Remote Office Presence with DID Numbers

Overview

A local phone number is the fastest way to establish credibility in a new market. Customers are more likely to call a local number than an international one, and it signals that your business has a presence in their country.

With Cliqtel, you can get a local number in 70+ countries in under a minute. Route calls to your existing phone system, mobile, or SIP endpoint — your team answers from anywhere in the world.

How It Works

1. Get a local number in your target country (e.g., +49 for Germany, +33 for France)
2. Set up routing — forward calls to your existing phone, PBX, or SIP trunk
3. Publish the number on your website, business cards, and local directories
4. Answer calls from anywhere — your team sees the local number as the source

Step 1 — Get a Local Number

1. Go to Browse Numbers
2. Select your target country (e.g., Germany)
3. Choose Local as the number type
4. Optionally filter by city (e.g., Berlin, Munich, Frankfurt)
5. Select a number and complete checkout

Your number activates in under 60 seconds.

Or provision via API

// Search for local numbers in Germany
const response = await fetch(
  'https://cliqtel.com/api/v1/numbers/search?country=DE&type=local&limit=10',
  { headers: { 'Authorization': 'Bearer YOUR_API_KEY' } }
);

const numbers = await response.json();
// Returns: [{ number: '+4930123456', city: 'Berlin', monthly: 1.75 }, ...]

Step 2 — Set Up Call Forwarding

In the portal, click your number and configure where calls should go:

Step 3 — Connect via SIP Trunk (Optional)

1. Go to My Numbers → SIP Trunks
2. Click Create Trunk — you'll get SIP credentials instantly
3. Configure your PBX with the credentials (see PBX setup guides)
4. Assign your local number to the trunk
5. Incoming calls now ring on your PBX extensions

Multi-Country Setup

Need presence in multiple countries? Get a number in each market and route them all to your single PBX or support queue.

Country     Number              Routes to
────────    ──────────────      ──────────────────────
Germany     +49 30 123456       ─┐
France      +33 1 23456789      ├──> Your PBX (3CX/Asterisk)
Netherlands +31 20 1234567      │    ├── Sales queue (ext 100-110)
Spain       +34 91 1234567     ─┘    └── Support queue (ext 200-210)

Cost: ~EUR 1.50-2.00/mo per number. No per-minute inbound charges.

Your agents see which country the call came from based on the DID number that rang. No per-country PBX needed — everything routes to your single system.

Example: UK Company Expanding to Germany

A UK-based SaaS company wants to test the German market before opening a Berlin office.

1. Get a Berlin number (+49 30) from Cliqtel — EUR 1.75/month
2. Forward to the CEO's mobile while the team is small
3. Publish on the German landing page and LinkedIn profile
4. Upgrade to SIP trunk when volume grows — route to a 3CX PBX with German-speaking agents
5. Add Munich and Frankfurt numbers as regional presence expands

Total monthly cost for 3 German numbers: ~EUR 5.25. No carrier contract, no German entity required.

Regulatory Requirements

Some countries require address verification before activating local numbers. Cliqtel handles this automatically during the order process.

Best Practices

• Choose city-level numbers for maximum local credibility (Berlin +49 30, Paris +33 1)
• Start with call forwarding to test the market, upgrade to SIP when volume grows
• Set a greeting message on your PBX so callers hear your company name in their language
• Add the local number to your Google Business Profile for the target market
• Use one Cliqtel account for all countries — single dashboard, single invoice
• Consider adding SMS on the same number for text-based support

FAQ

Do I need a local entity to get a local number?

No. You can get local numbers in most countries without a local business entity. Some countries require address proof (which can be a personal address), but none require a registered company in that country.

Can I make outbound calls from the local number?

Yes. If you connect the number to a SIP trunk, you can make outbound calls showing the local number as your caller ID. Your customers see a local number whether you call them or they call you.

What happens if I cancel?

Numbers are billed monthly. Cancel any time from the portal — the number is released at the end of the billing period. No cancellation fees, no notice period.