Can I look up the carrier for a German phone number via API?

Yes. Telebase returns the carrier, number type, active status and country for any German phone number in a single API call. It covers Deutsche Telekom, Vodafone DE, Telefónica and their MVNOs. Pricing is 0.03 USD per query with no contract or minimum spend.

How do I detect VoIP numbers in Germany?

Telebase returns a number_type field for each lookup. A value of VoIP identifies numbers routed through internet telephony providers. This is available for German numbers today at 0.03 USD per query.

What format should I use for German phone numbers?

Pass German numbers in E.164 format. Remove the leading zero and add +49. For example, 0151 12345678 becomes +4915112345678.

Is SIM swap detection available for German numbers?

SIM swap detection for German numbers is launching. The current API response returns sim_swap: UNKNOWN while carrier feed registration is in progress. Contact hello@telebase.io for early access.

Does Telebase handle ported German numbers correctly?

Yes. Telebase returns the carrier currently serving a German number, not the original issuing network. If a number has been ported between Deutsche Telekom, Vodafone DE and Telefónica, the response reflects the current serving carrier.

Germany

Phone number lookup API for Germany

Telebase returns the carrier, number type (mobile, landline or VoIP), active status and country for any German phone number in a single real-time API call. German mobile numbers are served by Deutsche Telekom, Vodafone DE and Telefónica (O2 Germany), with a substantial MVNO layer on top of each. Telebase resolves the current serving network. Pricing is 0.03 USD per query, no contract, no minimum spend.

Why German fraud and KYC teams use carrier data

Germany's fintech sector is growing rapidly, with BaFin-regulated neobanks, payment institutions and crypto exchanges all requiring robust onboarding controls. German consumers are mobile-first for banking, which makes phone number verification a high-value step at onboarding. At the same time, VoIP numbers are cheap and widely available, and fraud rings exploit them to register disposable accounts at scale.

A carrier lookup at onboarding takes milliseconds and requires no customer action. It tells you whether the number is mobile, whether it is active, and which carrier is serving it. A VoIP number on a consumer onboarding form, or a number served by a foreign carrier on an account claiming to be German, is worth a second look before the application proceeds.

What Telebase returns for German numbers

carrier: the network currently serving the number, including MVNOs on Deutsche Telekom, Vodafone DE and Telefónica
country: DE for German numbers
number_type: mobile, landline or VoIP
status: whether the number is currently active on the network
sim_swap: launching for Germany. Returns UNKNOWN today.

Example: German mobile number lookup

Request

GET https://telebase.fatcatremote.com/api/lookup?phone=%2B4915112345678
Authorization: Bearer tb_live_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Response, 200 OK

{
  "phoneNumber": "+4915112345678",
  "active": true,
  "carrier": "Deutsche Telekom",
  "country": "DE",
  "numberType": "mobile",
  "simSwap": "UNKNOWN",  // launching
  "simSwapAt": null
}

German number formats

Pass German numbers in E.164 format: remove the leading zero and prefix with +49. A German mobile number 0151 12345678 becomes +4915112345678. German landlines follow the same pattern: 030 12345678 (Berlin) becomes +493012345678.

German mobile number prefixes include 015x (Deutsche Telekom), 016x (Vodafone and others) and 017x (Telefónica and others). Telebase resolves the current serving network regardless of prefix, including ported numbers.

SIM swap detection for German numbers: launching

SIM swap fraud in Germany follows the same pattern as elsewhere in Europe: an attacker convinces a carrier to transfer a victim's number to a new SIM, then uses it to intercept OTPs. BaFin-regulated firms are expected to implement proportionate controls against account takeover. Telebase is registering SIM swap feeds with German mobile operators and will return a recency signal when live. The field currently returns UNKNOWN. Early access is available for German-market teams who want to integrate ahead of general availability.

$0.03 per query. No contract. No minimum spend. Billed via Paddle.

Request early access