ITU prefix
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The ITU allocates call sign prefixes for radio and television stations of all types. These prefixes are agreed upon internationally, and are a form of country code. A call sign can be any number of letters and numerals but each country must only use call signs that begin with the characters allocated for use in that country.
A few countries do not fully comply with these rules. Australia drops the VL prefix for broadcast stations, and Canada uses Chile's CB for its own Canadian Broadcasting Corporation stations.
With regard to the second and/or third letters in the prefixes in the list below, if the country in question is allocated all callsigns with A to Z in that position, then that country can also use call signs with the digits 0 to 9 in that position. For example, the United States is assigned KA–KZ, and therefore can also use prefixes like KA1 or K5.
Many large countries in turn have internal rules on how and where specific subsets of their callsigns can be used (such as Mexico's XE for AM and XH for FM radio and Television broadcasting), which are not covered here.
[edit] Fictional call signs
The following ranges of call signs are not used, so can be used as examples and as call signs of fictional countries.
- A0–A1
- C0–C1
- D0–D1
- E0–E1
- H0–H1
- H5
- E6–E9
- Q[anything] (no codes beginning with Q are used—they get confused with Q codes)
- O0–O9
- J0–J1
- L0–L1
- P0–P1
- J9
- 0[anything] (no codes beginning with 0 are used)
- S0–S1 Amateur radio operators unofficially operating in Western Sahara use prefixes starting with "S0."
- T0–T1
- V0–V1
- V9
- Y0–Y1
- Z0–Z1
- X0–X9
- Z4–Z9
- 1[anything] (no codes beginning with 1 are used) Amateur radio operators at the Knights of Malta headquarters in Rome use the unofficial prefix "1A0."
- 30–39
- 40–49
- 50–59
- 60–69
- 70–79
- 80–89
- 90–99
[edit] Table of Allocation of International Call Sign Series
View as grid chart
View this list arranged by nation
| Call Sign Series | Allocated to |
| A | |
|---|---|
| AA–AL | United States of America |
| AM–AO | Spain |
| AP–AS | Pakistan (Islamic Republic of) |
| AT–AW | India (Republic of) |
| AX | Australia |
| AY–AZ | Argentine Republic |
| A2 | Botswana (Republic of) |
| A3 | Tonga (Kingdom of) |
| A4 | Oman (Sultanate of) |
| A5 | Bhutan (Kingdom of) |
| A6 | United Arab Emirates |
| A7 | Qatar (State of) |
| A8 | Liberia (Republic of) |
| A9 | Bahrain (State of) |
| B | |
| B | People's Republic of China |
| BM-BO, BQ, BV, BX | Taiwan |
| C | |
| CA–CE | Chile (See note 5) |
| CF–CK | Canada |
| CL–CM | Cuba |
| CN | Morocco (Kingdom of) |
| CO | Cuba |
| CP | Bolivia (Republic of) |
| CQ–CU | Portugal |
| CV–CX | Uruguay (Eastern Republic of) |
| CY–CZ | Canada |
| C2 | Nauru (Republic of) |
| C3 | Andorra (Principality of) |
| C4 | Cyprus (Republic of) |
| C5 | The Gambia (Republic of) |
| C6 | Bahamas (Commonwealth of the) |
| C7 | World Meteorological Organization (See note 1) |
| C8–C9 | Mozambique (Republic of) |
| D | |
| DA–DR | Germany (Federal Republic of) |
| DS–DT | Korea (Republic of) |
| DU–DZ | Philippines (Republic of the) |
| D2–D3 | Angola (Republic of) |
| D4 | Cape Verde (Republic of) |
| D5 | Liberia (Republic of) |
| D6 | Comoros (Islamic Federal Republic of the) |
| D7–D9 | Korea (Republic of) |
| E | |
| EA–EH | Spain |
| EI–EJ | Ireland (Republic of) |
| EK | Armenia (Republic of) |
| EL | Liberia (Republic of) |
| EM–EO | Ukraine |
| EP–EQ | Iran (Islamic Republic of) |
| ER | Moldova (Republic of) |
| ES | Estonia (Republic of) |
| ET | Ethiopia (Federal Democratic Republic of) |
| EU–EW | Belarus (Republic of) |
| EX | Kyrgyz Republic |
| EY | Tajikistan (Republic of) |
| EZ | Turkmenistan |
| E2 | Thailand |
| E3 | Eritrea |
| E4 | Palestinian Authority (See note 2) |
| E5 | Cook Islands |
| F | |
| F | France |
| G | |
| G | United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland |
| H | |
| HA | Hungary (Republic of) |
| HB | Switzerland (Confederation of) |
| HB0–HB0 | Liechtenstein |
| HC–HD | Ecuador |
| HE | Switzerland (Confederation of) |
| HF | Poland (Republic of) |
| HG | Hungary (Republic of) |
| HH | Haiti (Republic of) |
| HI | Dominican Republic |
| HJ–HK | Colombia (Republic of) |
| HL | Korea (Republic of) |
| HM | Democratic People's Republic of Korea |
| HN | Iraq (Republic of) |
| HO–HP | Panama (Republic of) |
| HQ–HR | Honduras (Republic of) |
| HS | Thailand |
| HT | Nicaragua |
| HU | El Salvador (Republic of) |
| HV | Vatican City State |
| HW–HY | France |
| HZ | Saudi Arabia (Kingdom of) |
| H2 | Cyprus (Republic of) |
| H3 | Panama (Republic of) |
| H4 | Solomon Islands |
| H6–H7 | Nicaragua |
| H8–H9 | Panama (Republic of) |
| I | |
| I | Italy |
| J | |
| JA–JS | Japan |
| JT–JV | Mongolia |
| JW–JX | Norway |
| JY | Jordan (Hashemite Kingdom of) |
| JZ | Indonesia (Republic of) |
| J2 | Djibouti (Republic of) |
| J3 | Grenada |
| J4 | Greece |
| J5 | Guine–Bissau (Republic of) |
| J6 | Saint Lucia |
| J7 | Dominica (Commonwealth of) |
| J8 | Saint Vincent and the Grenadines |
| K | |
| K | United States of America |
| L | |
| LA–LN | Norway |
| LO–LW | Argentine Republic |
| LX | Luxembourg |
| LY | Lithuania (Republic of) |
| LZ | Bulgaria (Republic of) |
| L2–L9 | Argentine Republic |
| M | |
| M | United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland |
| N | |
| N | United States of America |
| O | |
| OA–OC | Peru |
| OD | Lebanon |
| OE | Austria |
| OF–OJ | Finland |
| OK–OL | Czech Republic |
| OM | Slovakia |
| ON–OT | Belgium |
| OU–OZ | Denmark |
| P | |
| PA–PI | Netherlands (Kingdom of the) |
| PJ | Netherlands (Kingdom of the) — Netherlands Antilles |
| PK–PO | Indonesia (Republic of) |
| PP–PY | Brazil (Federative Republic of) |
| PZ | Suriname (Republic of) |
| P2 | Papua New Guinea |
| P3 | Cyprus (Republic of) |
| P4 | Aruba |
| P5–P9 | Democratic People's Republic of Korea |
| Q | |
| There are no prefixes beginning Q (See note 3) | |
| R | |
| R | Russian Federation |
| S | |
| SA–SM | Sweden |
| SN–SR | Poland (Republic of) |
| SS | Egypt (Arab Republic of) |
| SSN–ST | Sudan (Republic of the) |
| SU | Egypt (Arab Republic of) |
| SV–SZ | Greece |
| S2–S3 | Bangladesh (People's Republic of) |
| S5 | Slovenia (Republic of) |
| S6 | Singapore (Republic of) |
| S7 | Seychelles (Republic of) |
| S8 | South Africa (Republic of) |
| S9 | São Tomé and Príncipe (Democratic Republic of) |
| T | |
| TA–TC | Turkey |
| TD | Guatemala (Republic of) |
| TE | Costa Rica |
| TF | Iceland |
| TG | Guatemala (Republic of) |
| TH | France |
| TI | Costa Rica |
| TJ | Cameroon (Republic of) |
| TK | France |
| TL | Central African Republic |
| TM | France |
| TN | Congo (Republic of the) |
| TO–TQ | France |
| TR | Gabonese Republic |
| TS | Tunisia |
| TT | Chad (Republic of) |
| TU | Côte d'Ivoire (Republic of) |
| TV–TX | France |
| TY | Benin (Republic of) |
| TZ | Mali (Republic of) |
| T2 | Tuvalu |
| T3 | Kiribati (Republic of) |
| T4 | Cuba |
| T5 | Somali Democratic Republic |
| T6 | Afghanistan (Islamic State of) |
| T7 | San Marino (Republic of) |
| T8 | Palau (Republic of) |
| T9 | Bosnia and Herzegovina (Republic of) |
| U | |
| UA–UI | Russian Federation |
| UJ–UM | Uzbekistan (Republic of) |
| UN–UQ | Kazakhstan (Republic of) |
| UR–UZ | Ukraine |
| V | |
| VA–VG | Canada |
| VH–VN | Australia |
| VO | Newfoundland (Canada) |
| VP–VQ | United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland |
| VR | the People's Republic of China (People's Republic of)—Hong Kong (See note 2) |
| VS | United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland |
| VT–VW | India (Republic of) |
| VX–VY | Canada |
| VZ | Australia |
| V2 | Antigua and Barbuda |
| V3 | Belize |
| V4 | Saint Kitts and Nevis |
| V5 | Namibia (Republic of) |
| V6 | Micronesia (Federated States of) |
| V7 | Marshall Islands (Republic of the) |
| V8 | Brunei Darussalam |
| W | |
| W | United States of America |
| X | |
| XA–XI | Mexico |
| XJ–XO | Canada |
| XP | Denmark |
| XQ–XR | Chile |
| XS | the People's Republic of China (People's Republic of) |
| XT | Burkina Faso |
| XU | Cambodia (Kingdom of) |
| XV | Vietnam (Socialist Republic of) |
| XW | Lao People's Democratic Republic |
| XX | Portugal |
| XY–XZ | Myanmar (Union of) |
| Y | |
| YA | Afghanistan (Islamic State of) |
| YB–YH | Indonesia (Republic of) |
| YI | Iraq (Republic of) |
| YJ | Vanuatu (Republic of) |
| YK | Syrian Arab Republic |
| YL | Latvia (Republic of) |
| YM | Turkey |
| YN | Nicaragua |
| YO–YR | Romania |
| YS | El Salvador (Republic of) |
| YT–YU | Serbia and Montenegro |
| YV–YY | Venezuela (Republic of) |
| YZ | Serbia and Montenegro |
| Y2–Y9 | Germany (Federal Republic of) |
| Z | |
| ZA | Albania (Republic of) |
| ZB–ZJ | United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland |
| ZK–ZM | New Zealand |
| ZN–ZO | United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland |
| ZP | Paraguay (Republic of) |
| ZQ | United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland |
| ZR–ZU | South Africa (Republic of) |
| ZV–ZZ | Brazil (Federative Republic of) |
| Z2 | Zimbabwe (Republic of) |
| Z3 | Republic of Macedonia |
| 2 | |
| 2 | United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland |
| 3 | |
| 3A | Monaco (Principality of) |
| 3B | Mauritius (Republic of) |
| 3C | Equatorial Guinea (Republic of) |
| 3DA–3DM | Swaziland (Kingdom of) (See note 4) |
| 3DN–3DZ | Fiji (Republic of) (See note 4) |
| 3E–3F | Panama (Republic of) |
| 3G | Chile |
| 3H–3U | the People's Republic of China (People's Republic of) |
| 3V | Tunisia |
| 3W | Vietnam (Socialist Republic of) |
| 3X | Guinea (Republic of) |
| 3Y | Norway |
| 3Z | Poland (Republic of) |
| 4 | |
| 4A–4C | Mexico |
| 4D–4I | Philippines (Republic of the) |
| 4J–4K | Azerbaijani Republic |
| 4L | Georgia (Republic of) |
| 4M | Venezuela (Republic of) |
| 4N–4O | Serbia and Montenegro |
| 4P–4S | Sri Lanka (Democratic Socialist Republic of) |
| 4T | Peru |
| 4U | United Nations (See note 1) |
| 4V | Haiti (Republic of) |
| 4W | Timor–Leste (East Timor) |
| 4X | Israel (State of) |
| 4Y | International Civil Aviation Organization (See note 1) |
| 4Z | Israel (State of) |
| 5 | |
| 5A | Libya (Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya) |
| 5B | Cyprus (Republic of) |
| 5C–5G | Morocco (Kingdom of) |
| 5H–5I | Tanzania (United Republic of) |
| 5J–5K | Colombia (Republic of) |
| 5L–5M | Liberia (Republic of) |
| 5N–5O | Nigeria (Federal Republic of) |
| 5P–5Q | Denmark |
| 5R–5S | Madagascar (Republic of) |
| 5T | Mauritania (Islamic Republic of) |
| 5U | Niger (Republic of the) |
| 5V | Togolese Republic |
| 5W | Western Samoa (Independent State of) |
| 5X | Uganda (Republic of) |
| 5Y–5Z | Kenya (Republic of) |
| 6 | |
| 6A–6B | Egypt (Arab Republic of) |
| 6C | Syrian Arab Republic |
| 6D–6J | Mexico |
| 6K–6N | Korea (Republic of) |
| 6O | Somali Democratic Republic |
| 6P–6S | Pakistan (Islamic Republic of) |
| 6T–6U | Sudan (Republic of the) |
| 6V–6W | Senegal (Republic of) |
| 6X | Madagascar (Republic of) |
| 6Y | Jamaica |
| 6Z | Liberia (Republic of) |
| 7 | |
| 7A–7I | Indonesia (Republic of) |
| 7J–7N | Japan |
| 7O | Yemen (Republic of) |
| 7P | Lesotho (Kingdom of) |
| 7Q | Malawi |
| 7R | Algeria (People's Democratic Republic of) |
| 7S | Sweden |
| 7T–7Y | Algeria (People's Democratic Republic of) |
| 7Z | Saudi Arabia (Kingdom of) |
| 8 | |
| 8A–8I | Indonesia (Republic of) |
| 8J–8N | Japan |
| 8O | Botswana (Republic of) |
| 8P–8P | Barbados |
| 8Q | Maldives (Republic of) |
| 8R | Guyana |
| 8S | Sweden |
| 8T–8Y | India (Republic of) |
| 8Z | Saudi Arabia (Kingdom of) |
| 9 | |
| 9A | Croatia (Republic of) |
| 9B–9D | Iran (Islamic Republic of) |
| 9E–9F | Ethiopia (Federal Democratic Republic of) |
| 9G | Ghana |
| 9H | Malta |
| 9I–9J | Zambia (Republic of) |
| 9K | Kuwait (State of) |
| 9L | Sierra Leone |
| 9M | Malaysia |
| 9N | Nepal |
| 9O–9T | Democratic Republic of the Congo |
| 9U | Burundi (Republic of) |
| 9V | Singapore (Republic of) |
| 9W | Malaysia |
| 9X | Rwandese Republic |
| 9Y–9Z | Trinidad and Tobago |
- Note 1: Series allocated to an international organization.
- Note 2: Provisional allocation in accordance with No. S19.33:
(S19.33 Between radiocommunication conferences, the Secretary-General is authorized to deal with questions relating to changes in the allocation of series of call signs, on a provisional basis, and subject to confirmation by the following conference.)
- Note 3: Three letter codes beginning with Q are for communication abbreviations, the Q codes and not used as callsign prefixes.
- Note 4: Half-series allocation.
- Note 5: The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation operates the vast majority of its stations with call signs beginning with CB. This is through a special agreement[citation needed] with the government of Chile, which is officially assigned the CB prefix.
