Quick answer: France's country code is +33. To call a French phone number from outside the country, dial your exit code (
011from the US,00from most of Europe, or just+from a mobile), then33, then the number without the leading 0. Within France, dial all 10 digits including the leading 0. Regional codes are single digits: 1 for Paris/Île-de-France, 2 northwest, 3 northeast, 4 southeast, 5 southwest, 6 and 7 for mobile, 8 premium, 9 VoIP.
What is the +33 country code?
When you dial a number that starts with +33, you're calling France — including mainland France (the part Americans usually mean) and its DOM-TOM overseas territories like French Guiana, Martinique, and Réunion. France was assigned the country code 33 by the ITU when the international numbering plan was standardized in the 1960s.
The French number itself follows a very tidy format: 10 digits total, written and read in five pairs. The pattern is 0X XX XX XX XX within France, becoming +33 X XX XX XX XX when you call from abroad (the leading 0 drops).
This guide comes from My Country Mobile (MCM), a virtual phone provider that issues local numbers across the world.
The anatomy of a French phone number
Every French phone number has three logical pieces (or four, if you count the leading 0):
Segment 1: +33 — the country code
France's international country code. From a mobile, you can just type the +. From a landline outside the US, dial 00 first instead of +. From a US landline, dial 011 first.
Segment 2: X — the regional digit (one number!)
Unlike US area codes (3 digits) or UK area codes (variable length), French regional codes are just one digit:
- 1 — Paris and the Île-de-France region
- 2 — Northwest France (Brittany, Normandy)
- 3 — Northeast France (Hauts-de-France, Grand Est)
- 4 — Southeast France (Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, PACA)
- 5 — Southwest France (Nouvelle-Aquitaine, Occitanie)
- 6 or 7 — Mobile phones (location-independent)
- 8 — Premium-rate / toll numbers
- 9 — VoIP / internet-based lines
Segment 3: 8-digit subscriber number
The actual unique line, written as 4 pairs. The French read these aloud in pairs: 23 45 67 89 becomes "vingt-trois, quarante-cinq, soixante-sept, quatre-vingt-neuf" — a notorious challenge for anyone who's only studied French up to numbers 20.
The leading 0 — the catch
Within France, every number is written and dialed with a leading 0 (e.g. 01 23 45 67 89). When you call from abroad, you drop that 0 because +33 already plays the role of the trunk prefix. This catches almost every first-time international caller.
How to dial a French number from anywhere
Three scenarios cover ~99% of cases:
Within France
01 23 45 67 89
Dial all 10 digits including the leading 0. The 0 is the French national trunk prefix — it tells the network "this is a domestic French long-distance call." Mobile numbers start with 06 or 07.
From the United States
011 33 1 23 45 67 89
011is the US international exit code33is France's country code- Then the French number without the leading 0 (so
1 23 45 67 89, not01 23 45 67 89)
From anywhere (E.164 format)
+33 1 23 45 67 89
The + is the universal international prefix that works from any mobile in any country. On a landline, you might need to substitute your country's actual exit code (00 in most of Europe, 011 in the US/Canada, 001 in some other countries).
For CRMs, SMS APIs, and contact databases, always store French numbers in E.164 format: +33123456789 (no spaces, no separators, no leading 0).
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French regional codes — by single digit
France's single-digit regional system is one of the cleanest in the world:
The 5 geographic regions
| Code | Region | Major cities |
|---|---|---|
| +33 1 | Île-de-France | Paris, Versailles, Boulogne-Billancourt, Saint-Denis |
| +33 2 | Northwest | Rennes, Nantes, Caen, Rouen, Le Havre, Brest |
| +33 3 | Northeast | Lille, Strasbourg, Reims, Metz, Nancy, Amiens |
| +33 4 | Southeast | Lyon, Marseille, Nice, Grenoble, Saint-Étienne, Toulon |
| +33 5 | Southwest | Bordeaux, Toulouse, Montpellier, Nantes (some), Pau, Bayonne |
Mobile, premium, and VoIP
- +33 6 and +33 7 — all French mobile numbers. The 7 prefix was added in 2010 when 6 ran out. There's no geographic meaning — a 06 number can be carried anywhere.
- +33 8 — premium-rate, toll-free (
0800), or special-rate numbers. These are NOT regular calls and may have different per-minute costs. - +33 9 — VoIP, internet-based, or non-geographic numbers (Freebox, OVH telephony, etc.).
French phone number format conventions
The standard formatting in France is 5 pairs separated by spaces:
| Format | Example | Used where |
|---|---|---|
| French domestic | 01 23 45 67 89 | Print, French websites, signage |
| International with spaces | +33 1 23 45 67 89 | International business cards |
| E.164 | +33123456789 | CRMs, dialers, mobile-friendly |
| Dot-separated (rare) | 01.23.45.67.89 | Older / casual French style |
| Tight French style | 0123456789 | When digit count matters (forms) |
For storing numbers in a CRM, always use E.164 — it's unambiguous, internationally portable, and the standard format expected by every modern dialer.
What's NOT a French country code thing
Some quick clarifications:
- No state codes. France is one numbering region (with departmental ZIP-like postal codes, but they're not phone-related).
- No regional split for mobiles. A French mobile number doesn't tell you anything about location — even Paris residents have 06/07 numbers.
- No 10-digit-must. French mobile numbers are 10 digits, but the regional dialing within France was historically 7 digits + 1 digit zone prefix until 1996 — modernized to today's 10-digit format.
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Frequently asked questions about France's +33 country code
What is the country code for France?
+33. Used for mainland France and DOM-TOM overseas territories.
How many digits is a French phone number?
10 digits within France (including the leading 0). 9 digits when calling from abroad (without the 0). Or 11 digits including the +33 country code in E.164 format (+33XXXXXXXXX).
Do I drop the 0 when calling France from abroad?
Yes. Always. The 0 is the French national trunk prefix and is replaced by +33 when calling internationally. So 01 23 45 67 89 becomes +33 1 23 45 67 89 from abroad.
What's the difference between calling French landlines and mobiles?
For dialing format, none — both use the same 10-digit format. But premium-rate calls (starting 08) and some mobile-to-mobile international calls may have different per-minute rates depending on your carrier.
How do I dial France from the US?
Dial 011 (US exit code) + 33 (France) + the French number without its leading 0. So 011-33-1-23-45-67-89.
How do I dial France from the UK?
Same idea, but UK exit code is 00: 00-33-1-23-45-67-89. Or just use + from a mobile.
What does the 1 in +33 1 mean?
It's the regional area code for Paris and the Île-de-France region. France uses single-digit area codes (1 through 5 are geographic; 6 and 7 are mobile; 8 is premium; 9 is VoIP).
Can I use a French phone number from outside France?
Yes. Virtual phone providers (including MCM) issue French numbers that forward to any device worldwide. The number rings as a local French call to your customers — you answer it on your phone wherever you are.
What is E.164 format for French numbers?
E.164 is the international telecommunications standard. A French number in E.164 looks like +33123456789 — the +, country code, regional digit, and 8-digit subscriber line all concatenated with no spaces or punctuation.
Do French phone numbers work for SMS internationally?
Yes. French numbers (especially mobile 06 / 07 numbers) accept SMS from anywhere — but transactional SMS to France is regulated under French telecom rules, including the requirement for sender ID registration for high-volume senders.
