Telephone Numbers in Belgium - Overview and Structure

Overview and Structure

Area codes in Belgium are, excluding the leading '0', one or two digits long. Numbers are of variable length; landlines have a seven-digit subscriber number and a one-digit area code, while smaller cities have a six-digit subscriber number and a two-digit area code. All Belgian telephone numbers dialed within Belgium must use the leading '0' trunk code. Area codes are separated from the subscriber number by a slash and a space, and subscriber number digits are in the format xxx xx xx or xx xx xx (sometimes xxx xxx), depending on the length of the area code. See the table below for examples:

Belgium 0x xxx xx xx - dialing a big city, such as Brussels, Antwerp, or Liège 0xx xx xx xx - dialing a small city, such as Ypres or Mons 04xx xx xx xx - dialing a mobile number from a land line or another mobile phone.

From outside Belgium, a caller would dial their international call prefix (typically 00 in Europe and 011 in North America), followed by 32 (the country code for Belgium), then the area code minus the trunk code '0', and finally the local number.

Dialing from New York to Brussels 011-32-2-555-12-12 - Omitting the leading "0". Dialing from New York to Charleroi 011-32-71-123-456 - The subscriber number shortens with the addition of a number to the area code. Dialing from New York to a mobile number 011-32-4xx-12-34-56 - The dialer omits the leading "0".

Mobile/GSM area codes always begin with 04xx and the subscriber number is six digits long. Numbers are usually provided by Mobistar, Base, or Proximus. Each provider has a unique number assigned as the second digit in the area code: Proximus numbers begin with 047x or 0460, Base numbers with 048x and Mobistar numbers with 049x. With the introduction of number portability, area codes may no longer correspond with their providers.