Phone Numbering
Open dialing plans
An open dialing plan is one in which there are different dialing arrangements for local and long distance telephone calls. This means that to call another number within the same city or area, callers need only dial the number, but for calls outside the area, an area code is required. The area code is prefixed by a trunk code (usually "0"), which is omitted when calling from outside the country. To call a number in Amsterdam in the Netherlands for example:
xxx xxxx (within Amsterdam- no area code required)
(020) xxx xxxx (outside Amsterdam)
+31 20 xxx xxxx (outside the Netherlands)
In the United States, Canada, and other countries or territories using the North American Numbering Plan (NANP), the trunk code is '1', which is also (by coincidence) the country calling code. To call a number in San Francisco, the dialing procedure will vary:
xxx xxxx (local calls, no area code required)
1 415 xxx xxxx (outside San Francisco)
415 xxx xxxx (mobile phones within NANP)
+1 415 xxx xxxx (outside NANP)
However, in parts of North America, especially where a new area code overlays an older area code, dialing 1 + area code is now required even for local calls, which means that the NANP is now closed in certain areas and open in others. Dialing from mobile phones is different in that the trunk code is not necessary. (Most mobile phones today can be programmed to automatically append a frequently-called area code as a prefix, allowing calls within the desired area to be dialed by the user as seven-digit numbers, though sent by the phone as 10-digit numbers.)
Open and closed dialing plan should not be confused with open and closed numbering plans. A closed numbering plan, such as found in North America, features fixed length area codes and local numbers. An open numbering plan, as found in assorted countries that have not yet standardized, features variance in length of area code or local number, or both. Closed dialing plans are rare where numbering plans are open.
Closed dialing plans
A closed numbering plan is one in which the subscriber's number is a standard length, and a closed dialing plan is one in which the subscriber's number is used for all calls, even in the same area. This has traditionally been the case in small countries and territories where area codes have not been required. However, there has been a trend in many countries towards making all numbers a standard length, and incorporating the area code into the subscriber's number. This usually makes the use of a trunk code obsolete. For example, to call Oslo in Norway before 1992, one would dial:
xxx xxx (within Oslo - no area code required)
(02) xxx xxx (within Norway - outside Oslo)
+47 2 xxx xxx (outside Norway)
After 1992, this changed to a closed eight-digit numbering plan, eg:
22xx xxxx (within Norway - including Oslo)
+47 22xx xxxx (outside Norway)
In other countries, such as France, Belgium, Switzerland, and South Africa, the trunk code is retained for domestic calls, whether local or national, eg:
Paris 01 xxxx xxxx (outside France +33 1 xxxx xxxx)
Brussels 02 xxx xxxx (outside Belgium +32 2 xxx xxxx)
Geneva 022 xxx xxxx (outside Switzerland +41 22 xxx xxxx)
Cape Town 021 xxx xxxx (outside South Africa +27 21 xxx xxxx)
While the use of full national dialing is less user-friendly than only using a local number without the area code, the increased use of mobile phones, which require full national dialing and can store numbers, means that this is of decreasing importance. It also makes easier to display numbers in the international format, as no trunk code is required- hence a number in Prague Czech Republic can now be displayed as:
+420 2 xxxx xxxx formerly:
02 xxxx xxxx (inside Czech Republic)
+420 2 xxxx xxxx (outside Czech Republic)
Numbering plans by country
Argentina
Main article: Argentine telephone numbering plan Country Code: 54
International Prefix: 00
Australia
Main article: Australian telephone numbering plan
Country Code: 61
International Prefix: 0011
Telephone numbers in Australia consist of a single-digit area code (prefixed with an 0 when dialling within Australia) and eight-digit local numbers, the first four of which generally specify the exchange, and the final four a line at that exchange. (Most exchanges though have several four-digit exchange codes.) Within Australia, the area code is only required to call from one area code to another. Mobile phone numbers consist of a four-digit code, followed by two sets of three-digit codes.
Australia is divided geographically into a few large area codes, some of which cover more than one state and territory. Prior to the introduction of eight-digit numbers in the early to mid-1990s, telephone numbers were seven digits in the major capital cities, with a single-digit area code, and six digits in other areas with a two-digit area code. There were more than sixty such codes by 1990, with numbers running out, thus spurring the reorganisation.
Following reorganisation of the numbering plan between 1996 and 1998, the following numbering ranges are now used:
02 New South Wales and Australian Capital Territory
03 Victoria and Tasmania
04 Mobile phone services
07 Queensland
08 Northern Teritory, South Australia and Western Australia (including
Christmas Island and Cocos (Keeling) Islands).
The system is not perfect; the codes do not strictly follow state borders. For example, Broken Hill in New South Wales is in the 08 area code, due to its previous area code of 080.
Austria
Main article: Area codes in Austria
Country Code: 43
Brazil
Main article: Brazilian telephone numbering plan
Country Code: 55
International Prefix: 00 xx
In Brazil, long distance and international dialling requires the use of carrier selection codes, after the trunk code or international access code. The places where theese codes are inserted are shown here by "xx" Some of theese codes are.
15 for Telefónica
21 for Embratel
23 for Intelig
31 for Telemar
Area codes are distributed geographically (See List of Brazilian area codes for a list). National dialing is prefixed with 0 (the trunk code) followed by the carrier code (see above) then the area code and the number. For example, to call Rio de Janeiro from another city in Brazil, one would dial the trunk code '0', a two-digit code, the area code '21' and the subscriber's number. Consequently, a Rio de Janeiro number would be displayed in Brazil as
0xx21 nnnn nnnn.
A few areas use nnn-nnnn in lieu of nnnn nnnn, such as such as Natal (the area code for that state is '84', in the state of Rio Grande do Norte, in northeastern Brazil. However, this practice will be phased out in 2006.
Mobile phone numbers are within the normal area codes but prefixed with the digit '7', '8' or '9'. They generally have eight digits (including the 7/8/9). Exceptions exist in Brasilia.
China (PRC)
The Hong Kong and Macau special adminsitrative regions have their own seperate country codes and telephone numbering plans.
Main article: China telephone numbering plan
Country Code: 86
International Prefix: 00
Colombia
Country Code: 57
Main article: Colombian telephone numbering plan
Cyprus
See Numbering plan of Cyprus
Czech Republic
Country Code: 420
Following the break-up of Czechoslovakia in 1993, the successor states, the Czech Republic and Slovakia, continued to share the 42 country code, until 1997, with the Czech Republic adopting 420 and Slovakia adopting 421.
On September 22, 2002, the Czech Republic adopted a closed numbering plan, with nine-digit numbers used for local and national calls, and the dropping of the trunk code 0.
Before the change, the following arrangements would have been made for calls to Brno:
Local call: xxxx xxxx
National call: (05) xxxx xxxx
International call: +420 5 xxxx xxxx
After the change, the dialling arrangements were as follows:
Within Czech Republic: 5xx xxx xxx
Outside Czech Republic: +420 5xx xxx xxx
In the case of mobile numbers, which had to be dialled in full, the only change was that the 0 was no longer used:
Within Czech Republic: 602 xxx xxx
Outside Czech Republic: +420 602 xxx xxx
East Timor (Timor Leste)
Country Code: 670
Until September 1999, East Timor formed part of the Indonesian numbering plan, using the Country Code +62, followed by area codes for the two largest cities, Dili (390) and Baucau (399). Following the violence in the wake of Indonesia's departure from the territory, most of the telecommunications infrastructure was destroyed, and Telkom Indonesia withdrew its services from East Timor.
A new country code +670 was allocated to East Timor, but international access often remains severely limited. A complicating factor is the fact that 670 was previously used by the Northern Marianas, with many carriers not aware that the code is now used by East Timor. (The Northern Marianas, now part of the North American Numbering Plan, use the code 1 and the area code 670.)
East Timor now has a closed numbering plan; all subscribers' numbers are seven digits.
Telephone numbering in East Timor is as follows:
Mobile: 72X-YYYY
Service Numbers: 721-XXXX
Fixed: 32X-YYYY (numbering range in Dili)
Government Departments: 333-YYYY
Ambulance Service: 110
Fire Dept: 115
Emergency: 112
International access code: 00
Ecuador
Country Code: 593
Mobile: 9
Azuay: 7
Bolivar: 3
Canar: 7
Carchi: 6
Chimborazo: 3
Cotopaxi: 3
El Oro: 7
Esmeraldas: 6
Galapagos: 5
Guayas: 6
Imbabura: 6
Loja: 7
Los Rios: 5
Manabi: 5
Morona Santiago: 7
Napo: 6
Orellana: 6
Pastaza: 3
Pichincha: 2
Sucumbios: 6
Tungurahua: 3
Zabora Chinchipe: 7
Ambulance Service: 101
Fire Dept: 102
Emergency: 101
International access code: 00
European Union (1996 proposal)
Proposed Country Code: 3
In 1996, the European Commission proposed the introduction of a single telephone numbering plan, in which all European Union member states would use the code '3'. Calls between member states would no longer require the use of the international access code '00'. This proposal would have required countries like Germany, the United Kingdom, Denmark and others, whose country codes began with the digit '4', to return these to the International Telecommunication Union. For example, to call a number in Berlin, in Germany:
xxxx xxxx (within Berlin)
030 xxxx xxxx (within Germany)
1 4930 xxxx xxxx (within the EU)
+3 49 30 xxxx xxxx (outside the EU)
Countries like Ireland, Portugal and Finland, which used codes in the '35x' range, would adopt a different format. For example, to call a number in Dublin, Ireland:
xxxx xxxx (within Dublin)
01 xxxx xxxx (within Ireland)
1 53 1 xxxx xxxx (within the EU)
+3 53 1 xxxx xxxx (outside the EU)
A Green Paper on the proposal was published, but it was felt by many in the industry that the disruption and inconvenience of such a scheme would outweigh any advantages.
The EU proposal should not be confused with the European Telephony Numbering Space (ETNS) scheme, which uses the code +388, and is intended to complement, rather than replace, existing national numbering plans.
Finland
Country Code: 358
Finland's numbering plan was reorganised in 1996, with the number of area codes being reduced, and the trunk code being changed from 9 to 0. This meant that the area code for Helsinki also changed:
Before 1996:
90' xxx xxx within Finland
+358 0 xxx xxx outside Finland
After 1996:
09' xxx xxx within Finland
+358 9 xxx xxx outside Finland
The default international access code became 00, although other codes such as 999 are also still used.
France
Main article: French telephone numbering plan
Country Code: 33
In 1996, France changed to a ten-digit numbering scheme, as follows:
01 Paris
02 Northwest France
03 Northeast France
04 Southeast France
05 Southwest France
06 Mobile phone services
08 Freephone (numéro vert) and shared cost services.
08 70 7X XX XX now gives access to the new Free (Internet Provider) land lines.
Germany
See also: Area codes in Germany
Country Code: 49
There are no standard lengths for either area codes or subscribers' numbers in Germany, meaning that some subscribers' numbers may be as short as three digits. Larger towns have shorter area codes permitting longer subscriber numbers in that area. Some examples:
110 police
112 emergency operator
116116 blocking service (report loss of credit cards, SIM card etc.)
118xx directory assistance services
19222 medical emergency operator (only in some regions)
010xxx dial-around-services (alternative carrier)
011xx service numbers
012xx "innovative services", Unified Messaging & non-geographical VoIP
0137 televoting & tv call-in-shows
015x cell phone (not longer assignable to certain operator due to number portability)
016x pagers & cell phone (not longer assignable to certain operator due to number portability)
017x cell phone (not longer assignable to certain operator due to number portability)
018x premium rate (shared-cost-service numbers before - nowadays more expensive than national calls)
0190x premium rate until December 31st, 2005 (migrated to 0900)
0201 Essen
0211 Düsseldorf
0221 Köln/Cologne
0231 Dortmund
030 Berlin
0310 announcement of current carrier for long-distance calls
0311 announcement of current carrier for local calls
032x non-geographical VoIP
0341 Leipzig
040 Hamburg
0511 Hannover
0611 Wiesbaden
069 Frankfurt
0700 lifetime personal numbers (non-geographical)
0711 Stuttgart
0800 toll free (within Germany)
089 München/Munich
0911 Nürnberg/Nuremberg
0941 Regensburg
09001 premium rate (information services)
09003 premium rate (entertainment services)
09005 premium rate (adult services)
00800 toll free (international)
The default length for newly assigned numbers (area code without 0 + subscriber number) is 10 or 11 digits, but older shorter numbers will not be replaced, but not reassigned if given back. The area codes are, if not counting the national trunk prefix '0', from 2 digits (only for Berlin +49 30, Hamburg +49 40, Frankfurt +49 69 and Munich +49 89) to 5 digits long (for smaller towns in the former East German states +49 3xxxx).
The former East German states were integrated into the Federal Republic's numbering system at 03xxx because Berlin's 030 was the only 03 area code before. They used range is from 0331 (Potsdam) to 039999 (small village Tutow in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania). Due to limited number range also 5-digit area codes are used there, whereas in the old Federal Republic only 4-digit area codes (without the leading 0) are used.
Callers from the U.S. & Canada need to dial 01149 for Germany and the area code without the "0" prefix and then the local number, like 01149-69-123456789 (example).
Emergency numbers in Germany are 110 for police and 112 for fire and ambulance. In some states, the non-prioritised number 19222 is used for ambulance services, though this is heavily lobbied against and expected to be phased out in the future.
Greece
Country Code: 30
During 2001-2002, Greece moved to a closed ten-digit numbering scheme in two stages, with the result that subscribers' numbers changed twice. For example, before the change, a number in Athens would have been dialed as follows:
xxx xxxx (within Athens)
(01) xxx xxxx (within Greece)
+30 1 xxx xxxx (outside Greece)
In 2001, a '0' was added after the area code, which was incorporated into the subscriber's number:
010 xxx xxxx (within Greece, including Athens)
+30 10 xxx xxxx (outside Greece)
Finally, in 2002, the leading '0' was changed to a '2' (for geographic numbers) :
210 xxx xxxx (within Greece, including Athens)
+30 210 xxx xxxx (outside Greece)
Mobile phone numbers were similarly prefixed with the digit '6'.
Hong Kong
Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China
Country Code: 852
Main article: Hong Kong telephone numbering plan
Hungary
Country Code: 36
Standard lengths for area codes is one (Budapest only) to two digits and 8 or 9 (cell phone numbers beginning with 20, 30 and 70 and corporate nework numbers starting with 71)for subscribers' numbers in Hungary.
1 area code for Budapest
104 emergency operator (medical)
105 emergency operator (fire)
107 emergency operator (police)
112 ermergency operator (general)
20 cell phone network of Pannon
22 area code for Székesfehérvár
23 area code for Biatorbágy
24 area code for Szigetszentmiklós
25 area code for Dunaújváros
26 area code for Szentendre
27 area code for Vác
28 area code for Gödöllo
29 area code for Monor
30 cell phone networks of T-Mobile
32 area code for Salgótarján
33 area code for Esztergom
34 area code for Tatabánya
35 area code for Balassagyarmat
36 area code for Eger
37 area code for Gyöngyös
40 Shared-cost service (national)
42 area code for Nyíregyháza
44 area code for Mátészalka
45 area code for Kisvárda
46 area code for Miskolc
47 area code for Szerencs
48 area code for Ózd
49 area code for Mezokövesd
52 area code for Debrecen
53 area code for Cegléd
54 area code for Berettyóújfalu
55 Test number
56 area code for Szolnok
57 area code for Jászberény
59 area code for Karcag
62 area code for Szeged
63 area code for Szentes
66 area code for Békéscsaba
68 area code for Orosháza
69 area code for Mohács
70 cell phone network of Vodafone
71 corporate networks
72 area code for Pécs
73 area code for Szigetvár
74 area code for Szekszárd
75 area code for Paks
76 area code for Kecskemét
77 area code for Kiskunhalas
78 area code for Kiskorös
79 area code for Baja
80 freephone service (national)
81 IN
82 area code for Kaposvár
83 area code for Keszthely
84 area code for Siófok
85 area code for Marcali
87 area code for Tapolca
88 area code for Veszprém
89 area code for Pápa
90 Premium-rate service (national)
91 IP VPN
92 area code for Zalaegerszeg
93 area code for Nagykanizsa
94 area code for Szombathely
95 area code for Szombathely
96 area code for Gyor
99 area code for Sopron
Iceland
Country Code: 354
India
Country Code: 91
Telephone numbering is a little different for Fixed and Mobile phones.
Fixed (landline) numbers
The factual accuracy of this section is disputed. Please view the article's talk page.
Fixed line telephones are operated by the government-owned incumbent operator BSNL, although some new fixed-wireless operators are in the picture since 2001.
Standard Trunk Dialling (STD) codes are assigned to each city/town/village, with the larger cities having shorter area codes (STD codes), the smallest being 2 digits. An STD Prefix of 0 is used to dial such a number. For example,
011 - New Delhi
022 - Mumbai
033 - Kolkata
044 - Chennai
020 - Pune
In addition, due to the availability of multiple operators offering fixed line services (either over wire or wireless), there is also an operator-code for each telephone number, namely:
2 - BSNL
3 - Reliance
4 - Airtel (formerly in Touchtel)
5 - Tata Indicom
Thus, a number formatted as 020-30303030 means a fixed-line Reliance number in Pune, while 011-20000198 is a BSNL fixed line in Delhi and 033-55269320 is a Tata Indicom number in Kolkata.
A full list of area codes in India is available with BSNL
Cell phone numbers
Telecom Regulator TRAI has divided the country into various cellular zones such that within each zone, the call is treated as a local call, while across zones, it becomes a long-distance call. A cellular zone (or cellular circle) is normally the entire state, with a few exceptions like Mumbai (which is a different zone), Goa (the state, which is a part of the Maharashtra zone) or Uttar Pradesh (which is so big it was divided into multiple zones)
From 20th May 2005 onwards calls between Mumbai Metro & Maharashtra Telecom Circle, Chennai Metro & Tamilnadu Telecom Circle, Kolkata Metro & West Bengal Telecom Circle and UP (East) & UP (West) Telecom Circle Service Areas are merged in Inter service area connectivity. With the above arrangement, calls within a State in the above-mentioned four States would be treated as intra-service area call for the purposes of routing as well as Access Deficit Charges (ADC). The dialling procedure for calls within a State for these States would also be simplified i.e. dialling of mobile-to mobile subscribers and fixed-to-mobile subscribers would be without prefixing ‘0’. Ref : DoT Notice
All mobile numbers in India have the prefix 9 (This includes pager services, but the use of pagers is on the decline). Each zone is allowed to have multiple private operators (earlier it was 2 private + BSNL, subsequently it was changed to 3 private + BSNL in GSM 900/1800, now it also includes 2 private + BSNL in CDMA). All cellphone numbers are 10 digits long, (normally) split up as OO-AA-NNNNNN where OO is the operator code, AA is the zone code assigned to the operator, and NNNNNN is the subscriber number.
The numbering plan is as follows:
92-yy-yyyyyy - Tata Indicom mobile phones. These do not seem to follow the OO-AA-NNNNNN system.
93-xx-yyyyyy - Reliance India Mobile. The two digit code XX identifies the cellular zone.
94-xx-yyyyyy - BSNL. The two digit code XX identifies the cellular zone.
98-xx-yyyyyy - All private (non government-owned) GSM operators. The two digit code XX identifies
the operator as well as the cellular zone.
For a full list of cellphone numbering plans in India, refer to India Cellphone Numbering
International dialling
The international access code in India is 00. For example, to call 08-790-1000 in Sweden from India, a subscriber would dial:
00 46 8 7901000.
For calls to India from abroad, the appropriate international access code should be dialled, followed by 91 followed by the area code (without the 0) followed by the phone number. For example, to call 011-23456789 in India, from Europe, a subscriber would dial:
00 91 11 23456789
Ireland
Main article: Irish telephone numbering plan
Country Code: 353
Telephone numbers in Ireland are similar in format to those in the United Kingdom, with only the subscriber's number being required for local dialing. The trunk prefix is '0' followed by an area code, the first digit indicating the geographical area.
01 Dublin
02 Cork (021) and South
04 Drogheda (041) and East
05 Waterford (051) and South East
06 Limerick (061) and South West
07 Sligo (071) and North West
09 Galway (091) and West
Area codes have varied in length, between one and three digits, and subscribers' numbers between five and seven digits but there is now a migration to a standard format, as follows:
(0xx) xxx xxxx
Dublin numbers are currently seven digits, but may change to eight digits in the future, although breaking the city into separate area codes would match the rest of the national system.
The 08 numbering range was originally used for calls to Northern Ireland, but following the UK's renumbering of Northern Ireland in 2000, this changed, so to call a number in Belfast from the Republic:
Before 2000: (080) 1232 xxx xxx
After 2000: (048) 90xx xxxx;
or via the UK numbering plan; 00 44 28 90xx xxxx
The 03 numbering range was originally used for calls to Britain, but this was discontinued in 1992, when the international access code changed from 16 to 00. For a short period in the early 1990's 0300 was used for premium ratte services (see below)
Before 1992: 030 xxx xxx xxx
After 1992: 00 44 xxx xxx xxx
The prefixes 151x, 1530, 1540, 1550 (Initially 0300), 1559, 1560, 1570 and 1580 are for premium rate Services which are more expensive than other telephone calls. These numbers provide a range of services from weather forecasting to adult dating. Regtel an independent body monitors the premium rate services industry.
Mobile phones use the prefixes 083, 085, 086 and 087. 088 was previously issued to the Eircell analogue service. While mobile numbers are portable between operators, all new numbers are issued in an operators own allocation - 083 for 3, 085 for Meteor Mobile Communications, 086 for O2 and 087 for Vodafone. Due to number portability, the full number must be dialled even if it has the same prefix as the caller's number.
Freephone services use the prefix 1800, while shared cost (Lo-Call) numbers use the prefix 1850. 1890 and 0818 are issued to non-geographic services, which charge local call rates. One disadvantage of this arrangement is that Irish freephone numbers are inaccessible from outside the Republic (unlike for example UK freefone numbers which can be accessed by dialling 0044800).
Dial-up Internet providers are entitled, but not required, to use numbers in the 189x range. 1891 numbers cost slightly below local call rate, and are often provided for entry-level dialup packages. 1892 numbers are used for full local rate dialup, and 1893 for FRIACO dialup.
A new area was introduced in 2005, using the 076 access code. This is allocated to VOIP providers, and is treated as either a national or local call by individual telecoms operators.
The 13xx code is used for accessing third party long distance/International service providers and some internet services
Israel
Country Code: 972
00 - General International Access Code (kod gisha)
012 - International Access Code (Smile)
013 - International Access Code (Barak)
014 - International Access Code (Bezeq International)
018 - International Access Code (Exphone)
02 - Jerusalem Area (ezor yerushalayim)
03 - Tel Aviv & Central Area (ezor ha'merkaz)
04 - Haifa & Northern Area (ezor haifa ve'ha'tzafon)
050 - Mobile (Pelephone)
052 - Mobile (Cellcom)
054 - Mobile (Orange)
057 - Mobile (Mirs)
077 - Cable Network (Hot) (kvalim)
08 - Lowland & Southern Area
09 - Sharon Area (ezor ha'sharon)
100 - Police (mishtara)
101 - Abulance Service (magen david adom)
102 - Fire Fighters (mehabey esh)
103 - Electric Corporation (hevrat ha'hashmal)
106 - Municipal Call Center (moked ironi)
107 - Municipal Call Center (moked ironi)
108 - Municipal Call Center (moked ironi)
109 - Municipal Call Center (moked ironi)
118 - Personal Distress Call Center
1255-XXX - Hospital Information Center
142 - Collect Call (govayna)
144 - Telephone Listings Infornation (modi'in)
166 - Telephone Repairs (tikunim)
1-700 - Regular Tall Rate (siha regila)
1-800 - Tall Free (sihat hinam)
Italy
Country Code: 39
Italy changed to a closed numbering plan in 1998, with callers being told to fissa il prefisso ("fix the prefix"). The plan which had originally been advertised in early 1998 was to merge the trunk code '0' into subscribers' landline numbers effective June 19, 1998, and then to replace that leading '0' with a '4' starting from December 29, 2000. As a result of this change, all landline numbers would begin with a '4', and mobile phone numbers with a '3'. Other initial digits had been reserved for different special purposes. In practice, the switch was not completed as originally announced, and landline numbers still begin with a '0', unlike in the closed numbering plans of other countries. E.g. a number in Rome:
06 xxx xxxx (within Rome - after 1999)
06 xxx xxxx (within Italy)
+39 06 xxx xxx (outside Italy - after 1998)
Calls to mobile phone numbers within Italy were also affected, deleting the previously used trunk code '0'. International calls to Italian mobile phone numbers were not affected. E.g. for Omnitel-Vodafone provider in Italy:
0347 xxx xxx (within Italy - before 1999)
347 xxx xxx (within Italy - after 1999)
+39 347 xxx xxx (outside Italy - both before and after 1999)
Until 1996, San Marino was part of the Italian numbering plan, using the Italian area code 0549 but in that year it adopted its own international code 378. However,instead of using international dialing codes, dialling arrangements between San Marino and Italy continued as before. In 1998, San Marino incorporated the 0549 area code into its subscribers' numbers, following the Italian format:
0549 xxx xxx (San Marino from Italy)
+378 0549 xxx xxx (San Marino from rest of the world)
+39 0549 xxx xxx (San Marino via Italy)
Mobile phone number in Italy: without a zero, started with a 3.
3xx xxx xxx
Japan
Country Code: 81
Main article: Japanese telephone numbering plan
Liechtenstein
Country Code: 423
Until 1999, Liechtenstein formed part of the Swiss numbering plan, using the country code 41 and the area code 075, but in that year it adopted its own international code 423, meaning that calls to and from Switzerland require international dialing.
Macau
Macao Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China (RAEM)
Country Code: 853
Main Article: Macau telephone numbering plan
Malaysia
Country Code: 60 (Note: when dialing with area code, "0" is suppressed, e.g. 603-XXXXXXXX.)
In 1999 Malaysia introduced eight-digit subscriber numbers in Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya and Selangor. The introduction of the new numbering plan was completed in 2001.
For more informations on the spectrum assignment & numbering plan, please refer to MCMC Spectrum Management & Numbering & Electronic Addressing.
00 : IDD short code
010 : Celcom Art900 (wireless)
011 : Telekom Malaysia (TM) ATUR 450 (wireless)
012 : Maxis (3G/GSM900/GSM1800 mobile)
013 : Celcom (formerly TMTouch, GSM900/GSM1800 mobile)
014 : reserved (for IMT satelite mobile)
015 : Jaring, TMnet, etc. (data/IP wireless)
016 : Digi (GSM900/GSM1800 mobile)
017 : Maxis (formerly TimeCel, GSM900/GSM1800 mobile)
018 : Telekom Malaysia (TM) (formerly Mobikom, CDMA wireless)
019 : Celcom (3G/GSM900/GSM1800 mobile)
02 : Domestic access code to Singapore
03 : Selangor & Federal Territories of Cyberjaya, Kuala Lumpur & Putrajaya
04 : Kedah, Penang & Perlis
05 : Perak
06 : Melaka, Negeri Sembilan & Muar (Johor)
07 : Johor (except Muar)
080 : Domestic access code to Brunei
081 : reserved (for domestic access/area code)
082 : Kuching (Sarawak)
083 : Sri Aman (Sarawak)
084 : Sarikei, Sibu (Sarawak)
085 : Lawas, Limbang, Miri (Sarawak)
086 : Bintulu
087 : Inner District (Sabah) & Federal Territory of Labuan
088 : Kota Kinabalu, Kudat (Sabah)
089 : Lahad Datu, Sandakan, Tawau (Sabah)
09 : Kelantan, Pahang & Terengganu
1 : Message & service
112 : Mobile network emergency message & service
1300: Local toll message & service
1400: reserved (for special message & service)
15xx: Internet access service
1600: reserved (for special message & service)
1700: reserved (for special message & service)
1800: Toll-free message & service
1900: reserved (for special message & service)
600 : Premium toll message & service
991 : Civil defense
994 : Fire
999 : Police & medical emergency
Mexico
Country Code: 52
In 1999 Mexico introduced the following new prefixes long distance calls for long distance and international calls:
00 - international direct dialing (00 + country code + nat'l number)
including USA and Canada.
01 - domestic direct dialing (01 + area code + number)
02 - domestic operator dialing (02 + area code + number)
09 - international operator dialing (09 + country code + number)
including USA and Canada.
This did not affect calls from outside Mexico, which continued to be dialed in the same format. For example, to call a number in Mexico City:
+52 55 xxxx xxxx
[Mexican area codes] are 3 digits long, except for Mexico City (55), Monterrey (81), Guadalajara (33) and their respective outlying areas.
Likewise, local numbers are 7 digits long, while Mexico City, Monterrey and Guadalajara use 8 digit numbers. 8 digit numbers are commonly written two ways:
xxxx xxxx
xx xx xx xx
When dialed within its local area, calling-party-pays mobile phone numbers have a designated prefix: 044 - mobile phone (044 + area code + number) For example, when calling within area code 33, a Guadalajara mobile phone would be dialed as: 044 33 xxxx xxxx This prefix is dropped when the number is dialed from another city in Mexico and the domestic prefix 01 is used since calling-party-pays calls can only be made when the mobile suscriber is being called from the same local area. Outside the country, mobiles are dialed in the same way as regular lines: +52 33 xxxx xxxx
It is common to see businesses with multiple lines on the same telephone exchange list their alternate lines without repeating the common numbers. For example, "(55) xxxx xx10, 19, 22 y 24" would signify a series of lines in Mexico City:
(55) xxxx xx10
(55) xxxx xx19
(55) xxxx xx22
(55) xxxx xx24
Moldova
Country Code: 373
In 2003 Moldova introduced new open type telephone numbering plan [1]. It created controversy with Transnistria, which then adopted its own plan instead [2].
Netherlands
Main article: Telephone numbers in the Netherlands See also Communications in the Netherlands
Country Code: 31
In the Netherlands, the area codes are -- excluding the leading '0' -- one, two or three digits long, with larger towns and cities having shorter area codes permitting a larger number of telephone numbers in the ten digits used. Since renumbering in 1996, subscribers' numbers are now either six digits long, or in the larger towns and cities, seven digits.
010: Rotterdam
020: Amsterdam
030: Utrecht
040: Eindhoven
050: Groningen
06: mobile phone number
066: mobile pagers
0676: internet access number
070: The Hague
0800: toll free number
084: location independent (used mostly for fax-to-email and voicemail services)
087: location independent
0900: premium rate, information
0906: premium rate, erotic
0909: premium rate, entertainment
112: emergency services number
066, 084 and 087 are often used by scammers, because they are easy and cheap to register and make identification very hard.
Previously, 06-0 and 06-1000 and 06-4 were used for toll-free numbers, and other 06 for mobile and premium rate, while 09 was used as the international access code, before this changed to 00. The emergency number used to be 06-11.
New Zealand
Country Code: 64
Since 1993, land-line telephone numbers in New Zealand consist of a single-digit area code and seven-digit local numbers, the first three of which generally specify the exchange and the final four a line at that exchange. The long distance prefix is '0'.
There are five regional area codes, which must be used when calling outside the local dialing area, for example from Christchurch to Dunedin in the South Island, the '03' prefix must be dialed first. In many parts of the country, the old area code was incorporated into the new number, hence Nelson (055) xx xxx became (03) 55x xxxx .
024099 Scott Base in the Ross Dependency
03 the South Island and the Chatham Islands
04 Wellington Region except the Wairarapa and Otaki
06 the remaining southern and eastern North Island:
- Taranaki
- Manawatu-Wanganui except Taumarunui
- Hawke's Bay
- Gisborne
- the Wairarapa and Otaki
07 the Waikato, the Bay of Plenty and Taumarunui
09 Auckland and Northland
Mobile phone numbers are prefixed with 02, followed by one digit and the subscriber's number, which is either six, seven or eight digits, dialled in full, e.g. 025 xxx xxx or 027 xxx xxxx.
021 Vodafone
025 Telecom
027 Telecom
029 Vodafone/TelstraClear
Free call services generally use the prefix 0800 (although some use 0508) while local rate (usually internet access numbers) have the prefix 08xx. Premium rate services use the code 0900 followed by five digits.
The main international prefix is '00' (there are others for special purposes, such as 0161, for discounted rates). The emergency services number is '111'.
Norway
Country Code: 47
Since 1992, land-line and mobile telephone numbers in Norway consist of eight digits, without any area codes. The numbers are apportioned in chunks, which vary in size between a thousand and over a million, among counties and telephone companies.
00 international dialing prefix
01 reserved for future changes
02xxx-09xxx 5-digit non-geographical numbers
100-189 standardised special numbers (e.g. 112 for emergency)
19x operator-specific special numbers
2x xx xx xx geographical numbers, mainly Oslo
3x xx xx xx geographical numbers in south-central counties, except Oppland
4xx xx xxx mobile numbers
5x xx xx xx geographical numbers in south-western counties, including Bergen
6x xx xx xx geographical numbers in south-eastern counties and Oppland
7x xx xx xx geographical numbers in the north, including Trondheim
8x xx xx xx non-geographical numbers (toll-free, voicemail, etc.)
9xx xx xxx mobile numbers
Peru
Country Code: 51
Most area codes in Peru changed on 1 March 2003, providing an area code for each region (national subdivision).
Also on that date, '9' was prepended to existing cellular/mobile numbers. Mobile subscriber numbers are now 8 digits in Lima (+51 1 9xxxxxxx) and 7 digits elsewhere (+51 xx 9xxxxxx).
Philippines
Country Code: 63
Main article: Philippine Telephone Area Codes
Poland
Country Code: 48
Polish phone numbers since 5th December 2005 : 10 digits, starting with a 0.
0xx xxx xx xx (within Poland)
+48 xx xxx xx xx (outside Poland)
Polish mobile number: 10 digits, starting with 05, 06 and 08.
050 xxx xx xx
051 xxx xx xx
060 xxx xx xx
066 xxx xx xx
069 xxx xx xx
088 xxx xx xx
(Mobile Virtual Network Operators)
0699 01x xx xx
0699 22x xx xx
0699 4xx xx xx
Reserved for UMTS but not yet assigned:
078 xxx xx xx
079 xxx xx xx
Premium Rate services:
070 xxx xx xx
030 xxx xx xx
040 xxx xx xx
Shared cost numbers:
0801 xx xx xx
Free (for the caller in Poland):
0800 xx xx xx
"UTR VSAT,Tekstofon, Fixed SMS"
0 802 xxx xxx
"UAN(universal number)"
0 804 xxx xxx
VPN
0 806 xxx xxx
VCC
0 808 xxx xxx
VoIP
0 39x xxx xxx
NDSI
0 20 xx xx
call box
0 xx 801 xx xx
0 xx 802 xx xx
0 xx 803 xx xx
0 xx 804 xx xx
0 xx 805 xx xx
http://www.bip.urtip.gov.pl/bipurtip/index.jsp?place=Lead07&news_cat_id=27&news_id=57&layout=1&page=text
Portugal
Country Code: 351
Portugal changed to a closed numbering plan in 1999. Previously, the trunk prefix was '0', but this was dropped, and the area code, prefixed by the digit '2' was incorporated into the subscriber's number, so that a nine-digit number was used for all calls, eg:
xxx xxxx (within Lisbon)
(01) xxx xxxx (within Portugal)
+351 1 xxx xxxx (outside Portugal)
+351 21x xxx xxx (after 1999)
Mobiles similarly changed, with the digits '96' replacing the prefix '0936':
0936 xxx xxx (within Portugal)
+351 936 xxx xxxx (outside Portugal)
+351 96 xxx xxxx (after 1999)
Other new number ranges include:
10xx Carrier selection codes
700 xxx xxx Personal numbering
8xx xxx xxx Geographic expansion
800 xxx xxx Freephone
80x xxx xxx Shared cost
Romania
Country Code: 40
Main article: Romania Telephone Area Codes
In the last years, landline usage started to drop as the mobile phones market was growing fast. Mobile phone companies were running out of numbers, as both the main mobile companies claimed millions after million of subscribers. Also, due to approaching EU join, the state-owned company was going to loose the landline monopoly. A 2002 reform modified the system to an 10 digits system, of which the first is always a national access code 0:
the landline Romtelecom numbers start with a two or three digits area code: 21 for Bucharest (like 021-xxx-xxxx) and 2pp for the other counties (like 0233-xxx-xxxx for Neamţ County)
the new landline companies were granted new area codes starting with 3, e.g. an Astral Telecom landline number will be 03pp-xxx-xxx, using the same two digits (or 1 for Bucharest, as 031-xxx-xxxx) for counties prefix as Romtelecom
the mobile companies use area codes starting with 7: 72 for Connex-Vodafone (previously branded as Connex), 74 for Orange Romania (previously branded as Dialog) etc.; a Connex-Vodaphone number will be 072p-xxx-xxx
no-charge number area codes is 800 (like 0-800-xxx-xxx)
extra-charge numbers are starting with 021-89-xxxxx, like a subset of the numbers owned by Romtelecom in Bucharest.
Calling from Romania to Romania usually implies using the full 10 digits number, while Romtelecom subscribers can call inside their area code dropping the leading 0 and the area code (a number becomes just xxx-xxxx in Bucharest and xxx-xxx for the rest of the country). Romtelecom county codes were chosen on a geographical order, starting with northern Moldavia (Suceava County had 30), then going southwards to eastern Wallachia, than westwards to southern Transylvania, than northwards, closing the circle, until the biggest prefix, 69 (used for Sibiu County).
Extra-charge SMS are sent to three or four digits numbers, each company having its own system.
Short numbers became are allowed in both the 3 digits and in 4 digits forms, both with a leading 9, like 981 for the ambulance or 9xxx for various cab companies. Each town or county has it own special services, like firefighters, police, with the same number. The station to which these calls are directed is chosen based on location.
Romania joined the European initiative for a continent wide emergency number, 211.
When calling from abroad the leading zero is dropped and replaced with the international access code and the country code, like +40-xxx-xxx-xxx. As usual, only regular landline and mobile phones are accessible from outside Romania.
When calling from Romania abroad, the international access code is 00. Also supported is + for the mobile devices.
Russia and Kazakhstan
Country Code: 7
Under the Russian numbering plan, the trunk code is '8', with subscriber numbers being a total of ten digits long, for example:
xxx-xx-xx (within Moscow)
8 495 xxx-xx-xx (to Moscow from Russia)
+7 495 xxx-xx-xx (to Moscow from outside Russia)
A scheme of 8 + 2 + city code + number can be used to dial within a Region. For example, the code for Saratov Region is 845, the city code for Saratov is 2, and the city code for Engels is 11:
xx-xx-xx (within Saratov)
8 22 xx-xx-xx (to Saratov from Saratov Region)
8 8452 xx-xx-xx (to Saratov from outside Saratov Region, within Russia)
+7 8452 xx-xx-xx (to Saratov from outside Russia)
x-xx-xx (within Engels)
8 211 x-xx-xx (to Engels from Saratov Region)
8 84511 x-xx-xx (to Engels from outside Saratov Region, within Russia)
+7 84511 x-xx-xx (to Engels from outside Russia)
A short list of examples, set out in the officially approved number groups (it's important to notice that the last four digits of the number are separated into two equal groups, and the area code is written without the dialling prefix 8 and in parentheses):
(495) xxx-xx-xx: Moscow
(496x) xx-xx-xx: Moscow Region, bigger towns
(496xx) x-xx-xx: Moscow Region, smaller towns
(812) xxx-xx-xx: Saint-Petersburg
(813xx) x-xx-xx: Leningrad Region
(8452) xx-xx-xx: Saratov, Saratov Region
(84511) x-xx-xx: Engels, Saratov Region
Freephone numbers:
8 800 xxx-xx-xx
Historically, '7' has been used as the Soviet Union country code. Following the break-up of the Soviet Union, all former republics except Russia and Kazakhstan switched to new country codes.
The international access code is 8~10 - callers dial '8', wait for a tone, and then dial '10', followed by the number.
Due to the use of 8 as both the dialling prefix and the first digit of some area codes, sometimes it may be confusing for foreigners to understand the dialling pattern. Moreover, it is not uncommon to see the non-existent area code of 95 in foreign print, instead of the correct 095, due to the fact that 0 is a local dialling prefix across Europe but not yet in Russia (there is already a plan to implement it in Russia, too).
On 1 December 2005, dialling code 095 et al was replaced with 495 et al, so that at a later date it will be possible to adopt the ITU convention of 0 and 00 dialling prefixes for local and international dialling respectively. The old 095 dialling code is to be effective until 31 January 2006. In Russian: [3] [4].
For a historical overview of the telephone numbering plans in connection with the Soviet Union and now Russia, see ‘§ 91. Краткая история телефонных номеров’.
Singapore
Country Code: 65
See Singapore telephone numbering plan
South Africa
Country Code: 27
Main article: South African Telephone Numbering Plan
South Africa has switched to a closed system, although as of 2005 it is still not mandatory to prefix the 3-digit area code for local numbers. The trunk prefix is still '0', with the system generally organised geographically. The numbers were initially allocated when South Africa had four provinces, meaning that ranges are now split across the current nine provinces:
01: Gauteng, Mpumalanga, Limpopo and North West
02: Western and Northern Cape
03: KwaZulu-Natal
04: Eastern Cape and eastern parts of the Western Cape
05: Free State
06: Unused, was Namibia until 1992
07: Cellular spill-over
08: Special services, including
080: Toll-free
081: Current unused (?), was car phones
082: Cellular: Vodacom
083: Cellular: MTN
084: Cellular: Cell C
086: "Sharecall"
087: VOIP
089: Maxicall
09: International access code, being phased out as of May 2002
00: Proposed new international access code
All telephone numbers are 10 digits long (including the 3 for area code), except for certain Telkom special services.
Spain
Country Code: 34
Spain changed to a closed numbering plan in 1998. Previously, the trunk prefix was '9', but this was incorporated into the subscriber's number, so that a nine-digit number was used for all calls, eg:
xxx xxxx (within Madrid)
(91) xxx xxxx (within Spain)
+34 1 xxx xxxx (outside Spain)
+34 91x xxx xxx (after 1998)
Mobiles similarly changed, prefixed with the digit '6':
906 xxx xxx (within Spain)
+34 06 xxx xxx (outside Spain)
+34 606 xxx xxx (after 1998)
New numbering ranges have also since been introduced:
10xx Carrier selection codes
700 xxx xxx Personal numbering
8xx xxx xxx Geographic expansion
800 xxx xxx Freephone
80x xxx xxx Shared cost
Spain's international access code also changed from 07 to 00, but this did not affect dialing arrangements for calls to Gibraltar, in which the provincial code 9567 is used instead of the international code 350, eg:
9567 xxxxx (Gibraltar from Spain)
+350 xxxxx (Gibraltar from all other countries)
+34 9567 xxxxx (Gibraltar via Spain)
Sweden
Country Code: 46
In Sweden, the area codes are -- excluding the leading '0' -- one, two or three digits long, with larger towns and cities having shorter area codes permitting a larger number of telephone numbers in the eight to ten digits used. Before the 1990s, ten-digit numbers were very rare, but they have become increasingly common because of the deregulation of telecommunications, the new 112 emergency number, which required change of all numbers starting with 11, and the creation of a single area code for the Greater Stockholm area. No subscriber number is shorter than five digits.
010: NMT mobile phones
01x(x): South Middle Sweden
020: toll free
0200: toll free
02x(x): North Middle Sweden
03x(x): Central South Sweden
031: Gothenburg
040: Malmö
04x(x): Southern Sweden
05x(x): Western Sweden
06x(x): Northern Sweden
070: GSM mobile phones
071: Premium rate calls
073: GSM mobile phones
0730: GSM mobile phones
074(x): Pagers
076: GSM mobile phones
07x(x): various non-geographical area codes
08: Greater Stockholm
09x(x): Far Northern Sweden and premium rate calls
112: emergency services number
Sweden adopted 00 as its international access code in 1999, replacing 009 and 007.
According to the postal and telecommunication services supervising authority Post- och Telestyrelsen, it seems possible that Sweden will adopt a closed numbering plan in the future.
Switzerland
Country Code: 41
In 2002, Switzerland adopted a closed numbering plan, but retained the use of the trunk code 0. The original plan was to dispense with the trunk code completely, so that all calls within Switzerland would only require a nine-digit number. However, this was modified on grounds of cost. The 01 prefix for numbers in Zurich is being phased out in favor of 044, with 043 being used for overlay numbers.
Until 1999, Liechtenstein formed part of the Swiss numbering plan, using the area code 075, but in that year it adopted its own international code 423, meaning that calls to and from Switzerland require international dialing.
The 076 to 079 number range is now used for mobile phone services.
Ukraine
Country Code: 380
Ukraine (similarly to most of ex-Soviet Union countries) employs a four-level (local, zone, country, international) open dialing plan. For all non-local numbers, the required trunk prefix is '8' followed by an auxiliary dial tone after it (optional on digital exchanges), with the following '2' for in-zone calls, '0' for in-country calls to geographical and cell phone zones, none to toll-free, premium-rate and other special zones (e.g. 800, 900, 703, 711), and '10' for international calls.
The in-country sequence for ordinary zones consists of a 2 digit zone code, an optional subzone code (never used for the capital of the geographic region corresponding to a phone zone), an optional filler (0 to 2 "2"s, used to make the whole in-country sequence contain exactly 9 digits) and the local phone number (5 to 7 digits). Mainly for historical reasons, zone codes are very often named with a leading '0', e.g. 044 instead of 44. When dialing from cell phones, the in-country dial sequence (with 80 prefix) is used even for phones of the same provider. Otherwise a call may be placed in the nearest geographic area.
Geographical zones correspond to geographic regions ("oblasti") with exception of Sebastopol which utilizes its own phone zone.
Cell phone numbers can be assigned both within the cell phone provider zone and within a geographic zone. The latter arrangement is used mainly for CDMA phones and for GSM operators selling their connectivity within one city, like GoldenTelecom GSM. Allocation of new GSM cell phone numbers within a geographic zone is very rare now because law requires all incoming calls to be free, including incoming calls to a cell phone.
Some examples of dialed sequences:
xxx-xx-xx (two PSTN phones within Kiev, local number is 7 digits long)
x-xx-xx (two PSTN phones inside Brovary, city in Kiev phone zone, local
number is 5 digits long)
8~294 x-xx-xx (from Kiev fixed line to Brovary PSTN phone, the same zone,
different subzone; subzone code is 94)
8~2 xxx-xx-xx (from Brovary fixed line to Kiev PSTN phone, the same zone,
different subzone, empty subzone code)
8~067 xxx-xx-xx (from any Ukraine mobile not roaming or PSTN phone to
Kyivstar, cell phone provider)
8~800 xxx-xx-xx (from any Ukraine mobile not roaming or PSTN phone to toll-free number)
8~044 xxx-xx-xx (from any Ukraine mobile nor roaming or PSTN phone outside Kiev
phone zone to Kiev)
8~044 94x-xx-xx (from any Ukraine mobile not roaming or PSTN phone outside of
Kiev phone zone to Brovary)
8~045 xxx-xx-xx (from any Ukraine mobile nor roaming or PSTN phone outside of
Chernihiv phone zone to Chernihiv)
8~032 2xx-xx-xx (from any Ukraine mobile nor roaming or PSTN phone outside of
Lviv phone zone to Lviv; the local number is 6 digits long,
so "2" is used as a filler to make the whole in-country dial sequence
9 digits long)
+380 44 xxx-xx-xx (mobile international call to Kiev zone or Kiev itself)
+380 44 94x-xx-xx (mobile international call to Brovary)
+380 32 2xx-xx-xx (mobile international call to Lviv)
+380 67 xxx-xx-xx (mobile international call to Kyivstar)
8~10 ... (mobile or fixed international call from Ukraine)
(In the table, tilde sign ('~') means waiting for secondary dial tone.)
Some mobile operators may support additional dialing plans. For example, Kyivstar also supports the following:
xxx-xx-xx (local number at current location of KyivStar mobile - i.e. if the
mobile is currently in Kiev this will represent a Kiev number)
67-xxx-xx-xx (call from KyivStar subscriber to KyivStar subscriber)
067-xxx-xx-xx (call from KyivStar subscriber to KyivStar subscriber)
Note that law explicitly prohibits trunk calls to a PSTN phone within the same local area in a geographic phone zone (e.g. from Kiev to Kiev), so one cannot dial 8~2 or 8~0xx for this, unless the phone exchange is misconfigured or a special circumstance occurs.
United Kingdom
Country Code: 44
Main article: UK Telephone Numbering Plan
Since April 28, 2001, all normal geographic numbers and most non-geographic numbers are 10 digit (excluding the 0 prefix but including the rest of the area code) the overall structure of the UK's National Numbering Plan is:
01 Geographic area codes
02 Geographic area codes (newly introduced in 2000)
03 Reserved for area codes
04 Reserved
05 corporate numbering and VoIP services (note: some voip services use 0845, 0870 or geographic numbers).
06 Reserved
07 "Find Me Anywhere" services (mobile phone, pager & personal numbers)
08 Freephone (toll free), Local & National Rate numbers
09 Premium Rate services and multimedia
A short list of examples, set out in the officially approved (Ofcom) number groups:
(029) xxxx xxxx: Cardiff
(0131) xxx xxxx: Edinburgh
(01382) xxx xxx: Dundee
(015396) xxxxx: Sedbergh
In the United Kingdom, area codes are — excluding the leading '0' which is dropped when calling UK numbers from overseas — two, three, four or five digits long, with larger towns and cities having shorter area codes permitting a larger number of telephone numbers in the ten or eleven digits used. Area codes are called "STD" (subscriber trunk dialling) codes.
It is very common to see the + notation being misused — +44 (0)xxx xxx xxxx is not an uncommon occurrence even in official documents. For international callers the number between the brackets is dropped. For callers within the United Kingdom the +44 is dropped and the number between the brackets used.
United States, Canada and West Indies
Main article: North American Numbering Plan
See also: List of North American area codes
In the United States (including its territories) Canada, Bermuda, and most islands in the Caribbean, area codes are regulated by the North American Numbering Plan. Currently, all area codes (officially called numbering plan areas) in the NANP must have 3 digits. Despite being one numbering plan the cost of calling numbers in the NANP (both from inside and from outside) can vary wildly depending on which country of the NANP the code is in so great care is needed on the part of a caller to avoid unexpectedly large bills.
Not all area codes correspond to a geographical area. Codes 8xx (excluding 811 and 899) with the last two digits matching, such as 800, 888, 877, 866, etc., are reserved for toll-free calls. Code 900 is reserved for premium-rate calls (also known as dial-it services, although such services also exist in some places on a local basis using a particular three-digit prefix following the area code, often "976"). Area code 710 has been reserved for the United States Government, although no lines other than the single telephone number 710-627-4387 ("NCS-GETS") had actually been connected on this code as of 2004.
None of these changes enable the existence of variable length area codes, which are commonplace outside North America. Also see [5].
Mobile phones are allocated numbers within regular geographic area codes corresponding to or close to the subscriber's home or work location, instead of within a distinctive subset of area codes (e.g. 07xxx in the UK) and all the extra costs of mobile telephony must be borne by the mobiles owner (unlike in many countries where calling mobiles costs significantly more than calling landlines). Local number portability (LNP) applies across landline and mobile services. A customer can port a landline number to mobile service and vice-versa.
Dialing plans
Dialing plans vary from place to place depending on whether an area has overlays (multiple area codes serving the same area) and whether the state requires toll alerting (a leading 1+ for toll calls.) The NANPA web site includes dialing plan information in their information on individual area codes. In areas without overlays and without toll alerting, including California and much of Illinois, New York, and New Jersey, calls within an area code are dialed as seven digits (7D) and calls outside the area code as 1 followed by 10 digits (1+10D). Most areas allow permissive dialing of 1+10D even for calls that could be dialed as 7D. The number of digits dialed is unrelated to whether a call is local or toll. In areas without overlays and with toll alerting, including most rural states, local calls within the same area code are dialed as 7D, toll calls are dialed as 1+10D. In some places, local calls to other area codes are 1+10D, in others they can be dialed as 10D without the leading 1. In areas with overlays, local calls are all dialed as 10D. (In New York City, the preferred form is 1+10D but 10D also works.) In areas without toll alerting, all calls to numbers within the caller's area code and overlay codes serving the same area can be dialed as either 10D or 1+10D, while calls to other area codes must be 1+10D. In areas with toll alerting, all toll calls must be dialed as 1+10D. Most areas permit local calls to be dialed as 1+10D except for Texas which requires that callers know which numbers are local and which are toll, dialing 10D for all local calls and 1+10D for all toll calls. The current profusion of dialing plans is quite confusing, and it appears likely that all areas will converge on 1+10D even in places where other forms are permitted.
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