I always had trouble wrapping my mind around dialing French phone numbers until I was actually living in France. So I created this quick guide to help anyone else who seems to be confused about how to call a French phone number using their cellphone or landline.
Whether you’re dialing from within France or from abroad, this guide can help. Calling France is all the same and does not depend on your country of origin.
French phone numbers are composed of 10-digits and French speakers tend to give out their phone number in 2-digit intervals.
The phone number 06 86 57 90 14 would be said verbally as:
– zero, six (06),
– quatre-vingt-six (86),
– cinquante-sept (57),
– quatre-vingt-dix (90),
– quatorze (14)
If the number given only has 9-digits then the leading 0 was omitted. So (6 21 34 76 53) would be missing the “0” in front of the six.
Also, keep in mind that not all French phone numbers start with “06,” I’ll explain that later. And knowing French numbers is vital to this whole process. You can check out this article for a list of them all. With this general information under your belt, let’s discuss how to dial a French phone number.
Step-by-Step method to dialing a French phone number:
There are three different methods you can use when calling a French phone number. The easiest way to dial a French number on your phone is to enter in the number with the plus sign (+) if you have the ability.
1. If you want to dial the number “06 86 57 90 14” and you are using are using a French telephone provider then simply type in 06 86 57 90 14 into your phone and that should work.
2. If you want to dial the number “06 86 57 90 14” from a foreign phone provider and you can enter a plus sign, then the phone number would look like: +33 6 86 57 90 14 (no leading zero is needed before the six). On an iPhone, holding down the “0” button will allow the plus sign (+) to appear.
3. If you cannot enter a plus sign into your cellphone OR you’re calling from a land line, then you’ll type in the phone number using France’s country code (033). You will also delete the additional zero in front of the six (or your area code provided). So in our example, this would be: 033 6 86 57 90 14 (no leading zero needed before the six).
Additional, tips when dialing a French phone number:
The first two digits of a French number is the area code (see below):
France’s Country Calling Code: +33
The typical area code of a French number:
01 Île-de-France
02 Northwest France
03 Northeast France
04 Southeast France
05 Southwest France
06 and 07 Mobile PhoneNumbers
08 Freephone (numéro vert) and shared-cost services.
09 Non-geographic number
I hope this guide helped clarify how to dial a French phone number, whether you’re using a smart phone or a landline. Any questions or comments can be made below.
Merci
i have an acquaintance in France – supposedly he is in Cannes – he said his cell number starts with 07…i have no clue if that’s right that this number exist in France…can you help…thank you.
So how do you dial the 4-digit number from outside of the country? Most companies only give you 4 digits (Like Free.fr 3244) How do you search for the full numbers?
I just got a number from France +229 and so on.
Is it from France or Benin?
Thank you so much!
Thank you. A handy guide as I had difficulty phoning a mobile as I was using the international +33 access code but I was in France. Am using a French service here so learned that I can call with the ten-digit number. Learn something useful every day!
Thanks mate!
I just got a phone number from a cousin in France in format
+331 065 … .. ..
Thanks to your article, I realized that it’s a:
+33 65… .. ..
My French friends are coming to the United States and from your instructions it is unclear how I would dial a French mobile phone number when they are already in the U.S., not in France
Okay, your American phone number is not actually 555-123-4567 to the international community. It’s +1-555-123-4567.
The same thing goes with France and your French friends. Say their French number is 06 12 34 56 78; and they are in the United States for vacation. You add their international code.
You should save their phone number, in your smartphone, with the correct country code. So, +33. You remove the initial zero (if it wasn’t removed already).
This makes it +33612345678.
If you follow these steps, the number will work.
what is the emergency number for France?
15 is for medical emergencies (SAMU)
17 is for police emergencies
18 is for the firefighters
112 is a general European number, similar to 911, where you can explain your emergency and the correct service(s) will be alerted
How do I call an 0800 number from the UK?
I find it impossible to get through to a French non-geographic number (ie 09 number) from a British landline. What must I do?
I will be staying with my cousin in France. Her number has 9 digits only and since I do not have a phone I will have to use a French public phone. What numbers would I enter on the phone?
Her number has 9 digits because she likely omitted the leading “0.”
If you’re using a French public phone, simply add a 0 and then type the everything else she provided.
I will be in France but have no cell phone, will need to use a land phone to call a French phone number what numbers should I enter?
Very clear and helpful. Thanks!
How do you dial a four digit French number? Typing it into my UK-simmed cell phone yielded failure.
Thanks!