You receive a call from a number beginning with +33. What does this prefix mean and how should you interpret it? In France, +33 is the country's international dialling code. It indicates — in theory — that the number is registered under the French national numbering plan. Understanding its structure helps you identify the type of number and assess its trustworthiness.
+33: France's country code
Country codes are defined by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) under the E.164 numbering plan. France was assigned +33, used for incoming international calls and in international formats. When a number appears with +33, the digit that follows corresponds to the first digit of the ten-digit French number, with the leading zero dropped. Example: the Paris number 01 23 45 67 89 becomes +33 1 23 45 67 89 in international format.
How to decode a +33 number
- +33 1 to +33 5: geographic landline. +33 1 = Île-de-France, +33 2 = North-West, +33 3 = North-East, +33 4 = South-East, +33 5 = South-West and overseas departments.
- +33 6 or +33 7: French mobile number. Could be an individual, a business, or a canvassing platform.
- +33 8: special or premium rate. +33 800 = freephone, +33 899 = heavily surcharged.
- +33 9: non-geographic VoIP number. Commonly used by businesses and canvassing platforms.
Spoofing of +33 numbers
Malicious actors can spoof +33 numbers using VoIP spoofing techniques. A number displaying as +33 1 XX XX XX XX may actually originate from a server outside France, or even on another continent. Fraud victims have received calls displaying their bank's real +33 number, while the call came from a scammer abroad. Seeing +33 is not sufficient to validate the legitimacy of a call.
How to check a +33 number on TelCheck
On TelCheck, you can enter a number in +33 or 0X format — both are recognised. The TelCheck community has catalogued thousands of +33 numbers used for canvassing or scams, giving you an assessment within seconds. Report any abuse on Signal Conso (signalconso.gouv.fr) and register on Bloctel (bloctel.gouv.fr) to reduce unsolicited commercial calls.