Telephone numbers in Curaçao and the Caribbean Netherlands

Country Code: +599
International Call Prefix: 00

The country code +599 was assigned to the Netherlands Antilles (dissolved in 2010), and is now in use by Curaçao and the Caribbean Netherlands (Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba). Aruba and Sint Maarten, also former parts of the Netherlands Antilles, discontinued using the code in 1986 and 2011 respectively. Sint Maarten now uses the North American Numbering Plan (NANP) country code +1 with area code 721,[1] while Aruba has country code +297.

Contents

Area codes

Originally each island had an area code each with the length of the local numbering varying from island to island (Curaçao had six while Bonaire had only four), however beginning in 1999, the numbers were modified so that each local number was seven digits long. This change left the islands without any area codes, except for Curaçao, which has the area code of 9 along with the seven digit local number.

Sint Maarten joins NANP

On October 2, 2009, the North American Numbering Plan Administration (NANPA) announced that it had approved the request of Sint Maarten's government to join the NANP and had assigned the territory area code 721. Effective September 30, 2011, Sint Maarten's country code changed to the NANP standard of +1. A permissive dialing period of one full year (to September 30, 2012) is in place when both area code 721 and +599 can be used.[2] A recorded message reminding callers to the +599 numbers to use +1-721 will thereafter remain active for one full year.[2]

List of area codes and number ranges

Island Number range
Curaçao
with area code 9
(+599) 9 4xx xxxx
(+599) 9 5xx xxxx (mobile)
(+599) 9 6xx xxxx (mobile)
(+599) 9 7xx xxxx
(+599) 9 8xx xxxx
Bonaire (+599) 7xx xxxx
Sint Maarten (joined NANP, permissive dialing until September 2012) (+599) 5xx xxxx
Saba (+599) 4xx xxxx
St. Eustatius (+599) 3xx xxxx
Aruba (until secession) (+599) 8xx xxxx
Non-geographic (+599) 1xx xxxx
(+599) 6xx xxxx

See also

Notes and references

  1. ^ "PL-418: Introduction of NPA 721 (Sint Maarten)". North American Numbering Plan Administration. 2011-01-05. http://www.nanpa.com/pdf/PL_418.pdf. Retrieved 2011-01-12. 
  2. ^ a b "PL-423: Updated Information - Introduction of NPA 721 (Sint Maarten)". North American Numbering Plan Administration. 2011-07-23. http://www.nanpa.com/pdf/PL_423.pdf. Retrieved 2011-10-01.