Business and personal relationships are becoming more and more global as communications technologies advance. As a result, more people find themselves with a need to place an international call, such as calling Germany. The process is more simple than a lot of people realize and is basically the same regardless of whether they plan to call Germany on a landline phone or a cellular phone using a wireless provider.
Steps
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Dial the exit code. This tells the phone company you are dialing outside of the US. This code is 011 .
- Indicate that the call is an international call by dialing 011. If the call is being made from a cellular phone, the + symbol can be used instead of the 011 international calling code.
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Dial the country code. This is the code that informs the telephone company which country to route the call to. To call Germany, this code is 49 .Advertisement
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Dial the main number with the area code. Dial the phone number of the person you are trying to reach. Make sure the number you were given does not include the country code or the area code.
- Place the call carefully, making sure that all codes are dialed in the correct order.
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Wait for the ringtone. It may take longer than normal to connect.
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Find the number of the person you want to call. If you don't already know the number for where you need to call, you will need to find the number, either on a website, in a book, or from a family member or friend that you are trying to call.
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Make sure that the area code is included. The area codes are 2-5 digits long. A phone number without the area code is 3-9 digits long. Generally, numbers you would need to call would be about 9 digits, so if it is only 9 digits long then you will need to figure out the area code.
- One thing you can do is look up the area code for the region you are calling and see if it matches up with the first few numbers that you have.
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Confirm the desired phone number. International calling rates are usually quite steep, so a call to the wrong number would be a costly mistake. If the number can't be retrieved directly from the person or business being called, international phone directories, both residential and commercial, are available on the Internet.
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Install Skype. This program can be downloaded for free from the official website. It can even be installed as an app on phones!
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Get Skype credit. Buy credit from Skype or get a subscription. Calls to phones cost money, but are much cheaper than calling from a landline.
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Get a mic and headphones if you want them. If you are using a computer instead of a phone, you will need to make sure you have these things or you might not be able to hear your call and they won't be able to hear you!
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Find the phone number as described above. You will still need the number to call using Skype.
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Open the dialer and enter the number. Open the program and click the call phones button (usually on the left). Click the call button once you've entered the number. It will not call until you do this. Enjoy your call and hang up when you are done by pressing the hang-up button.
Community Q&A
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QuestionHow can I tell if a number has been disconnected? A dear elderly and now not well friend has not answered her phone for some time and now I am getting a busy signal and no message.Community AnswerYou could send her a letter, or go and see her. If you are seriously concerned about her well being, try to email or contact the local authorities where she lives to do a wellness check.
Tips
- When calling Germany from a cellular phone, ensure adequate battery life and signal strength before calling and refrain from a lot of movement to avoid a costly dropped call.Thanks
- When calling Germany from a landline phone, research international long-distance rates from several companies to take advantage of the least expensive rates. Many long-distance providers will provide calling codes that allow customers from competing companies to use their services and be billed to their home phone bills.Thanks
- If operator assistance is needed or desired, the code 01 can be used in place of the 011 international calling code. The rest of the dialing instructions remain the same. Once the call is placed, listen and follow the operator's instructions.Thanks
Warnings
- When calling Germany from a cellular phone, be aware of the wireless provider's international, per-minute rates for Germany. These will be different than the standard domestic per-minute rates and vary depending on the country being called. If calls to Germany are made often, consider enrolling in one of the provider's international calling plans.Thanks
About This Article
To call Germany, start by dialing 011. Then, dial 49, which is Germany's country code. Finally, dial the number of the person you're trying to reach, including the area code, and place the call. To learn how to call someone in Germany for free using Skype, scroll down!