International Dialing Codes: Country Codes and Dialing Rules

International dialing codes identify the destination numbering plan. Getting a call through also requires the right exit prefix and national number format.

To call an ordinary international phone number, use:

+ [country calling code] [complete national number in international format]

The national part includes the area code or mobile prefix when required. It may differ from the number someone dials domestically: some domestic prefixes disappear, while some leading zeros must stay.

On a mobile phone that supports international dialing, save the number beginning with +. If your telephone requires a numeric international access prefix, use the procedure for the connection you are calling from. For example, a conventional call from the United States to France starts with 011 33; a call from France to the United States starts with 00 1.

For US and Canadian readers: calls to other destinations in the shared +1 North American Numbering Plan normally follow NANP dialing procedures, commonly 1 + area code + seven-digit number. They do not ordinarily use 011 + 1. Your provider may allow ten-digit dialing, and long-distance charges can still apply.

Numbering sources reviewed November 7, 2026. Examples containing X or … illustrate formats; they are not telephone numbers to call.

International dialing codes directory

Use your browser’s Find on page function to locate a country or territory.

The tables cover ordinary country and territory calling destinations. Shared numbering plans are included, while global services such as international freephone and satellite calling are explained separately.

Country-code assignments should be checked against the ITU National Numbering Plans directory. A calling code alone does not provide every digit needed to reach a particular subscriber.

United States, Canada, and other +1 destinations

All destinations in this table use country calling code +1. The next three digits are an area code, followed by a seven-digit subscriber number.

For example, the Bahamas uses +1 242, but its country calling code is 1; 242 is the area code. The same distinction applies to the other entries below.

These destination and area-code combinations appear in the ITU directory. Where several area codes are listed, use the one belonging to the complete number you were given.

Europe

The European assignments are supported by the ITU directory and operator country-code references. For Kosovo, use the current ITU assignment, +383.

Several shared arrangements deserve attention. Jersey, Guernsey, and the Isle of Man use +44. Åland uses Finland’s +358 numbering plan, while Svalbard uses +47. Vatican institutions publish telephone contacts in the Italian +39 06 range; retain that zero.

Asia and the Middle East

These assignments can be cross-checked through the ITU directory and international service tables published by operators such as SoftBank. Use the recipient’s complete published international number when a destination has special local or carrier routing arrangements.

Kazakhstan and Russia share +7. Kazakhstan’s government confirmed continued joint use in 2026. The remaining national digits are needed to distinguish numbering ranges; +7 alone does not identify one country.

Other destinations in the Americas and Caribbean

Destinations using +1 appear in the first table.

The ITU directory provides the country-code assignments, while France’s numbering regulator, Arcep, documents the French Caribbean and other overseas numbering areas.

A useful distinction: Saint-Martin’s French side uses +590; Sint Maarten’s Dutch side uses +1 721. Sharing an island does not mean sharing a calling code.

Africa and Indian Ocean destinations

These assignments are available through the ITU and KDDI/au country-code directories. Arcep confirms the shared +262 arrangement for Réunion and Mayotte.

Australia, New Zealand, and other Pacific destinations

American Samoa, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands appear in the shared +1 table.

The ITU directory and operator service tables distinguish these separate Pacific numbering destinations. Do not substitute +64 for the Cook Islands, Niue, or Tokelau simply because of their relationship with New Zealand.

For Norfolk Island, ordinary published telephone contacts use the fuller sequence +672 3 …. The country code is 672; the following 3 belongs to the destination’s national numbering arrangement.

Understand the parts of an international phone number

A country calling code is only one part of the dialing sequence.

The national significant number is the complete national portion required after the country calling code. It includes the necessary area or service digits, while a domestic trunk prefix is excluded. ITU’s numbering standards distinguish these elements explicitly.

For example:

+44 20 XXXX XXXX

Here, 44 is the country calling code, 20 is the area code, and the remaining eight digits identify the subscriber. The domestic form begins 020, but its initial zero is removed for this international format.

A telephone country code also differs from a country’s letter abbreviation. GB, US, and FR are not substitutes for 44, 1, and 33 when making a telephone call.

Choose the exit prefix for the connection you are using

The exit prefix depends on where and how the call originates. The country calling code belongs to the destination number.

If you are using a mobile phone that supports + dialing, entering + avoids manually choosing a numeric exit prefix. On many phones, press and hold 0 to enter it.

For a telephone interface that requires digits, these are useful starting points:

The North American, European, Australian, and Japanese procedures are documented by providers and numbering authorities. Brazil’s carrier-selection rules, Singapore’s service-specific access, and Kenya’s 000 prefix require their own qualifications.

Do not combine + with an exit prefix

For a French mobile number, choose the format your interface supports:

• Mobile international format: +33 6 XX XX XX XX

• Conventional US numeric dialing: 011 33 6 XX XX XX XX

• Numeric dialing from a country using 00: 00 33 6 XX XX XX XX

Do not type +011 33 … or 011 +33 …. The plus sign and numeric exit prefix serve the same position in these alternative dialing procedures.

A US phone number does not make every connection American

Your home country and the connection you are using are different questions.

If you are calling from a hotel telephone in France, follow that hotel’s outside-line and international dialing instructions. Do not assume that 011 applies because you live in the United States.

For a supported mobile dialer, saving contacts with + is more portable. A carrier-specific discount service may still require its own access sequence.

Leading zeros and trunk-prefix exceptions

Remove a zero only when it is a domestic trunk prefix. Keep it when it belongs to the national number.

This distinction is more reliable than memorizing “always drop the first zero.”

Numbers where the domestic zero is removed

For these ordinary examples:

The zero is replaced by the international country-code structure; the remaining national digits stay in order. These examples follow the relevant numbering and operator guidance.

Italy: retain the zero in geographic fixed-line numbers

For a Rome fixed-line number:

06 … → +39 06 …

Italian geographic numbers begin with a significant 0. Removing it changes the number. Italian mobile numbers use different ranges, so this rule does not mean you should add a zero to every Italian number.

The same practical point applies to Vatican contacts published as +39 06 …: keep the number as published.

Côte d’Ivoire: retain the zero in mobile numbers

Ordinary mobile numbers use ten national digits, including prefixes such as 01, 05, and 07.

For example:

07 XX XX XX XX → +225 07 XX XX XX XX

The regulator’s notification explicitly says that the zero after 225 is part of the national significant number.

Benin: keep the new 01 after +229

Benin changed from eight-digit to ten-digit ordinary telephone numbers on November 30, 2024, adding 01 before the previous eight digits.

The international format is:

+229 01 XX XX XX XX

An old contact saved as +229 followed by only eight national digits needs updating. Do not remove the zero in the new 01.

A number written as +44 (0)20 needs interpretation

A business may print +44 (0)20 … to show both domestic and international forms together. For an international UK call, use +44 20 ….

Parentheses are not a universal instruction to delete any enclosed zero. Apply the destination’s actual numbering rule, especially for Italian geographic numbers. International notation is clearer when the complete international number is written without optional domestic-prefix notation.

Common landline and mobile number formats

The following are representative formats, not exhaustive lists of valid prefixes.

• X represents one digit.

• … means the remaining number can vary in length.

• A format example does not establish that every possible digit combination is allocated or active.

• “Fixed” examples refer to ordinary geographic numbers, not every business, toll-free, or special-service number.

United States, Canada, and selected European destinations

The NANP defines a ten-digit national number. French, German, Italian, Spanish, and Portuguese numbering sources document the differing national formats and service ranges.

For France, 01 through 05 should not be used to establish where a subscriber currently lives. Their geographic installation restrictions ended on January 1, 2023.

Selected Asia-Pacific and Middle Eastern destinations

Australia and New Zealand’s examples follow regulator and operator guidance; the New Zealand numbering administrator specifically documents varying number lengths. China, Japan, and India’s examples reflect their published ordinary numbering structures. Philippine, Saudi, and UAE sources support the corresponding fixed-line and mobile distinctions.

Philippine landline detail: the eight-digit subscriber format shown here applies to the Greater Metro Manila 02 numbering area. Do not assume that every Philippine landline has the same area-code or subscriber-number length.

Selected Latin American destinations

The rules come from Mexico’s IFT, Brazil’s ANATEL, Argentina’s operator guidance, and Colombia’s CRC.

Country-specific changes that can break an otherwise correct-looking number

Mexico: remove the old extra 1

Current ordinary international dialing uses:

+52 [ten-digit national number]

This applies to both fixed and mobile numbers. Older instructions may show an extra 1 after +52 for a mobile. Mexico’s numbering change removed that extra digit, along with the old domestic prefixes 01, 044, and 045.

If an old mobile contact begins +52 1 …, check it against the current ten-digit national format.

Argentina: mobiles require a different conversion from fixed lines

A domestic Buenos Aires mobile may be written:

011 15 XXXX XXXX

For an international voice call, convert it to:

+54 9 11 XXXX XXXX

Remove the domestic trunk 0, remove the domestic mobile marker 15, and insert 9 after the country code. Fixed-line numbers use +54 11 … without that mobile 9.

Colombia: keep 60 in the current fixed-line format

A current international call to a Colombian fixed line uses:

+57 60 [one-digit region code] [seven-digit subscriber number]

For Bogotá, this becomes +57 601 XXX XXXX.

An older fixed-line contact that omits 60 may need updating. Colombian mobiles keep their ten-digit national format; the fixed-line 60 is not added to them.

Brazil: distinguish the destination number from carrier-selection digits

An ordinary Brazilian contact is stored as:

+55 [two-digit area code] [subscriber number]

When placing an international call from Brazil, a conventional carrier-selected sequence uses:

00 [carrier selection code] [destination country code] [destination national number]

A preselected long-distance provider can change that procedure. Follow the originating provider’s instructions, and keep carrier-selection digits out of the destination’s saved international number.

Worked example: save a contact correctly before traveling

Suppose Morgan is in the United States arranging an appointment with an office in Rome. The office provides a domestic number written as:

06 XXXX XXXX, extension 204

Morgan wants to call from home now and from a hotel in France next week.

Step 1: Identify what belongs to the number

The destination is an Italian geographic fixed line. Its initial 0 is significant, so the international number is:

+39 06 XXXX XXXX

The extension is separate.

Step 2: Save the portable contact

Morgan saves:

Morgan does not append 204 directly to the international number, because that would create a different digit string.

Step 3: Use the correct originating procedure

From a conventional US connection requiring numeric access, Morgan dials:

011 39 06 XXXX XXXX

From a French connection using standard numeric international access, the corresponding sequence is:

00 39 06 XXXX XXXX

If the hotel requires an outside-line digit, Morgan follows the hotel’s instructions before entering that sequence. After the office’s telephone system answers, Morgan enters the extension when prompted.

The destination number stays the same. The access procedure changes with the originating connection. The Italian zero stays in both cases.

This is a constructed formatting example, not a report of a completed or tested call.

Shared codes and overseas territories: check the actual destination

A political relationship or familiar country name is not enough to choose a telephone code.

Consider these distinctions:

These distinctions are documented in the ITU directory and the relevant national or territorial sources.

Two similar-looking prefixes can also represent very different destinations:

• +1 242 … is a number in the Bahamas within the shared +1 plan.

• +242 … uses the Republic of the Congo’s country calling code.

Read the country-code boundary carefully. Do not assume the first three digits after + always form the country code.

Global service codes: +800 is different from +1 800

Some international prefixes identify services rather than a country.

A Universal International Freephone Number contains 800 followed by an eight-digit global subscriber number. It is structurally different from a NANP number beginning +1 800. Inmarsat’s +870 appears among global network assignments rather than ordinary country destinations.

Do not remove or add the 1 to make these formats look alike.

A toll-free label also does not establish that every overseas network can reach the number. Some domestic toll-free ranges are unavailable from abroad. If a call fails, look for the organization’s published international contact number or ordinary geographic number. New Zealand’s numbering administrator, for example, explicitly distinguishes domestically available numbers from internationally dialable ranges.

What to check when an international call will not connect

Check the number and the originating service separately.

After checking the format:

1. Confirm the complete number with the recipient or the organization’s official contact page. Ask for the version they give to international callers.

2. Check the number’s age. Old business cards and saved contacts may predate a numbering change.

3. Confirm the number type. A local shortcode, domestic toll-free service, geographic number, and mobile number can have different access rules.

4. Check your provider’s service restrictions. A correctly written number may still lack a supported international route.

5. Record the error message. Give your provider the destination, time of the attempt, number format used, and announcement or error received.

International reachability depends on more than syntax. Germany’s numbering authority, for example, explicitly notes that overseas reachability can depend on agreements between the providers involved.

Check charges before placing the call

The dialing format does not tell you the price.

Before calling, confirm:

• Whether your plan includes the destination.

• Whether it covers the specific number type, including mobile, fixed, premium, or satellite service.

• Whether you are making an international call from home or using service while roaming.

• Whether a hotel, business telephone system, or selected international-calling service applies separate charges.

A shared country code does not establish that a call is included. Bell’s guidance explicitly notes that long-distance charges may apply even when a caller is not prompted to add 1. Australia’s regulator likewise explains that providers set charges for the services connected to different number types.

For a specific price, check the provider handling the call and the complete destination number.

What a country calling code can tell you about an incoming call

A calling code identifies the number’s numbering-plan association. It does not verify the caller’s identity or current location.

A traveler may keep using a number issued in their home country. For example, au’s guidance tells callers to use Japan’s +81 when calling a Japanese mobile phone even when that subscriber is abroad.

Caller ID can also be falsified. The FTC explains that scammers can change the name or number displayed on your screen.

If a call claims to come from an organization:

1. Note the stated name, organization, and reason for calling.

2. Find the organization’s contact details independently.

3. Call a verified published number to check the request.

4. Treat a matching country code as numbering context, not authentication.

Already have the caller’s name? You can use DeepSearch to search that name, adding a city or company when known to help distinguish candidates. Review the public information in context. A matching name does not establish who controlled the number or made the call.

Frequently asked questions

Are +44 and 0044 the same?

They can reach the same UK numbering destination when 00 is the international access prefix supported by the originating connection.

0044 is not a universal replacement for +44. From a conventional US connection, the corresponding numeric sequence is normally 011 44. On a supported mobile dialer, use +44.

Does every international number have the same number of digits?

No. Ordinary national number lengths differ between countries, and some numbering plans allow multiple lengths.

Under ITU-T E.164, an international number has a maximum of 15 digits, including the country calling code. The plus sign and an originating international access prefix are not included in that count. An extension is handled separately from the public international number.

Should I remove every zero after a country code?

No. Remove a domestic trunk prefix only when the destination’s plan requires it.

Italian geographic numbers retain their initial zero. Côte d’Ivoire mobile numbers and Benin’s current 01 format also contain significant zeros.

Can I work out the country from a local number alone?

Often you cannot. A number written only as local subscriber digits may lack both the country code and a required area code.

Ask for the complete international number. Guessing from someone’s language, address, or current travel location can produce the wrong dialing sequence.

Does someone’s country code change when they travel?

Travel alone does not change an existing phone number. A person using the same Japanese mobile number abroad is still reached through its +81 format. A new SIM or separately assigned number may have a different code.

How should I enter a number in a form that already has a country-code selector?

Read the field label and example.

If the form has already supplied +44 and asks for the national number in international format, do not type 44 again. If it requests a domestic-format number, follow that instruction instead.

Preserve significant zeros. A form’s country selector does not turn every leading zero into a removable trunk prefix.

Official references and how to verify an unfamiliar destination

Start with the numbering authority for the destination and the provider handling your outgoing call.

Useful references include:

• ITU National Numbering Plans: country and territory assignments and national submissions.

• ITU-T E.164: the international public telecommunication numbering framework.

• ITU-T E.123: international telephone-number notation.

• NANPA: About the North American Numbering Plan: the shared +1 plan and ten-digit national structure.

• Arcep’s consolidated numbering plan: metropolitan France and the overseas numbering areas within its remit.

• Ofcom’s telephone area-code reference: UK geographic area-code information.

• Mexico IFT dialing instructions: the ten-digit reform and removal of obsolete prefixes.

• Colombia CRC numbering update: the current fixed-line dialing structure.

• ARCEP Benin’s ten-digit migration explanation: the required 01 addition.

• New Zealand Number Administration Deed FAQ: number lengths, portability, and international reachability.

• ITU Universal International Freephone guidance: the separate +800 format.

When sources disagree, check the date and the specific rule being described. A page may correctly list a country code while retaining an outdated mobile format or an old carrier-specific dialing procedure.

For a number you actually need to call, verify three things: the recipient’s complete current international number, the access procedure for your connection, and your provider’s reachability and charging rules.