileDienste/Nummernplan_MobileDienste.pdf?__blob=publicationFile&v=2 · www.bundesnetzagentur.de/DE/Fachthemen/Telekommunikation/Nummerierung/MobileDienste/LaengeRNB/start.html · dejure.org/gesetze/TKG/59.html

SIM cards & keeping a number

German prepaid SIMs require an identity check before activation under Section 172 of the Telecommunications Act (TKG § 172). Besides showing ID in person, Federal Network Agency (BNetzA) Decree 94/2021 allows video identification and eID; foreigners can use a passport.

The key keep-number rule is how long a line may go unused, and it differs a lot: Lebara counts time without chargeable activity, while Aldi Talk sets validity by the size of the last top-up.

Lebara Germany

Number-keeping SIM
Network
MVNO on Telefónica o2 (moved from Telekom in mid-2022)
Price
SIM and plan prices vary
Keeping the number
Per excerpts of Lebara’s 2025 terms: after 180 consecutive days without any chargeable activity (calls, SMS, data, top-ups or option bookings) service stops, followed by a 20-day transition with incoming calls and SMS only, and the contract ends on day 200. Cards registered before October 2025 may still follow the old rule: deactivation process after 90 days unused plus 20 days.
ID check
Identity check required before activation — video ident, eID, etc.; foreigners can use a passport
SMS & calls
China is in Lebara’s special roaming zone created in March 2025: outgoing calls €0.99/min, incoming €0.79/min; check SMS prices on the official site

Pros

  • New cards need use only once every six months

Watch out

  • Older cards may still be on the 90-day rule — check which terms apply
  • Incoming calls while roaming in China are charged

Where to buy: lebara.de

Sources: www.lebara.de/de/ueber-lebara/agb.html · www.lte-anbieter.info/lte-news/prepaid-guthaben-gueltigkeit-uebersicht · www.teltarif.de/netzwechsel-lebara/news/88014.html · www.teltarif.de/lebara-travel-roaming-optionen-laenderzonen/news/96469.html · www.bundesnetzagentur.de/DE/Fachthemen/Telekommunikation/OeffentlicheSicherheit/IdentverfahrenPrepaid/start.html

Aldi Talk

Number-keeping SIM
Network
German prepaid brand (operated by MEDION)
Price
Depends on top-up
Keeping the number
Official: each top-up starts a new activity window whose length depends on the amount — €5 gives 4 months, €15 gives 12 months, €30 gives 24 months. After the window ends you stay reachable for 2 months; without a top-up the SIM is then deactivated.
ID check
Identity check required before activation; foreigners can use a passport
SMS & calls
A normal German number; see the official site for roaming prices

Pros

  • A €30 top-up lasts two years, with clearly published rules

Watch out

  • Only a 2-month grace period after the window ends

Where to buy: alditalk.de

Sources: media.medion.com/s/ALDItalk/PDF/09-2023/ALDI-TALK-Aktivitaetszeitfenster-der-SIM-Karte.pdf?v=0923 · www.alditalk.de/guthaben-aufladen · www.teltarif.de/aldi-talk-aktivitaetszeitraum/news/66829.html

From user and blogger reports; platform risk rules change often — treat as a guide only. This section checked 2026-09-15.

Sign-up availability

What to expect when signing up for these services with a physical SIM from this country:

ChatGPT Works
Claude Works
WhatsApp Works
Telegram Works
LINE Works
WeChat Works
X Works
TikTok Works
Gemini Works

Jump to another country

Calling Germany from abroad

Dial +49, then the local number. Drop the leading trunk prefix 0.

Generate the full number →

Dialing within Germany

For domestic long distance dial 0 first, then the area code. Local calls and mobiles: dial directly.

Elsewhere in Europe

Community tips

  • 德国预付费卡（Prepaid）超市或网店就能买，激活要做视频身份认证（PostIdent），流程成熟、几天就好。

    个人实测 · 2026-09

  • 收短信验证码没问题，注册 WhatsApp / Telegram 很顺；但有些服务对德国号风控偏紧，留意一下。

    网络反馈 · 2026-09

Reader-reported, for reference only; not a registration guarantee. Official platform rules apply. Tips are shown in the original language as submitted.

Have experience to share? Submit →

Common premise & disclaimer

Applies to every platform: VoIP / virtual numbers and heavily-reused number pools get rejected. Physical SIM only.

Checked 2026-09-12. Platform region policies and number-range allocations change — always confirm against each platform’s official supported-regions list and the carrier’s notices.

Sources：help.openai.com/articles/7947663 · support.google.com/gemini?p=gemini_web_availability

Traveling to Germany? Get a SIM card

eSIM providers like Airalo and Holafly charge by the day and work the moment you land. Common picks below:

Affiliate links pending — sign-up under review.