Telephone numbers in Italy
| Location | |
|---|---|
| Country | Italy |
| Continent | Europe |
| Access codes | |
| Country calling code | +39 |
| International call prefix | 00 |
| List of Italy dialing codes | |
Telephone numbers in Italy follow an open telephone numbering plan, i.e. phone numbers have a variable length. The country code for calling Italy from abroad is 39 while the international prefix is 00 (the same as most European countries).
Landline numbers and mobile phone numbers are easily recognizable: the firsts starting with 0 and the seconds with 3. Other services, like emergency or toll free numbers, are given other initial digits.
Differently from other countries, the Italian dial plan requires to always dial the full phone numbers, thus there's no trunk code. Area codes (called prefix, prefisso in Italian) exists, but it's unimportant to be able to identify them.
When communicating phone numbers it's common to group digits, but there are no fixed rules about how to do it: the same phone number is likely to be written or pronounced differently by different people. Several symbols can be used to group digits: spaces are common, but dots and hyphens can be often seen too. The way numbers are dialed is not affected by how they are written down or spelled.
Number formats
Landline numbers
Landline numbers start with the digit 0 and are 6 to 10 digits long, although they are rarely shorter than 9. They are composed by a variable length area code called prefix (prefisso) followed by a variable length subscriber number.
Prefixes are assigned on a geographical basis, starting from the north of the country: for example Turin has prefix "011", Rome has "06" and Naples has "081".
Mobile phone numbers
Mobile phone numbers start with the digit 3 and are generally 10 digits long. It is still possible, but rare, to find 9 digits long numbers: those were the first to be assigned. Some operators allow to insert an additional digit for redirecting phone calls to the voicemail.
The first 3 digits of the mobile phone numbers (called prefix) identify the mobile network operator that assigned the number, but since 2002 number portability is possible and thus any number can end up being managed by any operator.
Service and emergency numbers
Service and emergency numbers start with the digit 1. Those includes the common emergency telephone number 112 as well as other emergency, information and customer care services.
| Number | Description |
|---|---|
| 112 | Gendarmerie (Carabinieri) |
| 113 | Police (Polizia di Stato) |
| 115 | Fire brigade (Vigili del Fuoco) |
| 116 | Road help (ACI) |
| 117 | Italian Customs/Financial/Border Police Guardia di Finanza |
| 118 | Ambulance (Italian Red Cross included) |
| 12xx | Premium rate services: directory services |
| 15xx | Public utility services |
| 1515 | Fire department (forestry), handled by Corpo Forestale dello Stato |
| 1518 | Road information, handled by CCISS |
| 1530 | Maritime assistance, handled by Corps of the Port Captaincies – Coast Guard |
| 194... | Customer care services |
Special-rate numbers
Special-rate numbers start with 8 and include toll-free numbers ("80..."), shared-rate numbers ("84...") and premium-rate services ("89...").
Other numbers
Numbers starting with 4 are used for network-specific phone services like voice mailbox and various information services.
The digit 5 has been reserved for VoIP numbers but it is implemented and accessible only by a few operators.
Finally 7 is used for internet services such as virtual fax numbers and dial up internet access ("70...").
Unassigned numbers
Numbers starting with the digits 2, 6 and 9 are currently unassigned and reserved for future purposes.
Previous number formats
The digit "0" used to be a trunk code until 19 June 1998 when the Italian dial plan started to require to always dial the full number (prefix and subscribe number). Before that date it was possible to omit the prefix when calling from a landline to another landline in the same area (prefix has always been mandatory when calling to or from mobile numbers).
The original intent, as proposed at the beginning of 1998, included the replacement (for landlines) of the leading "0" with "4" starting from 29 December 2000, but this has never been implemented: "0" remained to identify landlines and "4" now identifies network services.
The trunk code "0" used to be necessary for calling mobile phone number too, but it has been dropped.
Example for calling the landline subscriber number "xxxxxxxx" in Rome:
- "xxxxxxxx" from within Rome, before 1999
- "06 xxxxxxxx" from within Rome, after 1999
- "06 xxxxxxxx" from outside Rome, both before and after 1999
- "+39 6 xxxxxxxx" from abroad, before 1999
- "+39 06 xxxxxxxx" from abroad, after 1999
Example for calling the mobile phone number "3xx xxxxxxxx":
- "03xx xxxxxxx" from within Italy, before 1999
- "3xx xxxxxxx" from within Italy, after 1999
- "+39 3xx xxxxxxx" from abroad, both before and after 1999
Special relations with other countries
Campione d'Italia
Campione d'Italia, an Italian municipality, is an exclave within the Swiss canton of Ticino. It uses the Swiss telephone network.
San Marino
The Italian enclaves San Marino has its own country code 378, but landline numbers can be reached using the Italian country code together with a San Marino prefix ("0549") and mobile phone customers are sometimes assigned phone numbers from the Italian numbering plan.
Landline numbers in San Marino are 6 digits long ("xxxxxx") and can be reached either using the San Marino country code ("+378 xxxxxx") or via Italy ("+39 0549 xxxxxx"). It is possible as well to dial the San Marino country code and the Italian prefix ("+378 0549 xxxxxx"). When calling from Italy the country code is not needed ("0549 xxxxxx").
Mobile phone numbers are 8 digit longs and start with 66 ("+378 66 xxxxxx"), but some operators assign Italian phone numbers (TMS for example uses the ranges "+39 335 733..." and "+39 335 734...").
Vatican City
The country code 379 is assigned to Vatican City, but it is not used: telephone numbers in Vatican City are integrated into the Italian telephone numbering plan. Vatican landline telephone numbers are in the form "+39 06 698xxxxx", "+39" being the country code for Italy and "06" the prefix for Rome (clearly when calling from or to Italy there's no need to dial the country code).
See also
- List of dialling codes in Italy
- List of Italian telephone companies
- Telecommunications in Italy
- Internet in Italy
References
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