Faxing a landline in Germany
Send a fax to a German landline from your browser. Area codes, number length, time zone and office hours explained. A single page is free, and anything longer costs €3.99.
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Germany has a reputation for holding on to the fax, and in doctors' surgeries, small firms and some offices the reputation is deserved. This page lets you send a document to a German landline without owning a machine or opening an account.
German area codes vary in length, which surprises many visitors. Berlin uses 030 and Munich 089, Hamburg has 040 and Frankfurt 069, while Cologne is on 0221 and Stuttgart on 0711; small towns can have five-digit codes. Type the number with its leading 0, then the code, then the subscriber number. Direct-dial extensions can be added at the end.
Numbers starting with 015, 016 or 017 are mobiles and cannot receive a fax; codes beginning with 01 are rejected altogether. If a number comes in an international style such as +49 30 1234567, drop the +49 and put the 0 back before the 30.
A single page is free and longer documents cost a flat €3.99. Germany is on Central European Time, and most offices work early, from eight until five, with many surgeries closing at midday on Wednesdays or Fridays.
Germany fax numbers: how to enter them
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Dial code | +49 |
| ISO code | DE |
| Numbers accepted | Leading 0, area code starting with 2 to 9, then the subscriber number: 6 to 11 digits in all after the 0; mobiles (01xx) are refused |
| Example number | 03012345678 |
| Region | Central Europe |
Germany: what we accept and what we turn down
| Number typed | Outcome | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| 030 1234567 | Accepted | Berlin |
| 089 12345678 | Accepted | Munich, eight-digit subscriber number |
| 0711 123456-99 | Accepted | Stuttgart, with a two-digit extension |
| 0151 23456789 | Rejected | Mobile number, which no fax can reach |
| 30 1234567 | Rejected | The leading 0 is left out |
| 49 30 1234567 | Rejected | Country code typed without a + or 00 |
Area codes for the main cities
| City or line type | Area code |
|---|---|
| Berlin | 030 |
| Hamburg | 040 |
| Munich | 089 |
| Cologne | 0221 |
| Frankfurt am Main | 069 |
| Stuttgart | 0711 |
Germany: who still takes faxes?
- Surgeries, care homes and laboratories regularly receive referral slips, certificates and prescriptions by fax.
- Some town halls and agencies still list a fax number for forms from residents who have no online access.
- Tradespeople, workshops and wholesalers use fax for order confirmations, delivery notes and quotes.
- Insurance agents and housing administrators handle signed forms and damage reports by fax in daily routine.
Fax numbers of organisations are not something we publish. Take the number from a recent letter or from the recipient’s official site.
The official online alternative
Germany rolled out digital channels profession by profession: ELSTER for tax returns, the beA mailbox for lawyers, KIM for secure messaging between health providers, the eBO mailbox that lets citizens and organisations write to courts, and the BundID account for many online services.
All of these require prior registration and usually an electronic identity, so they work only when both sender and recipient are enrolled. A fax stays available to anyone who has not signed up for any of them.
Germany: time zone and office hours
| Time zone | Central European Time |
|---|---|
| Gap with Paris | UTC+1 (UTC+2 in summer) |
| Typical office hours | Mon-Fri 8:00-17:00 local |
Germany: common questions
- Why do German area codes have different lengths?
- Big cities have short codes (030 for Berlin), small towns longer ones (up to five digits after the 0). The subscriber number is shorter in the latter case. Any total of 6 to 11 digits following the leading 0 is accepted.
- Do I keep the 0 when I choose Germany?
- Yes. Type the number as you would dial it inside Germany, with the leading 0, for example 030 1234567. Do not add +49.
- Can I fax a German mobile phone?
- No. Mobile numbers begin with 015, 016 or 017 and cannot receive a fax. The form refuses any number starting with 01 before you pay.
Send a fax to Germany
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Keep exploring
A few pages that go well with the one you just read.
- Choose a country to see its dial code and the number format we expect, then send your fax to a landline.
- Look up a country’s code, its usual prefixes and how long its numbers are before you fax across a border.
- Choose the country, type the number, and find out at once whether it is ready to use.
- What time it is for your recipient, and when every office is staffed at once.
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