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Country calling codes: understanding where a number comes from
Country calling code table, international formats and what a code cannot tell you about a caller.
What does a country calling code tell you?
A country calling code identifies the numbering plan a number belongs to. Latvia uses +371, Lithuania +370 and Estonia +372. The code comes before the national number. It is different from a country’s internet domain or two-letter country abbreviation.
It does not establish the caller’s location. Someone may use their own number while travelling, and a business may operate a remote call centre. The number displayed on your screen can also be spoofed. The code alone cannot identify a person or establish that a call is safe.
A useful selection of international codes
The table lists selected European destinations, not every country in the world. Read the code from the beginning: +44 followed by 7 starts a UK number; it does not make +447 a separate country calling code.
| Code | Country |
|---|---|
| +371 | Latvia |
| +370 | Lithuania |
| +372 | Estonia |
| +44 | United Kingdom |
| +358 | Finland |
| +46 | Sweden |
| +47 | Norway |
| +45 | Denmark |
| +48 | Poland |
| +49 | Germany |
| +33 | France |
| +34 | Spain |
| +39 | Italy |
| +31 | Netherlands |
| +353 | Ireland |
| +380 | Ukraine |
Reading an international phone number
In international notation, the plus sign is followed by the country code and national number. Spaces and brackets usually help readability. Keep every digit when searching; do not add zeros to make a shorter number look familiar.
A local number without its country code needs a country context. The same digits in Latvian and Lithuanian directories can represent different numbers. Use the international format when you know it.
Should you use a plus sign or 00?
You can save international contacts with a plus sign. The 00 used to dial internationally from Latvia is not part of the country code: +371 and 00371 refer to the same code.
Do not simply prepend a country code to any foreign local number. For example, the initial 0 in a UK domestic number is replaced with +44 for international use. An organisation’s official contact page is a good source for the correct international format.
Check the price before calling back
The country code alone does not determine the cost. Check your operator’s tariff for the destination and number type. Calling abroad from Latvia and roaming while travelling are different situations; the allowance for one does not automatically cover the other.
A brief missed call from an unfamiliar number does not require an immediate callback. First consider whether you expect a call from that country, then look for the number on the organisation’s official website.
A code starts a check; it does not finish it
Compare the whole number. Distinguish a published organisational contact from a user’s account of a call. A report describes an experience, not necessarily the identity of the number’s current user.
If someone asks for passwords or approval of an unexpected payment, end the conversation and contact the organisation through a number you find independently. A familiar country code does not replace that check.
Did you get a call from an unfamiliar number?
See what information is available about the number. Caller ID can be spoofed; an absence of reports does not prove a call is safe.