When trying to place a phone call, you may be asked to enter your country code. The question may seem simple, but it can be very confusing. You may be wondering what the different codes mean, and how you can tell which ones are correct. Here’s a quick guide.
0 (zero)
A phone number with the 0 (zero) country code is not an international number. It is a local phone number in a particular country. A telephone number that begins with ’00’ is an international phone number. The country code of a telephone number is 00 or 011 for most countries. To learn the local country code, consult a country code list.
The 0 (zero) country code is sometimes referred to as the Area Code Exit Code. It is required when dialing from outside a country. For instance, if you want to call a friend or family member in Romania, you’ll need to use 00-BBBB. However, you won’t have to dial the initial 00 if calling from the United States.
+1 (one)
+1 (one) is the country code for the United States and most of Canada. It is also the international dialing code. When calling other countries, the country code is the first part of the phone number, followed by the area code. Currently, the +1 (one) is the official country code for North America, including the United States, Canada, and most Caribbean countries. However, it excludes mainland North America north of Mexico. This is known as Zone 6, and American nations outside of this zone have their own country codes.
A country code is the first part of an international number, followed by the phone number. It is always required to dial a country code when making an international call. You may also dial an exit code if you are calling from one region to another. For digital phones, you may be able to automatically dial the exit code when dialing.
00 (zero)
The 00 (zero) country code is one of two or three digits that are used to route calls to the country required by the caller. It is usually dialed after the international prefix. Usually it is preceded by a plus (+) sign. For example, if the number is from the United Kingdom, the code would be +44 1296 999999.
The first two or three digits are area codes, while the rest are subscriber numbers. Landline numbers in the Netherlands are nine digits long, while mobile phone numbers have two or three initial digits.
00 (two)
The 00 (two) country code can be used when dialing a number in the United States. The code is assigned by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU-T) – a specialised agency of the United Nations. The country codes are allocated according to their geographical proximity, and are updated periodically. Countries that are geographically close to each other tend to have the same dial code. Countries in the same region are grouped together into “calling zones,” while those in a different zone will have a different code.
The ISO 3166 country code system is a standard for identifying countries. The first digit of each country’s code is the same. The second digit is given in ascending order. The codes for member countries are marked with ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 country codes. There are some exceptions to the rule. Some countries use multiple two-digit codes, such as Vatican City, which uses the two-digit country code of New Zealand.
00 (five)
Often called IDDs, or international access dialing codes, country codes help redirect calls from one country to another. The “00” country code is widely used throughout the world. The US and Canada use the same code as most other countries. However, some countries use different codes. If you’re not sure, Wikivoyage offers a guide to the different country calling codes.
The 00 (five) country code can be confusing to dial, but you’ll soon get the hang of it. For one thing, you’ll need to dial the national (trunk) prefix before the area code. This is so that you can access automatic outgoing trunk equipment. In some countries, you’ll see blank entries in the national prefix column. Alternatively, you can use the entire local number.
00 (six)
A country code is a series of digits, typically one, two, or three, that are used to route calls to the appropriate country. Typically, the country code comes after the international prefix. In some cases, the country code is indicated with an “+”. The 00 (six) country code is used by 34 countries.
For countries like Israel, the international exit code is 00. In some countries, the country code is followed by a carrier code instead. For example, in Tanzania, you’d dial +39 instead of 011 39. The country code will allow a telecom carrier to connect to other telecom providers in that country. Otherwise, the telecom company will assume that the caller is calling from their country.