View source for Trunk prefix

{{Short description|Telecommunications technology}}
{{EngvarB|date=June 2023}}
{{noref|date=March 2019}}
A '''trunk prefix''' is a digit sequence to be dialled before a telephone number to initiate a telephone call for the purpose of selecting an appropriate [[telecommunications]] circuit by which the call is to be routed.

Making a domestic (national) telephone call usually requires the dialling of a single or two-digit national trunk prefix preceding any [[area code]]s and the destination subscriber number. In most countries, the trunk prefix is 0.

For international telephone calls, the national trunk prefix is not dialled; instead, an [[List of international call prefixes|international trunk prefix]] (or "+") is typically required, followed by the destination's [[country calling code|country code]].

== Example ==
{{Further|National conventions for writing telephone numbers}}
This example assumes that a call is to be made to a customer in the [[Australia]]n state of [[Queensland]] with the local number ''3333 3333'' and the area code ''7''.

A caller from outside Australia must dial the [[List of international call prefixes|international call prefix]] of the originating country and the [[List of country calling codes|country code]] (61 for Australia), then the [[area code]] (7), and then the local subscriber number. Therefore, a caller in the UK must dial ''00 61 7 3333 3333'', while a caller in the US must dial ''011 61 7 3333 3333''.

Calling inter-area (within Australia) (e.g. from [[Western Australia]] with area code 8), a caller need not dial an international trunk prefix or a country code. Instead, the caller must at least dial the Australian trunk prefix (0) followed by the area code (7) and then the local subscriber number: 07 3333 3333. Calling from within the Queensland (7) area, a caller need only dial the telephone number: 3333 3333.

However, since the early 21st century, the majority of telephone systems worldwide can recognise the area of origin of the call, its direction and destination to facilitate communication faster. If the full international number is used, then this full international number may be dialled from nearly any telephone within a recognisable [[landline]] or [[mobile network]]. This has become particularly vital for users of [[mobile phone]]s.

When conducting business, e.g., for display on [[business card]]s or stationery, a telephone number is represented as ''+61 7 3333 3333'', and includes only the digits that must be dialled internationally. The plus sign indicates that an international trunk prefix is first dialled and, therefore, a country code follows.

== Countries using national trunk prefixes ==

=== Countries that use 0 as national trunk prefix ===

==== Africa ====

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* [[Telephone numbers in Egypt|Egypt]]
* [[Telephone numbers in Morocco|Morocco]]
* [[Telephone numbers in Kenya|Kenya]]
* [[Telephone numbers in South Africa|South Africa]]
* [[Telephone numbers in Sudan|Sudan]]
* [[Telephone numbers in Tanzania|Tanzania]]
* [[Telephone numbers in Rwanda|Rwanda]]
* [[Telephone numbers in Nigeria|Nigeria]]
* [[Telephone numbers in Libya|Libya]]
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*[[Telephone numbers in Angola |Angola]]

==== South America ====

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* [[Telephone numbers in Argentina|Argentina]]
* [[Telephone numbers in Brazil|Brazil]]
* [[Telephone numbers in Paraguay|Paraguay]]
* [[Telephone numbers in Peru|Peru]]
* [[Telephone numbers in Venezuela|Venezuela]]
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==== Asia ====

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* [[Telephone numbers in Afghanistan|Afghanistan]]
* [[Telephone numbers in Azerbaijan|Azerbaijan]]
* [[Telephone numbers in Bangladesh|Bangladesh]]
* [[Telephone numbers in Cambodia|Cambodia]]
* [[Telephone numbers in China|China]] (landlines only)
* [[Telephone numbers in India|India]] (landlines only)
* [[Telephone numbers in Indonesia|Indonesia]]
* [[Telephone numbers in Iran|Iran]]
* [[Telephone numbers in Israel|Israel]]
* [[Telephone numbers in Japan|Japan]]
* [[Telephone numbers in Jordan|Jordan]]
* [[Telephone numbers in Laos|Laos]]
* [[Telephone numbers in Malaysia|Malaysia]]
* [[Telephone numbers in Myanmar|Myanmar]]
* [[Telephone numbers in North Korea|North Korea]]
* [[Telephone numbers in Nepal|Nepal]]
* [[Telephone numbers in Pakistan|Pakistan]]
* [[Telephone numbers in the Philippines|Philippines]]
* [[Telephone numbers in Saudi Arabia|Saudi Arabia]]
* [[Telephone numbers in South Korea|South Korea]]
* [[Telephone numbers in Sri Lanka|Sri Lanka]]
* [[Telephone numbers in Taiwan|Taiwan]]
* [[Telephone numbers in Thailand|Thailand]]
* [[Telephone numbers in Uzbekistan|Uzbekistan]]
* [[Telephone numbers in Vietnam|Vietnam]]
* [[Telephone numbers in the United Arab Emirates|United Arab Emirates]]
{{div col end}}

==== Europe ====

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* [[Telephone numbers in Albania|Albania]]
* [[Telephone numbers in Austria|Austria]]
* [[Telephone numbers in Belgium|Belgium]]
* [[Telephone numbers in Bosnia and Herzegovina|Bosnia and Herzegovina]]
* [[Telephone numbers in Bulgaria|Bulgaria]]
* [[Telephone numbers in Croatia|Croatia]]
* [[Telephone numbers in Finland|Finland]]
* [[Telephone numbers in France|France]]
* [[Telephone numbers in Georgia (country)|Georgia]]
* [[Telephone numbers in Germany|Germany]]
* [[Telephone numbers in the Republic of Ireland|Ireland]]
* [[Telephone numbers in Lithuania|Lithuania]]
* [[Telephone numbers in Moldova|Moldova]]
* [[Telephone numbers in Montenegro|Montenegro]]
* [[Telephone numbers in the Netherlands|Netherlands]]
* [[Telephone numbers in North Macedonia|North Macedonia]]
* [[Telephone numbers in Romania|Romania]]
* [[Telephone numbers in Serbia|Serbia]]
* [[Telephone numbers in Slovakia|Slovakia]]
* [[Telephone numbers in Slovenia|Slovenia]]
* [[Telephone numbers in Sweden|Sweden]]
* [[Telephone numbers in Switzerland|Switzerland]]
* [[Telephone numbers in Turkey|Turkey]]
* [[Telephone numbers in Ukraine|Ukraine]]
* [[Telephone numbers in the United Kingdom|United Kingdom]]
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==== Oceania ====

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* [[Telephone numbers in Australia|Australia]]
* [[Telephone numbers in New Zealand|New Zealand]]
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=== Countries that use 8 as national trunk prefix ===

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* [[Telephone numbers in Belarus|Belarus]]
* [[Telephone numbers in Kazakhstan|Kazakhstan]]
* [[Telephone numbers in Russia|Russia]] (change to 0 planned)
* [[Telephone numbers in Turkmenistan|Turkmenistan]]
{{div col end}}

=== Countries that use other trunk prefixes ===
The number next to a country denotes its national trunk prefix.

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* [[Telephone numbers in Mexico|Mexico]] – 01
* [[Telephone numbers in Mongolia|Mongolia]] – 01 or 02
* [[Telephone numbers in Hungary|Hungary]] – 06
* [[North American Numbering Plan]] countries – 1
{{div col end}}

== Countries that no longer use a national trunk prefix ==

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* [[Telephone numbers in Bolivia|Bolivia]]
* [[Telephone numbers in Chile|Chile]]
* [[Telephone numbers in Cyprus|Cyprus]]
* [[Telephone numbers in Czech Republic|Czech Republic]]
* [[Telephone numbers in Denmark|Denmark]]
* [[Telephone numbers in Estonia|Estonia]]
* [[Telephone numbers in Greece|Greece]] — the prefix 0 was replaced by 2 for landlines and 6 for mobile phone numbers, which are now part of the number
* [[Telephone numbers in Italy|Italy]] — the leading 0 is dialled both within and from outside Italy, because 0 is now part of the number and not the trunk code
* [[Telephone numbers in Latvia|Latvia]]
* [[Telephone numbers in Luxembourg|Luxembourg]]
* [[Telephone numbers in Malta|Malta]]
* [[Telephone numbers in Monaco|Monaco]]
* [[Telephone numbers in Nepal|Nepal]]
* [[Telephone numbers in Norway|Norway]]
* [[Telephone numbers in Oman|Oman]]
* [[Telephone numbers in Poland|Poland]]
* [[Telephone numbers in Portugal|Portugal]]
* [[Telephone numbers in San Marino|San Marino]] — the leading 0 is dialled both within and from outside Italy, because 0 is now part of the number and not the trunk code
* [[Telephone numbers in Spain|Spain]]
* [[Telephone numbers in Uruguay|Uruguay]]
* [[Telephone numbers in Vatican City|Vatican City]] — the leading 0 is dialled both within and from outside Italy, because 0 is now part of the number and not the trunk code
* [[Telephone numbers in Singapore|Singapore]]
{{div col end}}

== See also ==
* [[Subscriber trunk dialling]]
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== References ==
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== External links ==
*{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20021211223519/http://www.wtng.info/wtng-glo.html Glossary]}} — World Telephone Numbering Guide

{{DEFAULTSORT:Trunk Prefix}}
[[Category:Telephone numbers]]