diff --git a/autotests/phonenumbertest.h b/autotests/phonenumbertest.h
--- a/autotests/phonenumbertest.h
+++ b/autotests/phonenumbertest.h
@@ -43,6 +43,9 @@
 
     void shouldExportVCard21();
     void shouldParseVCard21();
+
+    void testNormalizeNumber_data();
+    void testNormalizeNumber();
 };
 
 #endif
diff --git a/autotests/phonenumbertest.cpp b/autotests/phonenumbertest.cpp
--- a/autotests/phonenumbertest.cpp
+++ b/autotests/phonenumbertest.cpp
@@ -326,3 +326,23 @@
     KContacts::Addressee addr = lst.at(0);
     QCOMPARE(addr.phoneNumbers().count(), 3);
 }
+
+void PhoneNumberTest::testNormalizeNumber_data()
+{
+    QTest::addColumn<QString>("input");
+    QTest::addColumn<QString>("expected");
+
+    QTest::newRow("empty") << QString() << QString();
+    QTest::newRow("normalized") << QStringLiteral("+49123456789") << QStringLiteral("+49123456789");
+    QTest::newRow("formatted") << QStringLiteral("+49(123) 456 - 789") << QStringLiteral("+49123456789");
+}
+
+void PhoneNumberTest::testNormalizeNumber()
+{
+    QFETCH(QString, input);
+    QFETCH(QString, expected);
+
+    KContacts::PhoneNumber num;
+    num.setNumber(input);
+    QCOMPARE(num.normalizedNumber(), expected);
+}
diff --git a/src/phonenumber.h b/src/phonenumber.h
--- a/src/phonenumber.h
+++ b/src/phonenumber.h
@@ -148,9 +148,19 @@
 
     /**
      * Returns the phone number.
+     * This is the number as entered/stored with all formatting preserved. Preferred for display.
+     * @see normalizedNumber()
      */
     Q_REQUIRED_RESULT QString number() const;
 
+    /**
+     * Returns the phone number normalized for dialing.
+     * This has all formatting stripped for passing to dialers or tel: URLs.
+     * @see number()
+     * @since 5.12
+     */
+    Q_REQUIRED_RESULT QString normalizedNumber() const;
+
     /**
      * Sets the @p type.
      * Multiple types can be specified by combining them by a logical or.
diff --git a/src/phonenumber.cpp b/src/phonenumber.cpp
--- a/src/phonenumber.cpp
+++ b/src/phonenumber.cpp
@@ -136,6 +136,19 @@
     return d->mNumber;
 }
 
+QString PhoneNumber::normalizedNumber() const
+{
+    QString result;
+    result.reserve(d->mNumber.size());
+    for (const auto &c : d->mNumber) {
+        if (c.isDigit() || (c == QLatin1Char('+') && result.isEmpty())) {
+            result.push_back(c);
+        }
+    }
+    return result;
+}
+
+
 void PhoneNumber::setType(Type type)
 {
     d->mType = type;