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Oceania · +61

Australia phone number format

  • Country code +61
  • Trunk prefix 0

Reviewed by Sujan ThapaliyaLast updated

What does a Australia phone number look like?

9 digits after the trunk 0: a 1-digit area code plus 8 digits. Landlines are written +61 X XXXX XXXX and mobiles +61 4XX XXX XXX. In full international (E.164) format a Australia mobile is written +61491570006: the country code +61, with the national trunk prefix 0 removed, and no spaces or punctuation.
The anatomy of a Australia phone number under ITU-T E.164: country calling code 61, then the national destination code, then the subscriber number, to a maximum of fifteen digits after the plus. Nationally a Australia number is written +61 X XXXX XXXX with the trunk prefix 0; in E.164 the prefix and the spacing both come off.
National formatting is for people. E.164 is for databases, APIs, and caller ID — store Australia numbers in the right-hand form.

Format rules

Country code
+61
National number length
9 digits after the trunk 0: a 1-digit area code plus 8 digits
Trunk prefix
0
Used only domestically. Removed in international format.
Landline pattern
+61 X XXXX XXXX
Mobile pattern
+61 4XX XXX XXX

Examples

Australia phone number examples

ACMA reserves these ranges for drama and testing, so they are safe to publish and cannot reach a real subscriber.

TypeWritten domesticallyInternational (E.164)
Landline02 5550 1234+61255501234
Mobile04XX XXX XXX+61491570006

A quirk of Australia numbering

Australia uses just four area codes, each covering whole states. Mobiles all start 04 domestically, which is +61 4 from abroad. Australia's IDD prefix is 0011, not 00.

Validation

How to validate a Australia number

Validating a phone number is three separate checks, and conflating them is the usual source of bugs:

  1. Format: does it match the shape for Australia? 9 digits after the trunk 0: a 1-digit area code plus 8 digits, after the country code and with the 0 stripped.
  2. Allocation: is the prefix actually in use? A number can be the right length and still belong to an unallocated range.
  3. Reachability: is there a live subscriber? Only a carrier lookup (HLR or equivalent) answers that, and it is the only check that catches disconnected numbers.

For form validation, check format only and be permissive: accept spaces, dashes, brackets, and a leading 0 then normalise. Rejecting a real customer because they typed their own number the way they normally write it is a far more expensive error than storing one badly formatted row.

Store in E.164 (+61491570006) and format for display at render time. Storing the display format is how a database ends up with the same person recorded four different ways.

Format any number instantly

Paste a number into the free phone number formatter to convert it to E.164 and see whether it matches Australia’s format rules. No sign-up.

Frequently asked questions

What does a Australia phone number look like?
9 digits after the trunk 0: a 1-digit area code plus 8 digits. A landline is written +61 X XXXX XXXX and a mobile +61 4XX XXX XXX. In full international format that becomes +61491570006.
How do I write a Australia number in international format?
Start with +61, remove the leading 0 from the national number, then append the rest with no spaces or punctuation. +61 2 5550 1234 becomes +61255501234.
How many digits is a Australia phone number?
9 digits after the trunk 0: a 1-digit area code plus 8 digits.
How do I tell a Australia mobile from a landline?
By the prefix. Mobiles follow the pattern +61 4XX XXX XXX, while landlines follow +61 X XXXX XXXX.
Should I store phone numbers with the plus sign?
Yes. Store every number in E.164: leading +, country code, national number, no spaces or punctuation, up to 15 digits. It is the only format that is unambiguous internationally, and it is what makes deduplication work. Format for display, store canonical.

Sources

  1. ITU-T Recommendation E.164 — The international public telecommunication numbering plan — International Telecommunication UnionThe international number format, the 15-digit maximum, and how country codes and national numbers compose.
  2. ITU-T International Numbering Resources — International Telecommunication UnionThe assignment of country calling codes and the published national numbering plans they belong to.

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