E.164 is an international standard defined by the ITU-T (International Telecommunication Union — Telecommunication Standardization Sector) that governs the format of global telephone numbers. It ensures every number is globally unique, enabling interoperability across international telephony systems.
+ (international prefix)<aside> ⚠️
No spaces, hyphens, parentheses, or formatting characters in the number.
</aside>
| Component | Example | Description |
|---|---|---|
+ |
+ |
International prefix indicator |
| Country Code (CC) | 1 |
USA/Canada |
| National Destination Code (NDC) | 415 |
Area/region code |
| Subscriber Number | 5552671 |
Unique line number |
| Full E.164 Number | +14155552671 |
Complete valid number |
| Country | E.164 Example | Breakdown |
|---|---|---|
| United States | +14155552671 |
+1 (CC), 415 (NDC), 5552671 (SN) |
| United Kingdom | +442071838750 |
+44 (CC), 20 (NDC - London), 71838750 (SN) |
| Malta | +35621234567 |
+356 (CC), 21 (NDC - fixed line), 234567 (SN) |
| Germany | +493012345678 |
+49 (CC), 30 (NDC - Berlin), 12345678 (SN) |
| France | +33123456789 |
+33 (CC), 1 (NDC - Paris), 23456789 (SN) |
| Australia | +61298765432 |
+61 (CC), 2 (NDC - NSW), 98765432 (SN) |
| Incorrect Format | Correct Format | Notes |
|---|---|---|
00441234567890 |
+441234567890 |
Use + instead of 00 for international prefix |
+44 1234 567 890 |
+441234567890 |
No spaces allowed |
+49-(30)-12345678 |
+493012345678 |
Remove hyphens and parentheses |
1-415-555-2671 |
+14155552671 |
Must include + and country code |
+33.1.23.45.67.89 |
+33123456789 |
Dots (.) are not allowed in E.164 format |
0843486145 |
+33843486145 |
Must not include local dialling code 0 and must include + and country code |