Overview
Since 28 April 2001, almost all geographic numbers and most non-geographic numbers have 9 or 10 national (significant) numbers after the "0" trunk code. All mobile telephone numbers have 10 national (significant) numbers after the "0" trunk code. The overall structure of the UK's National Numbering Plan is:
Prefix | Service type |
---|---|
01 | Geographic area codes. |
02 | Geographic area codes (introduced in 2000). |
03 | Nationwide non-geographic code, charged to caller at geographic area code rates (introduced 2007). These calls are included free in plans with "inclusive minutes", unlike 08 numbers, most of which can incur extra charges, depending on the operator. |
04 | Reserved. |
05 | Corporate numbering and VoIP services (note: some VoIP services use 08 or geographic numbers). Freephone (toll free) on 0500. |
06 | Was reserved for possible use by Personal Numbering instead of 070 following consumer confusion with mobile phones. |
07 | Mostly for mobile (cell) phones on 074xx, 075xx, 07624, 077xx, 078xx, and 079xx. WiFi numbers on 079112 and 079118. Personal Numbering on 070. Pagers on 076xx. |
08 | Freephone (toll free) on 080, and Special Services (formerly known as local and national rate) on 084 and 087. |
09 | Premium Rate services. |
A short sample of geographic numbers, set out in the officially approved (Ofcom) number groups:
Number | Location |
---|---|
(020) xxxx xxxx | London |
(029) xxxx xxxx | Cardiff |
(0113) xxx xxxx | Leeds |
(0116) xxx xxxx | Leicester |
(0131) xxx xxxx | Edinburgh |
(0151) xxx xxxx | Liverpool |
(01382) xxxxxx | Dundee |
(01386) xxxxxx | Evesham |
(01865) xxxxxx | Oxford |
(01792) xxxxxx | Swansea |
(01204) xxxxx | Bolton |
(015396) xxxxx | Sedbergh |
(016977) xxxx | Brampton |
In the United Kingdom, area codes are two, three, four, or, rarely, five digits long (after the initial zero). Regions with shorter area codes, typically large cities, permit the allocation of more telephone numbers as the local number portion has more digits. Local customer numbers are four to eight figures long. The total number of digits is ten, but in a very few areas the total may be nine digits (after the initial zero). The "area code" is also referred to as an "STD (code)" (subscriber trunk dialling) or a "dialling code" in the UK.
The code allocated to the largest population is (020) for London. The code allocated to the largest area is (028) for all of Northern Ireland. The UK Numbering Plan also applies to three British Crown dependencies—Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man—even though they are not part of the UK itself.
For dialling the United Kingdom from overseas, Ofcom and ITU-T recommendation E.123 states that numbers be written in the form:
Number | Location |
---|---|
+44 20 xxxx xxxx | London |
+44 29 xxxx xxxx | Cardiff |
+44 113 xxx xxxx | Leeds |
+44 116 xxx xxxx | Leicester |
+44 131 xxx xxxx | Edinburgh |
+44 151 xxx xxxx | Liverpool |
+44 1382 xxxxxx | Dundee |
+44 1386 xxxxxx | Evesham |
+44 1865 xxxxxx | Oxford |
+44 1792 xxxxxx | Swansea |
+44 1204 xxxxx | Bolton |
+44 15396 xxxxx | Sedbergh |
+44 16977 xxxx | Brampton |
It is common to see the form +44 (0)xxx xxx xxxx used instead (with an additional zero in brackets). This form is not recommended by Ofcom because it might confuse the reader. Callers within the United Kingdom substitute the +44 with the number zero (0). Calling +44 0xxx xxx xxxx will not work from most operators. It is therefore recommended to show the number in either the national or the international format, but not a mixture of both formats. The international format shows only those digits that overseas callers must dial.
Storing any UK telephone number in a mobile phone, or directly dialling it from the keypad, in the correct +44
Read more about this topic: Telephone Numbers In The United Kingdom