|be| Belgium +32

 

Number Format

Area Code:            1-2 digits
Subscriber Number:    6-7 digits (see note below)
Trunk Prefix:         0
International Prefix: 00

Area Code plus Subscriber Number generally seems to total 8 digits, though exceptions may be possible in certain areas.

Area code information

1 January 2000 - dialling changes within Belgium

As from 1 January 2000, all telephone numbers within Belgium must be dialled with long distance (trunk) prefix and area code, whether calling locally or to another area code. For instance, a Brussels customer calling another Brussels number would have to dial 02 before the subscriber number. Outside Belgium, there are no changes to the dialling sequence; the number remains +32 + area code + subscriber number.

Information is on the BIPT (regulator) website, in Dutch, French and English.

 

1997-2001 - Mobile changes (Proximus); numbering plan expansion note

A new prefix (0477 or +32 477) took effect for Proximus mobile service as of 1 November 1997. New Proximus customers will receive numbers in this range.

Existing customers under 075 (+32 75) were converted to a new 0475 (+32 475) range as of 11 November 2000. Permissive dialling was in effect from then until 12 December 2000, after which a recorded announcement blocked calls to the old numbering, advising that the call be placed under the new area code. The recorded message courtesy was then in effect until 1 February 2001.

Proximus has these area codes: 0475, 0476, 0477, 0478 and 0479, or +32 475, +32 476, +32 477, +32 478 and +32 479.

Proximus also ended its short numbering feature, where a Proximus customers could call another Proximus customer using the last 7 digits of a number (for example, to call (075) xxxxxx, customers could dial just the 5 xxxxxx).

See the Proximus announcement.

There were no details on the conversion of MOB2 service - its area code was 017 (+32 17).

The Belgacom website announcing the mobile changes also mentioned that the regulator BIPT was planning a conversion of Belgium's numbering plan to 10-figures from the current 9-figure system (i.e. 0 + area code + subscriber number).

 

September 1996 - Liege changes

Telephone numbers in Liege and vicinity changed as of 14 September 1996. The 041 (or +32 41) area code will become a 04 (or +32 4), while the 6-digit subscriber numbers will become 7-digit numbers by prefixing the digit 2 or 3 (depending on area/exchange).

Details on the change were posted in a Telecom Digest article by Jan Ceuleers, Vol 16 #366. It can be retrieved from the back issues section of the TELECOM Digest website.

 

Other information

Regulator is BIPT.

One notable carrier is Belgacom.