Telephone Numbers in Germany - Non-geographic Numbering

Non-geographic Numbering

Non-geographic numbers were originally assigned the prefix 01. However, some of these services have been moved to other area codes.

• 010xy, 0100yy

These numbers can be dialled in front of the actual phone number in order to select a carrier (call-by-call).

• 011…

Area codes starting with 011 overlap the prefix for network services. In general, these numbers cannot be dialled from abroad, with the exception being 0116xxx (or +49-116xxx) for harmonised services of social value.

• 012xx-xxxxxxx…

The prefix 012 has been assigned as a testbed for innovative services such as VoIP or unified messaging, for which no other area codes were available. Allocations were only valid for a maximum of five years, after which new numbers would have to be assigned. Recent requests for registrations have been declined and referred to the premium-rate services under 0900. When the last remaining allocation expires in 2011, the prefix is planned to be returned to the reserved range.

• 0137-xxx xxxxxxx, (0138-1xxx…)

The area code 0137 is assigned for services, which may result in a high number of connections in a fairly short period of time, e. g. votes or competitions initiated from TV or radio shows. The first digit indicates the rate for a call, the second digit indicates the maximum number of calls that can be handled per time period. There are also sixteen grandfathered numbers in the range 0138-1, which have originally been allocated by Deutsche Bundespost.

• 015xx-xxxxxxx, 016x-xxxxxxx, 017x-xxxxxxx

Mobile numbers are allocated area codes starting with 015, 016 and 017. The numbers have a total length of ten or eleven digits: Numbers starting with 017 or 016 are 11 digits except 0176 and 01609 which are 12 digit like the numbers starting with 015. Since the advent of Mobile number portability, mobile phone number prefixes can no longer be relied on to determine the current operator of a particular mobile phone – only the original operator.

• 018xx-xxxxxxx…018xxxxxxx-xx

The prefix 018 is used for user groups. The length of the block number and the terminal number is flexible from two to seven digits. However, the sum is always nine digits, yielding a total length of eleven digits including the 18.

• 0180-xxxxxxx

The area code 0180 is used for service-oriented services such as call centres, hotlines, etc. Prior to 2010-03-01, these numbers were known as shared cost services, a name that had been obsoleted by falling prices for national calls.

• 0181-xxx-x…, 0181-xxxx-x…

The area code 0181 is used for international virtual private networks (international user groups). The length of the IVPN block number is three or four digits; the terminal number may be up to seven digits.

• 019xxx

Numbers from 0191 to 0194 are used for dial-up access to online services (e.g. to the Internet).

• 0198…, 0199…

Numbers starting with 0198 and 0199 are reserved for routing of service numbers and network-internal use.

• 031-x

The numbers 031-0 and 031-1 are test numbers that will reach a recorded announcement indicating the selected carrier for long-distance and local calls, respectively.

• 032-xxxxxxxxx

National subscriber numbers have been allocated the area code 032. They are similar to geographic numbers but not tied to a specific location, allowing for nomadic use. Unlike personal numbers, national subscriber numbers as assigned to carriers in blocks, from which these carriers can make derivative assignments to subscribers. The total length is eleven digits (not counting the 0).

• 0700-xxxxxxxx

The area code 0700 is used for personal numbering. Unlike national subscriber numbers, the numbers are assigned individually, allowing for memorable numbers.

• 0800-xxxxxxx

The area code 0800 is assigned to freephone numbers. The numbers are assigned individually, allowing for memorable numbers.

• 0900-x-xxxxxx

The area code 0900 is assigned to premium-rate services. The first digit following the area code indicates the service type:

The numbers are assigned individually, allowing for memorable numbers.

• 09009-xxxxxxx

So-called „dialers“, that is programmes that call a premium-rate service or modify a computer's configuration to call such a service must use numbers using the area code 09009. These programmes must also be registered with the Federal Network Agency.