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|fr| France +33

Number Format

Area Code:            none
Subscriber Number:    9 digits (see note below)
Trunk Prefix:         n/a
International Prefix: 00
As of 1996-7 major renumbering (see below), all calls within France are dialled as 10 digits, with a leading digit 0. However, from outside France, only the 9 digits following the 0 are dialled after country code 33.

Numbering range information

20 May 2005 - regulator ART becomes ARCEP

The telecom regulator is now Autorité de Régulation des Communications Electroniques et des Postes (ARCEP), which now includes postal regulation. Previously, telecom regulation was under Autorité de Régulation des Telecommunications (ART), which previously took effect in 1996.

Source: ARCEP website.

22 June 2001 - numbering restructuring for overseas departments

French telecommunications regulator ART has called for comments on proposed numbering plan restructuring for some of the French overseas departments (Départements d'Outre-Mer, or DOM), due to dwindling numbering capacity in these respective territories: Réunion +262, Guadeloupe (French Antilles) +590, French Guiana +594, Martinique +596.

These places previously had 6-digit subscriber numbers. The expansion created 10-digit subscriber numbers similar to France's mainland format, by prepending 0 then the country code to the existing subscriber number. An exception occurs for mobile numbers, where the change is the same, except the digit 6 would replace the 2nd digit (immediately after the leading 0). This way, all mobile numbers in France and the affected departments would be dialled domestically beginning with 06.

As an example, a Guyana wireline subscriber number 234567 became 0594234567. From other nations, the number change would be from +594 234567 to +594 594 234567.

For a mobile number in Guyana, 345678 became 0694345678. From other nations, the number change would be from +594 345678 to +594 594 694 345678.

Numbering formats in each of the affected DOMs would thus be harmonised with Mainland France. DOMs could implement short 3xxx special service numbers, and mobile numbers could identified with the 06ABxxxxxx format, where the initial 06AB digits would be distributed among France and its DOMs.

This plan apparently did not affect other DOMs such as Mayotte +269 (was +269, now +262) or St Pierre and Miquelon +508.

The proposal can be read (French language) in HTML page or Word document.

(news courtesy Marc Zirnheld)

1996-7 major renumbering

France made a major restructuring of its telephone numbering plan beginning 18 October 1996. A 10-digit dialling plan was introduced for all numbers within France, and for dialling from France to French territories.

The numbers consist of 0 followed by a single-digit zone code, then 8 digits based on the old subscriber numbers e.g. a Paris number of (1) 23456789 became 0123456789 while a number outside Paris of 98765432 became 0298765432 (if assigned to zone 2). In effect, area codes are eliminated in favour of 10-digit national numbers that will always be dialed in full, whether for local or long distance calls.

When dialling from outside France to French numbers, the leading 0 digit is not dialed. Thus, dialling into France is of the form +33 xxxxxxxxx (always 9 digits after country code). The dialling sequence into Paris (zone 1) remains unchanged, while areas outside Paris require the dialling of the additional zone digit.

The renumbering also allowed dialling of subscribers in Overseas departments (Départements d'Outre-Mer, or DOM) like a domestic call, by 0 + DOM country code + 6-digit DOM subscriber number.

See also Bell Canada's news release.


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