Telephone numbers in the Netherlands

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A telephone number in the Netherlands is a sequence of usually 10 decimal digits (0-9) that is used for identifying a destination telephone line in the Dutch telephone network. A Dutch phone number has a particular structure, consisting of an area code (three or four digits) and a subscriber number (six or seven digits). The Netherlands also has non-geographical numbers, used for services and for mobile phones. The country calling code of the Netherlands is +31 (or 0031), and the leading 0 of the area code is dropped when calling from abroad.

Contents 1 Definitions 2 Notation 3 Dutch area codes 4 See also 5 External link

[edit] Definitions

• Geographical code - A number meant for geographically determined areas
• Non-geographical code - A number meant for non-geographically determined destinations (services and mobile phones)
• Area code - The first three or four digits of a geographical code
• Service code - The first digits of a non-geographical code, used to determine the category of service
• Subscriber number - The part of a geographical code behind the area code or the part of the non-geographical code behind the service code.

[edit] Notation

Dutch geographic codes consist of 10 digits. The area code consists of 3 or 4 digits (depending on the size of the area, larger areas have 3 digits, smaller areas have 4 digits), followed by 7 or 6 digits in the subscriber number. Dutch mobile phone numbers consist of 10 digits as well. They start with 06, followed by 8 digits.

Dutch non-geographic codes are different from geographic codes. The non-geographic codes in the Netherlands are 06 (Mobile phones and pagers), 0800 (Free service numbers), 084 and 087 (Voicemailboxes and Virtual Private Numbers),088 (Large companies with more than one address), 0900 (Paid information numbers), 0906 (Adult lines) and 0909 (Entertainment).

0800 numbers can always be dialled for free, even from (public) payphones; other numbers starting with 08 are not free.

The non-geographic codes in the Netherlands (besides 06) don't have a fixed number of digits, but are usually kept as short as possible, for the sake of convenience.

Geographic numbers are allocated in blocks to different telecommunications providers. However, a telephonenumber from a block allocated to a certain provider may not be serviced by that provider anymore due to number portability; subscribers who switch providers can take their number with them.

The emergency number in the Netherlands is 112. GSM mobile phones may accept a different number to dial into the emergency services (such as 999, 000 or 911), depending on their firmware. Directory assistance is available at 118 (speech recognition) or 0900-1313 (human, more expensive).

[edit] Dutch area codes

010 Rotterdam 0111 Zierikzee 0113 Goes 0114 Hulst 0115 Terneuzen 0117 Oostburg 0118 Middelburg 013 Tilburg 015 Delft 0161 Rijen 0162 Oosterhout 0164 Bergen op Zoom 0165 Roosendaal 0166 Tholen 0167 Steenbergen 0168 Zevenbergen 0172 Alphen aan den Rijn 0174 Naaldwijk 0180 Ridderkerk 0181 Spijkenisse 0182 Gouda 0183 Gorinchem 0184 Sliedrecht 0186 Oud-Beijerland 0187 Middelharnis 020 Amsterdam 0222 Texel 0223 Den Helder 0224 Schagen 0226 Harenkarspel 0227 Middenmeer and also Heerhugowaard 0228 Enkhuizen 0229 Hoorn 023 Haarlem 024 Nijmegen

0251 Beverwijk 0252 Hillegom 0255 IJmuiden 026 Arnhem 0294 Weesp 0297 Aalsmeer 0299 Purmerend 030 Utrecht 0313 Dieren 0314 Doetinchem 0315 Terborg 0316 Zevenaar 0317 Wageningen 0318 Ede 0320 Lelystad 0321 Dronten 033 Amersfoort 0341 Harderwijk 0342 Barneveld 0343 Doorn 0344 Tiel 0345 Culemborg 0346 Maarssen 0347 Vianen 0348 Woerden 035 Hilversum 036 Almere 038 Zwolle 040 Eindhoven 0411 Boxtel 0412 Oss 0413 Veghel 0416 Waalwijk 0418 Zaltbommel 043 Maastricht 045 Heerlen

046 Sittard 0475 Roermond 0478 Venray 0481 Bemmel 0485 Cuijk 0486 Grave 0487 Druten 0488 Zetten 0492 Helmond 0493 Deurne 0495 Weert 0497 Eersel 0499 Best 050 Groningen 0511 Veenwouden 0512 Drachten 0513 Heerenveen 0514 Balk 0515 Sneek 0516 Oosterwolde 0517 Franeker 0518 St. Annaparochie 0519 Dokkum 0521 Steenwijk 0522 Meppel 0523 Dedemsvaart 0524 Coevorden 0525 Elburg 0527 Emmeloord 0528 Hoogeveen 0529 Ommen 053 Enschede 0541 Oldenzaal 0543 Winterswijk 0544 Groenlo 0545 Neede

0546 Almelo 0547 Goor 0548 Rijssen 055 Apeldoorn 0561 Wolvega 0562 Terschelling/Vlieland 0566 Irnsum 0570 Deventer 0571 Voorst 0572 Raalte 0573 Lochem 0575 Zutphen 0577 Uddel 0578 Epe 058 Leeuwarden 0591 Emmen 0592 Assen 0593 Beilen 0594 Zuidhorn 0595 Warffum 0596 Appingedam 0597 Winschoten 0598 Hoogezand 0599 Stadskanaal 070 The Hague 071 Leiden 072 Alkmaar 073 's-Hertogenbosch 074 Hengelo 075 Zaandam 076 Breda 077 Venlo 078 Dordrecht 079 Zoetermeer

[edit] See also

• Communications in the Netherlands

[edit] External link

• OPTA the Independent Postal and Telecommunications Authority is responsible for the Dutch Numbering plan, as well as being the regulatory body governing telecommunications providers in The Netherlands.