How to enter an international phone number in a form
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Quick answer
How do I write a phone number in international format?
Write a plus sign, the country calling code, then the national number without its leading 0: 07700 900123 in the UK becomes +44 7700 900123. US and Canadian numbers already have no 0: +1 then ten digits. Formats below come from national numbering plans filed with the ITU, checked October 2026.
The three rules
- Start with + (or 00 from most countries, 011 from the US and Canada).
- Add the country calling code: 1, 44, 49, 33 and so on.
- Add the national number without its trunk prefix, usually a leading 0. Italy's mobiles, Spain and Poland have no trunk 0 to drop.
Many forms have a separate country selector. Choose the country there and type only the national number, or the form may add the code twice.
Mobile formats by country
| Country | Calling code | Mobile format |
|---|---|---|
| United States | +1 | +1 NXX NXX XXXX (10 digits, no mobile prefix) |
| United Kingdom | +44 | +44 7XXX XXXXXX (07 nationally) |
| Canada | +1 | +1 NXX NXX XXXX (10 digits, no mobile prefix) |
| Germany | +49 | +49 15x / 16x / 17x … |
| France | +33 | +33 6 or +33 7 XX XX XX XX |
| Netherlands | +31 | +31 6 XXXXXXXX |
| Spain | +34 | +34 6XX XXX XXX or 7[1–4]X … |
| Italy | +39 | +39 3XX XXX XXXX |
| Poland | +48 | +48 5X / 6X / 7X / 88 … (9 digits) |
| Sweden | +46 | +46 70 / 72 / 73 / 76 / 79 … |
| Australia | +61 | +61 4XX XXX XXX |
| Brazil | +55 | +55 AA 9XXXX XXXX |
| Mexico | +52 | +52 XX XXXX XXXX (10 digits) |
| Indonesia | +62 | +62 8XX … |
Common mistakes
- Keeping the 0: +44 07700 900123 is wrong; +44 7700 900123 is right.
- Dialling +52 1 for Mexican mobiles: the extra 1 was removed on 3 August 2019.
- Using eight digits for Brazilian mobiles: since 2016 they have nine, starting with 9.
- Choosing the United States for a Canadian +1 number: the code is shared, the country is not.
What is E.164?
E.164 is the ITU standard for international numbers: a plus sign, the country code and the subscriber number, at most 15 digits, without spaces. +447700900123 is the E.164 form of the UK example above. Many sign-up forms store numbers this way even when they let you type spaces.
Questions about formats
Where do I find my rented number in international form?
The rental page shows it with its country code, ready to copy.
Should I type spaces or dashes?
Most forms accept them and remove them. If one refuses, type digits only.
Why does a form say my number is invalid?
Often the trunk 0 is still there, or the wrong country is selected. If the format is right, the service may not accept that kind of number.
- ITU national numbering plans index, read 2026-10-18
- ITU, UK national numbering plan (13 January 2025), read 2026-10-18
- ITU, Mexican national numbering plan (5 July 2024), read 2026-10-18
- ITU, Brazilian national numbering plan (10 December 2015), read 2026-10-18