If you’ve ever placed an international call before, you know that you have to use country codes. However, few people understand what country codes are or how they work. If you’re going to be placing international calls on a regular basis, it’s important that you understand why country codes are necessary, how to use country codes and area codes together, and how to place a call using a country code.
Keep reading to learn more about why country codes are necessary.
Why Country Codes are Necessary
Country codes are necessary to ensure that international calls are routed properly. It is not enough to simply use area codes or city codes when calling another country. This is because the area code in another country is likely used in several places throughout the world. If you try to do this, you will likely find that your call is either not completed or that it is routed to the same area code in your own country. This is why the International Telecommunications Union (which is part of the United Nations) established country codes many years ago. You can easily look up Spain country codes or codes for another country on the Internet.
Country Codes & Area Codes
If you are calling most countries, you will have to use the country’s area code system as well as the country code. This means that you may have to look up area codes in the foreign country you are calling. Thankfully, most countries make a directory of area codes and city codes available on the Internet.
How to Place a Call Using a Country Code
Placing a call using a country code can be a little challenging. These days, most phones will format the numbers correctly as long as you input the digits accurately. However, this can be easier said than done. This is because the country code, the area code, and the phone number together can be 13 digits or more. It is best to add the number to your contacts list first so you only have to select this contact to place a call instead of having to type in the number.
Calling American Territories
If you are calling from America, you do not have to put in a country code when you are calling American territories like Puerto Rico. This can be a little confusing, as you do not need to use a country code even though you are technically calling another country. In fact, you won’t even need to use a country code when you are calling most Caribbean nations from the United States.
