Wikivoyage:Phone numbers
For most listings (restaurants, bars, hotels, sites, activities), it's helpful to have a phone number for making contact.
We format phone numbers as they would be dialled internationally but in a way that separates the country code, area code, and part that can be dialled locally.
+<country code> <area code> <local number>
For example:
A Canadian number should be listed like:
+1 709 959-5000
Where "1" is the country code, "709" is the area code and "959-5000" can be (optionally) dialled locally (as designated by the two groups of digits con-joined with a hyphen).
- When an area code is required for local dialling, or an area code requires a prefix for local dialling (say a '0'), note that in the Contact section of the guide.
- Information on toll-free, and premium rate prefixes should also go in the Contact section. Consider whether a warning is necessary in the actual listing if premium rate numbers are used.
- The number group(s) that can be (optionally) dialled locally are con-joined with hyphens.
- Our formatting method may differ from that seen most in the country concerned. We prefer to use hyphens to only indicate the (con-joined) abbreviated part of the whole telephone number that can be utilised for local dialling. We do not use italics or parentheses within the phone number.
- Where a number can mostly not be dialled from outside the country concerned (eg: a New Zealand Freephone number), it should be listed in the prevalent local style (eg: 0800 737 000 for the Air New Zealand Freephone number only valid within NZ)
- In most countries, all the digits of mobile phone numbers should be dialled and there will be no (con-joined) abbreviated part of the whole mobile phone number that can be used for local dialling. This resource is useful for deciding which are mobile numbers.
- The <listing> tag provides three fields (phone, tollfree, fax) for telephone numbers. These fields may contain no more than one number each and must be written in entirely-numeric form (+1-212-736-5000 and not "PEnnsylvania 6-5000", +1 areacode-273-3474 and not 273-FISH). Any additional numbers (such as separate local 'phone numbers for a pub and a B&B in the same inn, vanity numbers or TTY/TDD numbers for deaf users) should appear in the body of the listing.
Contents |
Country-specific examples [edit]
Abkhazia [edit]
In Abkhazia a phone number can belong to either Georgia or Russia so there are two styles of listing.
For Georgian numbers they should look like:
+995 442 123456
where "995" is the country code for Georgia, the next 3 digits are the area code in the range 442 to 448 for fixed (or land) lines and the remaining 6 digits are the "local" part of the subscriber number that can be called from within that particular area code using abbreviated dialling.
The fact that you need to dial "0" in front of the geographic area code (from outside that particular area code (but when still within Abkhazia) should be in the Contact section of the guide.
Mobile numbers on Georgian networks within Abkhazia can always be dialled using the full international format, no matter where they are being called from, so no hyphens are used. The 5nn is a mobile prefix, not an "area code", as such and the second and third digits (the nn part) denotes the original mobile network assigned.
+995 595 555 555
For Russian numbers they should look like:
+7 840 123-45-67
where "7" is the country code for Russia, the next 3 digits of 840 is the area code for fixed (or land) lines and the remaining 7 digits are the "local" part of the subscriber number that can be called from within the 840 area code using abbreviated dialling.
The fact that you need to dial "8" in front of the geographic area code (from outside that particular area code (but when still within Russia and the Russian administered part of Abkhazia) should be in the Contact section of the guide.
Mobile numbers on Russian networks within Abkhazia can always be dialled using the full international format, no matter where they are being called from, so no hyphens are used. The 940 is a mobile prefix, not an "area code", as such and the second and third digits (the nn part) denotes the original mobile network assigned.
+7 940 555 555
Afghanistan [edit]
An Afghanistan number should be listed like:
+93 30 539-0605
where "93" is the country code for Afghanistan, the next two digits are the area code and the remaining 7 digits (con-joined with a hyphen) are the "local" part of the subscriber number that can be called from within that particular area code using abbreviated dialling.
The fact that you need to dial "0" in front of the geographic area code (of 20, 30, 40, 50 or 60 for fixed lines) from outside that particular area code (but when still within Afghanistan) should be in the Contact section of the guide.
Mobile numbers in Afghanistan must always be dialled with all digits (10 digits, including a "0" prefixing the "70n" within Afghanistan), no matter where they are being called from, so no hyphens are used. The 70n is a mobile prefix, not an "area code", as such and the third digit (the n part) denotes the original mobile network assigned.
+93 700 202 496
Armenia [edit]
An Armenian number should be listed like:
+374 312 57659
where "374" is the country code for Armenia, the next 2-5 digits (starting with a 1, 2, 3 or 4 in the case of land lines) are the area code and the remaining 3 to 6 digits (con-joined with a hyphen in the case of Yerevan) are the "local" part of the subscriber number that can be called from within that particular area code using abbreviated dialling.
Area codes starting with 6 have been assigned to Internet telephony service providers to provide non-geographically based numbers.
Mobile phone numbers have two digit mobile prefixes denoting the original network and all begin with a 9 ( Nagorno-Karabakh mobile networks that used to start with a 7 have now been re-numbered to 97).
The fact that you need to dial "0" in front of the geographic area code from outside that particular area code (but when still within Armenia) should be in the Contact section of the guide.
Mobile numbers in Armenia must always be dialled with all digits (including a "0" prefixing the "9n" from within Armenia), no matter where they are being called from, so no hyphens are used when listing them in Wikivoyage. The 9n is a mobile prefix, not an "area code", as such and the second and sometimes third digits (the n part) denotes the original mobile network assigned. As is the case with most mobile numbers, they can also be called within or outside Armenia using the international format.
Because most Armenian toll-free numbers and Premium Rate Numbers can not be called from outside Armenia they are not listed in international format and without hyphens since there is no "local" part:
800 23 456 900 12 345
Australia [edit]
An Australian number should be listed like:
+61 2 1255-3456
where "61" is the country code for Australia, the next digit is the area code and the remaining 8 digits (con-joined with a hyphen) are the part of the subscriber number that can be called from within that particular area code.
The fact that you need to dial "0" in front of the geographic area code (of 2, 3, 7 or 8) on Australian landlines should be in the Contact section of the guide.
Mobile numbers in Australia must be dialled with all digits (10 digits, including a "0" prefixing the "4nn" within Australia), no matter where they are being called from, so hyphens are used.
+61 432-555-555
Because some 18,19,13 numbers cannot be called from outside Australia they are not listed in international format:
1800-234-567 1300-345-678
Canada [edit]
Canada is part of the North American Numbering Plan (along with the US and most of the Caribbean) and uses the country code +1.
Due to inefficient allocation policies for local numbers, many areas (including some remote places like James Bay) now have multiple overlapping area codes. This requires dialling of all ten digits for even the most trivial of local calls.
These ten-digit local calls are indicated by hyphens in the format:
+1 647-555-5555
In areas which still have just one area code, the seven-digit local Canadian number is formatted as:
+1 709 959-5000
Within Canada, 1 is dialled to indicate a toll call (but must be omitted for local landline calls), the next 3 digits are the area code and the remaining 7 digits are the subscriber number.
Canada currently draws its tollfree numbers from a shared pool based in the US. These are written using the full eleven-digit international format:
+1-800-234-5678
Mobile numbers are normally allocated from the same local area codes as landlines; the recipient of the call pays airtime.
The prefix to make an outbound international call from North America is 011-. This prefix does apply to calls from Canada to Saint Pierre and Miquelon but does not apply to countries which share the Canadian +1 prefix, such as the US.
A list of Canadian area codes and exchanges is on cnac.ca; North American area codes which require ten digits locally are listed on nanpa.com.
China [edit]
The Special Administrative Regions of Hong Kong and Macau are not part of this numbering plan, and use the country codes 852 and 853, respectively
A Chinese number should be listed like:
+86 20 1255-3456
where "86" is the country code for China, the next 2 or 3 digits is the area code and the remaining 7 or 8 digits (con-joined with a hyphen) are the "local" part of the subscriber number that can be called from within that particular area code using abbreviated dialling.
The fact that you need to dial "0" in front of the geographic area code from outside that particular area code (but when still within China) should be in the Contact section of the guide.
Mobile numbers in China must always be dialled with all digits (12 digits, including a "0" prefixing the "1nn" within China), no matter where they are being called from, so no hyphens are used. The 1nn is a mobile prefix, not an "area code", as such and the second and third digits (the nn part) denotes the original mobile network assigned.
+86 131 5558 5558
Because most Chinese toll-free numbers (starting 800) and Local Rate Numbers (starting 400) can not be called from outside China they are not listed in international format and without hyphens since there is no "local" part. 800 toll-free numbers are not accessible to mobile network subscribers in China and also not accessible to some land-line subscribers (eg: China Tietong Telecom land-line users cannot access 800 numbers):
800 234 5678 400 345 6789
Emergency numbers [edit]
From within China, the following emergency numbers are used (mainly in major cities):
- 110: Police
- 119: Fire
- 120: Ambulance
- 122: Traffic Accident
Also, in Beijing, there is a privately operated Ambulance that can be called using
999
In many cities, the emergency numbers provide assistance in Mandarin and English.
Colombia [edit]
A Colombian land line number should be listed like:
+57 8 125-3456
where "57" is the country code for Colombia, the next digit is the dialling zone where the local number is located (can be a 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7 or 8) and the remaining digits (typically 7 digits con-joined with a hyphen) are the "local" part of the subscriber number that can be called from within that dialling zone using abbreviated dialling.
Dialling within Colombia is complicated by having four national and well-established long-distance carriers with new long distance operators joining almost daily.
Until a local telecoms guru figures it all out, the simplest (but not the cheapest) thing to do might be to use a mobile phone to call "long distance" (ie using the international dialling format) from one part of Colombia to another. Simply compose the number exactly as written (but without spaces and including the initial plus sign) on the mobile phone's keypad and then hit the send key - your mobile network will figure it out!
Mobile numbers in Colombia all start with a "3" and are of the form 3nn 123 4567 and must always be dialled with all digits (unless in the relatively rare event that one is calling within the same mobile network) so no hyphens are used. The 3nn is a mobile prefix and the second and third digits (the nn part) denotes the original mobile network assigned.
+57 304 123 456
Because most Colombian toll-free numbers (formerly "9800") are not able to be called from outside Colombia, they are not listed in international format, and without hyphens since there is no "local" part:
01 800 234 5678
Germany [edit]
A German number should be listed like:
+49 351 125-3456
where "49" is the country code for Germany, the next digits are the area code and the remaining digits (con-joined with a hyphen where very long) are the "local" part of the subscriber number that can be called from within that particular area code using abbreviated dialling. Since there are no standard lengths for either geographic area codes or subscribers' numbers, the last part may be as short as two digits! Currently, the 5000 odd German area codes vary in length from 2 thru 5 digits.
The fact that you need to dial "0" in front of the geographic area code from outside that particular area code (but when still within Germany) should be in the Contact section of the guide.
Mobile numbers in Germany must always be dialled with all digits (10-12 digits, including a "0" prefixing the "1nn" within Germany), no matter where they are being called from, so no hyphens are used. The 1nn is a mobile prefix, not an "area code", as such and the second and third digits (the nn part) denotes the original mobile network assigned before number portability is taken into account.
+49 151 123 456
Because most German toll-free numbers (formerly "0130" and now often called a Null-achthunderter-Nummer) can not be called from outside Germany they are not listed in international format and without hyphens since there is no "local" part:
0800 234 5678
Indonesia [edit]
An Indonesian number should be listed like:
+62 21 6539-0605
where "62" is the country code for Indonesia, the next 3 digits (or 2 digits in the case of large conurbations) is the area code and the remaining 7 digits (8 digits in the case of area codes with only two digits) are the "local" part of the subscriber number (con-joined with a hyphen) that can be called from within that particular area code using abbreviated dialling.
The fact that you need to dial "0" in front of the geographic area code from outside that particular area code (but when still within Indonesia) should be in the Contact section of the guide.
Mobile numbers in Indonesia must always be dialled with all digits (typically 8-12 digits including a "0" prefixing the "8nnn" within Indonesia), no matter where they are being called from, so no hyphens are used. The 8nnn is a mobile prefix, not an "area code", as such and the second and subsequent digits denote the original mobile network assigned.
+62 834 202 4961
Iran [edit]
An Iranian number should be listed like:
+98 515 539-0605
where "98" is the country code for Iran, the next 3 digits (or 21 in the case of Tehran) is the area code and the remaining 7 digits (eight in the case of Tehran) are the "local" part of the subscriber number (con-joined with a hyphen) that can be called from within that particular area code using abbreviated dialling.
The fact that you need to dial "0" in front of the geographic area code from outside that particular area code (but when still within Iran) should be in the Contact section of the guide.
Mobile numbers in Iran must always be dialled with all 11 digits (including a "0" prefixing the "9nn" within Iran), no matter where they are being called from, so no hyphens are used. The 9nn is a mobile prefix, not an "area code", as such and the second and third digits denote the original mobile network assigned.
+98 934 202 4961
Japan [edit]
A Japanese land line number should be listed like:
+81 3 1234-5678
where "81" is the country code for Japan, the next digit is the dialling zone where the local number is located (can contain from one to three digits, more info) and the remaining digits (typically four to eight digits, con-joined with a hyphen) are the "local" part.
Malaysia [edit]
An Malaysian number should be listed like:
+60 89 539-605
where "60" is the country code for Malaysia, the next one or two digits is the area code and the remaining 6 or 7 digits are the "local" part of the subscriber number (con-joined with a hyphen) that can be called from within that particular area code using abbreviated dialling.
The fact that you need to dial "0" in front of the geographic area code from outside that particular area code (but when still within Malaysia) should be in the Contact section of the guide.
Mobile numbers in Malaysia must always be dialled with all 9 digits (including a "0" prefixing the "1n" within Malaysia), no matter where they are being called from, so no hyphens are used. The 1n is a mobile prefix, not an "area code", as such and the second digit denote the original mobile network assigned.
+60 19 202 4961
New Zealand [edit]
A New Zealand number should be listed like:
+64 3 539-0605
where "64" is the country code for New Zealand, the next digit is the area code and the remaining 7 digits (con-joined with a hyphen) are the "local" part of the subscriber number that can be called from within that particular area code using abbreviated dialling.
The fact that you need to dial "0" in front of the geographic area code (of 3, 4, 6, 7 or 9) from outside that particular area code (but when still within New Zealand) should be in the Contact section of the guide.
Mobile numbers in New Zealand must always be dialled with all digits (8 to 10 digits, including a "0" prefixing the "2n" within New Zealand), no matter where they are being called from, so no hyphens are used. The 2n is a mobile prefix, not an "area code", as such and the second digit (the n part) denotes the original mobile network assigned.
+64 21 202 4961
Because most New Zealand toll-free numbers can not be called from outside New Zealand they are not listed in international format and without hyphens since there is no "local" part:
0800 737 000
A currently little-known feature of our listings software is this markup:
tollfree="0800 737 000"
Philippines [edit]
A Philippines number should be listed like:
+63 35 539-0605
where "63" is the country code for the Philippines, the next one, two or three digits are the area code and the remaining 7 digits (con-joined with a hyphen) are the "local" part of the subscriber number that can be called from within that particular area code using abbreviated dialling.
The fact that you need to dial "0" in front of the geographic area code from outside that particular area code (but when still within the Philippines) should be in the Contact section of the guide.
Mobile numbers in the Philippines must always be dialled with all 11 digits (including a "0" prefixing the "8nn" or "9nn" within the Philippines), no matter where they are being called from, so no hyphens are used. The 8nn or 9nn is a mobile prefix, not an "area code", as such and the second and third digits (the nn part) denotes the original mobile network assigned. As is the case with most mobile numbers, they can also be called within or outside the Philippines using the international format - just one reason why Wikivoyage chooses to format them as follows:
+63 996 202 4961
Because most Philippines toll-free numbers can not be called from outside Philippines they are not listed in international format and without hyphens since there is no "local" part:
1800 1855 0165
Singapore [edit]
A Singapore number should be listed like:
+65 6396 0605
where "65" is the country code for Singapore.
Due to the small area of Singapore, there are no area or trunk codes, with the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN), Radio Network and IP Telephony all belonging to one numbering area with an 8 digit numbering format.
The first digit of this 8 digit number denotes the type of service:
3nnn-nnnn - Voice Over IP services
6nnn-nnnn - Fixed Line services inclusive of Fixed Line Voice Over IP services
8nnn-nnnn - Mobile phone services
9nnn-nnnn - Mobile phone services including Paging Services
Because most Singapore toll-free numbers can not be called from outside Singapore they are not listed in international format:
1800 185 0165
800 185 0165
Thailand [edit]
A Thai number should be listed like:
+66 2 123 4567 +66 43 123456 1155 1800 747 747 1900 666 666
where "66" is the country code, the next 1 or 2 digits (beginning 2, 3, 4, 5 or 7 for land lines) are the area code and the remaining digits are the subscriber number.
You always need to dial "0" in front of the area code (of 2 for Bangkok in our first example; of 43 for Khon Kaen in our second example) to dial from inside Thailand (if you are not using the full international format).
(Thailand changed to a closed dialling plan in 2001, which means it is one of the few countries where even calling within the area code requires the complete number, including the area code, to be dialled. Therefore, none of the number groups of a Thai telephone number should be con-joined with hyphens when listed in Wikivoyage since there are no "local" parts of a telephone number in Thailand that can be called from within that particular area code using abbreviated dialling!)
Land line numbers in Thailand are always 8 digits long (when the STD prefix of 0 is omitted); mobile and VoIP numbers have 9 digits and begin with a 6, 8 or 9.
Note that international format is not used for the last three examples of non-geographic numbers (the tourist police, a toll free number and a premium rate number respectively) since they generally cannot be dialled from outside Thailand.
UK and dependencies [edit]
A United Kingdom number should be listed like:
+44 20 3344-5566 +44 141 222-3344 +44 70 0596 3437 0800 747 7477 111
where "44" is the country code, the next 2 to 5 digits are the area code and the remaining digits are the subscriber number even though, for the first two examples with additional hyphens, this differs from common and recommended local practice. Note that international format is not used for the last two examples of non-geographic numbers since they generally cannot be dialled from outside the countries that use the +44 country code.
The fact that you need to dial "0" in front of the area code (of 20 for London in our first example; of 141 for Glasgow in our second example or of 70 for the premium rate personal number in our third example) to dial from outside that particular area code (but when still within the United Kingdom or a Crown Dependency) should be noted in the Contact section of the guide.
USA [edit]
The US, along with Canada and much of the Caribbean (but not México), uses the North American Numbering Plan and its country code of +1. This includes US possessions outside North America (for instance, +1-684- is American Samoa).
A seven-digit local American number is formatted as:
+1 808 959-5000
Some metro areas (such as Boston) have multiple, overlapping area codes; these overlays require ten digits for a local call.
These are indicated by hyphens in the format:
+1 617-555-5555
A domestic toll call always requires eleven digits, 1-areacode-number where 3 digits form the area code and the remaining 7 digits are the subscriber number.
Three large cities (New York City, Los Angeles and Chicago) require all eleven digits for all calls. This pattern also applies with toll-free numbers, which by definition have no local calling area and use the full eleven-digit format:
+1-212-718-1234
+1-800-234-5678
Toll-free numbers are listed in international format as some are reachable on a limited basis outside the US (usually from Canada or Mexico, although the latter must be dialled as an international call).
A list of North American area codes which require ten or eleven-digit dialing is on nanpa.com; that site also has US area code maps and lists of individual exchanges. The prefix to make an outbound international call from North America is 011-. This prefix is not used when calling other countries within the +1 country code, although most calls from the US to Canada will be long-distance.
Vietnam [edit]
A Vietnam number should be listed like:
+84 35 539-0605
where "84" is the country code for Vietnam, the next one, two or three digits are the area code and the remaining 5 to 8 digits (con-joined with a hyphen) are the "local" part of the subscriber number that can be called from within that particular area code using abbreviated dialling.
Area codes in Vietnam that start with 2, 3, 5, 6 or 7 have 7 digit subscriber numbers.
Area codes that start with 4 (for Hanoi) and 8 (for Ho Chi Minh City) have 8 digit subscriber numbers (except for area code 80 which is used exclusively by the government and is followed by a 5 digit subscriber number).
Area codes starting with 1 or 9 are now used for mobile phone numbers (except 99, which is used for VSAT) and have either 2 or 3 digits. They always have 7 digit mobile subscriber numbers
The fact that you need to dial "0" in front of the geographic area code from outside that particular area code (but when still within Vietnam) should be in the Contact section of the guide.
Mobile numbers in Vietnam must always be dialled with all 9 or 10 digits (including a "0" prefixing the "1nn" or "9nn" within Vietnam), no matter where they are being called from, so no hyphens are used when listing them in Wikivoyage. The 1nn or 9nn is a mobile prefix, not an "area code", as such and the second and sometimes third digits (the nn part) denotes the original mobile network assigned. As is the case with most mobile numbers, they can also be called within or outside Vietnam using the international format - just one reason why Wikivoyage chooses to format them as follows:
+84 996 202 4961
Because most Vietnam toll-free numbers can not be called from outside Vietnam they are not listed in international format and without hyphens since there is no "local" part:
1201 1318