Numbers on the Irish telephone numbering plan are regulated and assigned to operators by ComReg.
Overview Telephone numbers in Ireland are part of an open numbering plan that allows variations in number length. The Irish format is similar to systems used in many parts of Europe, notably the Netherlands, Sweden, Germany, Belgium and France, where geographical numbers are organised using a logic of large regional prefixes, which are then further subdivided into smaller regions. It differs from UK numbering, which originated as alphanumeric codes based on town names. Irish Mobile and non–geographic numbers are fixed length and do not support local dialling. The trunk prefix 0 is used to access numbers outside the local area and for all mobile calls. This is followed by an area code, referred to as a National Dialling Code (NDC), the first digit of which indicates the geographical area or type of service (e.g. mobile). Calls made from mobile phones and some VoIP systems always require the full area code and phone number. In common with most European countries, the trunk prefix 0 must be omitted when calling Irish numbers from abroad.
General structure of Irish numbering Irish area codes vary in length, between one and three digits (excluding the leading 0), and subscribers' numbers are between five and seven digits. As optional local dialling is facilitated, Irish geographic numbers cannot begin with 0 (trunk prefix), 1 (special number prefix) or 999 (emergency services). However, mobile numbers use the full range of digits, as local dialling is not supported on mobile networks, and the area code must always be dialled. A migration to a standard format, 0xx xxx xxxx, is in progress; however, to avoid disruption, this process is only being carried out as needed, where existing area codes and local numbering systems have reached full capacity. There is currently no plan to move to a closed numbering system.
Number formats Irish geographic numbers vary in length from area to area, but follow standard formats within each area code. The area code, or prefix, is normally separated by a space, or less commonly, may be displayed in parentheses (brackets). Numbers are usually grouped into easy to read clusters, separated by spaces or hyphens for ease of use. The use of spaces is recommended by ComReg for ease of compatibility with online services, such as linking to a phone number in a mobile browser, copying and pasting into mobile diallers etc Other characters, such as / or . are not used as separators. Area codes / prefixes are always separated from the subscriber number. Merging or reformatting these tends to cause confusion or make numbers look unfamiliar. While formats vary, numbers are usually printed (e.g. in telephone directories) as follows: Geographic:
01 XXX XXXX – Dublin area 0XX XXX XXXX – All other 7-digit areas 0XX XXX XXX – 6-digit areas 0XX XXXXX – 5-digit areas 0X0X XXXXX – 5-digit areas Non-geographic
1800 XXX XXX – Freephone/Toll Free 0818 XXX XXX – Standard Rate Mobile
08X XXX XXXX Mobile M2M (Machine to Machine)
088 XXXXX XXXXX Alphanumeric dialling, using letters as mnemonics for advertising etc is supported, but is rarely used.
Geographical numbering
Irish geographical numbering is structured on a regional basis and follows a logical hierarchy. These directory areas correspond approximately to the following geographical regions:
01 – Greater Dublin Area 02 – Cork 04 – Northeast 05 – Southeast 06 – Midwest and Southwest 07 – Northwest 09 – West The Midlands is covered by several regional codes. Except for the 01 area, each area is further subdivided into smaller areas (NDCs). Usually, the main city or town in the area is 0x1 e.g. 021 (Cork), 061 (Limerick), 091 (Galway).
Regional overview
ComReg maintains a map of area codes here.
Mobile services Mobile phone numbers start with the prefix 08x and are part of a closed numbering plan, which means that a mobile phone number must have 10 digits. Calls to landlines and other mobiles require the area code on a mobile phone. New numbers are assigned on prefixes and ranges managed by a specific operator. However, as full mobile number portability has been in operation since 2003, it is no longer possible to reliably identify which network a particular number is on. For example, a newly assigned Three number would begin with 083, but may have been ported to another operator in the meantime.
Mobile network operators (MNOs)
Mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs)
M2M (Machine to Machine) Communication
Direct to voicemail number Mobile phone numbers also have their own voicemail number. To access this, the number 5 should be put after the prefix. For example, the mobile number 08x xxx xxxx has the voicemail number 08x 5 xxx xxxx. On some networks, when the direct to voicemail number is called, the voicemail greeting for that network is played (e.g. Vodafone, eir Mobile), while others request a phone number followed by the voicemail greeting for that number (e.g. Three). Users can press the hash key (#) to gain access to the voicemail box.
Calls to Northern Ireland Although Northern Ireland is part of the UK numbering plan, a special arrangement exists for calling Northern Irish landlines from the Republic of Ireland. Calls to Northern Ireland can be dialled using the 048 prefix or by dialling the number in the full international format. Most Irish operators treat calls to Northern Ireland at national or even local rates. Similar charging arrangements apply when calling the Republic of Ireland from Northern Ireland. For example, to reach Belfast landline 90xx xxxx, subscribers can dial either 048 90xx xxxx or 00 44 28 90xx xxxx. Northern Ireland mobile phones use the same mobile numbering and networks as other parts of the UK – calls must be dialled using the 00 44 7xxx xxx xxx format. The 048 prefix cannot be used as +353 48 xxxx xxxx, as the 048 prefix a special access code, not an Irish area code. It tells Irish networks to route the remaining eight digits to Northern Ireland’s +44 28 area code. ComReg specifies the valid formats as 048 xxxx xxxx or 00 44 28 xxxx xxxx.
International calls In common with all EU countries, the international access code is 00. Numbers should be dialled as follows: 00 – country code – area code – local number. All mobile phones and some VoIP services also support the international E.164 number format, so a + may be optionally used instead of 00.
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