Telephone code (France)

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The telephone prefixes in France are assigned by the French regulator ARCEP . France is special in that the metropolitan area and the overseas territories use different international phone codes but appear internally as a single network.

Dialing a French number from abroad is done as follows:

International area code + 33 or others in overseas territories ( country code ) + area code (without a leading zero) + telephone number .

Dialing within the country can always be made as follows: area code + telephone number .

Scope of the French area codes

The French telephone network covers the following areas:

The overseas territories of French Polynesia , New Caledonia , Wallis and Futuna do not belong to the French telephone network.

Area codes within France

The geographic area codes 01 to 05 in France

All telephone numbers in France are shown as ten digits, with the first digit being a zero. The full ten-digit number must always be dialed for national calls. (01 to 05, which correspond to geographical areas, are already included.)

prefix allocation Examples
01 Île-de-France
02 Northwest France
overseas territories (Indian Ocean / Antarctica) 		0262: Reunion
026200: French Southern and Antarctic
Lands 0269: Mayotte
03 Northeast France
04 Southeast France
05 Southwest France
overseas territories (Atlantic / Caribbean) 		0508: Saint-Pierre and Miquelon
0590: Guadeloupe , St-Barthélemy , St-Martin
0594: French Guiana
0596: Martinique
06 Mobile numbers
overseas 		0639: Mayotte
0640: Globalstar
0690: Guadeloupe, St-Barthélemy, St-Martin
0692/0693: Réunion
0694: French Guiana
0696: Martinique
07 Mobile numbers
08 specially tariffed numbers 0800 and 08088: Freephone
0836: Data access
085: Virtual private networks
086: Internet access
09 Internet telephony

Area code from abroad

France's international code is +33, but the overseas territories can be reached from abroad under their own country code:

International area code area
+33 France (metropolitan area)
+262 French areas in the Indian Ocean (including Mayotte and Réunion)
+508 Saint-Pierre and Miquelon
+590 Guadeloupe, Saint-Barthélemy, Saint-Martin
+594 French Guiana
+596 Martinique

The international code is followed by nine digits (omitting the leading zero of the national code ), but only six for Saint-Pierre and Miquelon.

Talks in overseas territories outside the French numbering plan

Some French overseas territories are not part of the French telephone network. Connections from, to and between these networks are carried out like international calls. The following international access numbers apply.

International area code area
+689 French Polynesia
+687 New Caledonia
+681 Wallis and Futuna

In all three networks, the international area code is followed directly by the six-digit subscriber number; there are no local area codes.

International traffic elimination rate

For calls abroad as well as in the French overseas territories mentioned that are not integrated into the French telephone network, 00 must be pre-dialed as the traffic elimination number.

Provider code

French phone numbers are usually represented in five groups of two with a leading zero: 01.23.45.67.89. If this number is dialed in France, the connection is made through the caller's standard provider.

For individual calls ( call-by-call ), other connection network providers can be selected by dialing another number (except 1 and 3) instead of the first zero, or by prefixing 16 followed by a two-digit provider ID.

Examples:

  • 0 123456789: the call is made through the standard provider, usually France Télécom
  • 9 123456789: the conversation is about the provider Neuf Cegetel out
  • 16-45-0 123456789: the conversation is conducted via the provider 3U

This method also applies to international calls. For example, 70 is preselected instead of 00.

History of the French primaries

Before 1946

The self-dialing service for long-distance calls was introduced gradually in France from 1926 onwards. The first three digits of the number to be dialed were derived from the first three letters of the name of the exchange (CARnot = 227) and also written as letters. This spelling was given up from 1953, in Paris only in 1963.

Changeover in 1946

From 1946, French telephone numbers consisted of two parts. The first part consisted of two or three digits that stood for the city or the exchange. The second part consisted of four digits. Thus the number was six or seven digits and unique within a region.

In order to be able to dial from region to region, the area code 16 (sometimes also 15), followed by the area code of the region, was necessary.

When the direct dialing service abroad was opened, you had to dial 19 and wait for another dial tone.

Andorra and Monaco were integrated into the French telephone network and could be reached under the area codes 16-078 and 16-93, respectively.

Changeover 1985

In October 1985, a new numbering system was introduced in metropolitan France. France was divided into two zones, Greater Paris ( Ile de France ) and the "Province".

Each participant received an eight-digit phone number. For calls within these zones only the eight-digit number had to be dialed.

For calls to the provinces, 16 had to be pre-dialed from Paris, +33 from abroad. For calls to Paris, 16-1 had to be pre-dialed from the province, + 33-1 from abroad.

On December 17, 1994, Andorra left the French numbering plan, in which it could previously be reached on +33 628, and put its own country code +376 into operation.

On June 21, 1996, Monaco exited the French numbering plan it had previously been a part of and adopted its own country code +377.

Changeover in 1996

Ten-digit numbers were introduced in France on October 18, 1996, with the previous eight-digit subscriber number being prefixed with a prefix from 01 to 05, depending on the geographical region. Mobile numbers started with 06.

Previous free numbers that began with 05 were changed to 0800, special numbers that began with 36 to 0836. The remaining six digits of the numbers were adopted.

Since then, the complete ten-digit number including the leading zero has to be dialed for calls within the mother country of France. When calling from abroad, this zero is omitted after the country code +33.

The international dialing code has been changed from 19 to the internationally common 00.

At the same time, the overseas departments at the time were also included in the national numbering plan:

  • 0262: Réunion
  • 0269: Mayotte, which at that time still had a common telephone network with the independent Comoros .
  • 0508: Saint-Pierre and Miquelon
  • 0590: Guadeloupe, which at that time still formed an overseas department together with Saint-Barthélemy and Saint-Martin
  • 0594: French Guiana
  • 0596: Martinique

These national area codes corresponded to the form of geographical domestic numbers, with the area codes corresponding to the international codes. The area code was followed by the six-digit subscriber number, so that, like in metropolitan France, a ten-digit number resulted. Within the overseas departments, the six-digit number was still sufficient.

However, this was only a transitional step because two goals had not yet been achieved in the overseas areas: that a ten-digit number had to be dialed within these areas and from abroad, and that mobile numbers could be reached uniformly under the 06 area code.

Further adjustments

From February 1, 1998, it was possible for French participants to choose the provider themselves for each call ( call-by-call ). The first alternative provider was Cegetel , whose code number was 7. France Télécom received 8 as the provider code.

On December 15, 2000, a further step in the standardization of telephone numbers in overseas territories was taken when the six-digit subscriber numbers in Réunion were expanded to nine digits. In the case of landline connections, this was done by prefixing the digits 262. When calling from the motherland, nothing changed, since the area code 0262 was already switched from there. Calls within Réunion, however, now required a complete ten-digit number with a leading zero. From abroad the country code +262 was still valid, but then 262 had to be dialed again, then the previous six-digit number.

A similar change took place on June 22, 2001 in the Caribbean overseas territories. For landline connections, the previously six-digit numbers were prefixed with the sequence of digits 590, 594 and 596, depending on the prefix from the motherland that was already in effect. The new codes for mobile numbers were 690, 694 and 696 respectively. Calls within these areas now required a complete ten-digit number with a leading zero. From abroad, the country codes +590, +594 and +596 were still valid, followed by the now nine-digit number.

Also on June 22, 2001, Réunion's mobile numbers were changed. The nine-digit number no longer began with 262, but with 692, so that these numbers could be reached from the entire French network under the usual mobile code 06.

On April 21, 2006, the first step was taken to fully integrate Mayotte into the French numbering plan. Geographically, Mayotte belongs to the Comoros , but when it became independent in 1974 it decided to remain with France. Mayotte was integrated into the Comoros telephone network under the country code +269. In a first step, the six-digit subscriber numbers in domestic traffic were prefixed with the number combination 269, but the old numbers could be dialed until September 27, 2006.

On September 5, 2006, the number range 09-5 was released for Internet telephony.

On March 30, 2007, the island of Mayotte was removed from the Comoros telephone network. Instead of the international prefix +269, +262 was now to be dialed. The new area code had previously been used by Réunion and was now used for all French areas in the Indian Ocean. Instead of the previous six-digit number, the new nine-digit participant number now had to be dialed. Landline numbers began with 269, new mobile numbers began with 639, and existing numbers were changed from 269 to 639 by December 28, 2007.

Since May 3, 2010, mobile numbers that use the 07 area code have also been issued after 90% of the 06 numbers had already been assigned.

See also

Individual evidence

  1. ^ French Departments and Territories in the Indian Ocean (country code +262). (DOC; 54 kB) ITU, January 19, 2006, accessed on February 17, 2009 (English).
  2. ↑ a b Since May 3, 2010: numérotation en 07. Orange, June 1, 2010, accessed on October 14, 2011 (French): "Orange a commencé à affecter des numéros 07 à ses clients depuis le 3 may 2010."
  3. ↑ a b Du 22 à Asnières à ENUM. (PDF; 723 kB) In: La lettre de l'Autorité de Régulation des Télécommunications. ART, November 2004, p. 6 , accessed on February 20, 2009 (French).
  4. ↑ Calendrier de la poste. (JPG) La Poste, 1970, accessed February 20, 2009 (French).
  5. ↑ Calendrier de la poste. (JPG) La Poste, 1970, accessed February 20, 2009 (French).
  6. ^ David Leibold: Country Codes for Archives. (ASCII) January 31, 1997, accessed January 29, 2009 .
  7. ^ David Leibold: Andorra. In: World Telephone Numbering Guide. September 6, 2005, accessed January 27, 2009 .
  8. ^ David Leibold: Monaco. In: World Telephone Numbering Guide. December 23, 2004, accessed February 20, 2009 .
  9. ^ ITU Operational Bulletin, No. 614 - 15.II.1996. (DOC; 98 kB) ITU, February 15, 1996, pp. 6-8 , accessed on February 20, 2009 (English).
  10. ↑ ARCEP: La numerotation. February 20, 2009, accessed February 18, 2009 (French).
  11. ↑ a b c d David Leibold: Mayotte and Reunion. May 21, 2007, accessed February 20, 2009 .
  12. ^ David Leibold: French Antilles (Guadeloupe, St Barthelemy, St Martin). In: World Telephone Numbering Guide. May 22, 2007, accessed February 20, 2009 .
  13. ^ David Leibold: French Guiana. In: World Telephone Numbering Guide. December 23, 2004, accessed February 20, 2009 .
  14. ^ David Leibold: Martinique. In: World Telephone Numbering Guide. September 6, 2005, accessed February 20, 2009 .
  15. ↑ ARCEP: Décision n ° 06-0866 de l'Autorité de Régulation des Communications Électroniques et des Postes en date du 5 September 2006 dédiant les numéros de la forme 09 5B PQ MC DU pour la fourniture de services de communications interpersonnelles. (PDF; 63 kB) September 5, 2006, accessed on February 18, 2009 (French).

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