The +33 code
The same number, formatted to be dialled from abroad.
33 is France's telephone code, allocated by the International Telecommunication Union. Preceded by a plus sign, it allows a French number to be dialled from any country, without having to know the exit prefix specific to each territory.
In summary
- 33 is France's international code.
- The 0 placed at the start of the national number drops after the code.
- 06 12 34 56 78 is thus written +33 6 12 34 56 78.
- This format, called E.164, is the one SMS gateways use.
The rule that confuses most is the disappearance of the zero. This zero doesn't belong to the number: it's a national prefix, which tells the network you're dialling a long-distance call within the country. From abroad, the +33 code already fills this role, so keeping the zero would make the number invalid.
The full international format is called the E.164 standard. It accepts neither space, nor dot, nor dash: these separators exist only for human reading and are removed before any processing. It's in this form that SMS gateways, ours included, handle numbers behind the scenes.
For this site's form, however, it's the ten-digit national format that is expected: the service only sends to French mobiles, and the conversion to the international format is done for you, without any sign-up on your part.
Frequently asked questions
Should I write +33 or 0033?
Both work, but the plus sign is preferable: it's recognised everywhere, whereas 00 is the European exit prefix and doesn't apply in every country.
Can I enter a number with +33 in the form?
No. The form expects the ten-digit national format, starting with 06 or 07.
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