World Telephone Numbering Guide

Updated 21 May 2007

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Netherlands

+31

Number Format

Area Code:            2-3 digits (see note below)
Subscriber Number:    6-7 digits (see note below)
Trunk Prefix:         0
International Prefix: 00

Area Code plus Subscriber Number always totals 9 digits.

Area code information

2007 - updated information

Telecom numbering has changed somewhat since January 1997, to conform to European standards and directives.

Here is the numbering plan (January 2007, in Dutch).

There are now several numbering ranges under 08x:

Number range   Service
------------   -------
+31 800        toll-free
+31 81         not assigned
+31 82         virtual private networks
+31 83         not assigned
+31 84         personal assistance services [Note 1]
+31 85         public communications with specified interconnection limits
+31 86         not assigned
+31 87         personal assistance services [Note 1]
+31 88         corporate networks
+31 89         not assigned

Note 1: These ranges exclude sexually-oriented services, amusement or
forwarding capability.

+31 88 number range for corporate networks was present since 2004, generally for non-geographic uses.

(2007 news and new link courtesy Rob Veenstra; news of previous links and 2004 number ranges courtesy Erik van Ballegoij)

April 1996 - national renumbering

The Netherlands completed a restructuring of its telephone numbers on 10 April 1996. This provides area codes of 2 or 3 digits (excluding the initial 0 used when dialling within Netherlands). Local numbers became a standard 7 or 6 digits respectively, so that the total digits of area code and local number (i.e. the 'national' number) is a constant 9 digits. Numerous area codes were changed during the restructuring, whose main phase commenced 10 October 1995.

Other information

Telecommunications regulator is OPTA (new link courtesy Ken Westmoreland).

Some functions of the former telecom regulator DGTP (Directoraat-Generaal Telecommunicatie en Post) were absorbed into the Ministry of Economic Affairs (EZ) as of 22 July 2002.

See numbering plan documentation on Min EZ site (detailed information in Dutch, information in English may be less detailed in general).

(some information courtesy Elza van Swieten and Erik van Ballegoij)

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