Calling China from Abroad: +86, Area Codes and Extensions

A mainland Chinese landline written as 010 1234 5678 becomes +86 10 1234 5678 in international notation. The country code is added and the domestic leading zero is removed. Keeping that zero after +86 is a common copying error.

A mobile number follows a different pattern. An ordinary mainland mobile number has eleven digits and does not use a city area code. Add +86 before the mobile number, without inserting 010 for Beijing or another city's code. The number patterns in this article illustrate formatting; they are not contacts to call.

The international access prefix 011

011 is the international access prefix used for ordinary international dialing from the United States and Canada. It tells the telephone network that an international number follows. It is not part of China's country code or the recipient's phone number.

From a US line using this dialing method, the illustrative Beijing number above is entered as 011 86 10 1234 5678. From many other countries, the international access prefix is 00, producing 00 86 10 1234 5678. The correct access prefix depends on where the call originates and the service used.

The plus sign makes a contact portable

The notation +86 allows a compatible mobile phone or calling service to handle international access. Saving contacts in this form avoids storing a US-specific 011 prefix when you may later call from another country. A fixed telephone system may require its own access code before the international sequence.

Separate the number from its surroundings

A number copied from an email signature may include spaces, brackets, a country label and an extension. Identify those parts before removing punctuation. In the example +86 (0)10 1234 5678, the parenthesised zero is a reminder of the domestic form, not a digit to retain after the country code when calling internationally. The international main number is +86 10 1234 5678.

Do not treat every zero as removable. The rule concerns the domestic prefix at the beginning of a landline area code. Zeros elsewhere in the subscriber number remain part of the number. Deleting an internal zero because a formatter rejected a pasted string would change the intended destination.

For a mainland mobile number, keep the eleven-digit national number together. If someone sends a mobile contact already beginning with +86, do not add another 86. If the calling app has a separate country selector, inspect its displayed result before saving: the selector may already supply the country code.

Spaces make a number easier to read, but they do not indicate a different person or city. A compact international number for a contact database and a spaced number on a business card can represent the same destination. When comparing records, first establish the country and number type rather than comparing how the digits happen to be grouped.

Use the calling origin

The international access prefix comes from the place where you make the call, not from your nationality or the language of your phone. A US traveller using a local service in another country should not assume that the prefix remains 011. The plus-sign form is useful where the device supports it; a hotel or office telephone may require instructions from that telephone system.

Keep a saved contact separate from a set of dialing instructions. The contact can contain the international number, while a note explains how to reach an outside line or enter an extension on a particular system. This avoids turning temporary office instructions into part of the recipient's permanent number.

If a call fails, compare the main number with the recipient's confirmed details, check the dialing origin and ask the calling provider whether the service can place that type of call. Repeatedly adding or deleting digits is not a reliable diagnosis. A correctly formatted international number does not guarantee that the caller's plan allows the call or that the recipient will answer.

Keep an extension separate

An extension belongs to the organisation's internal telephone system. Dial the main number first, then follow its prompt or the receptionist's instructions. Do not append an extension to a stored international number as if it were part of the public subscriber number.

Labels such as 分机 or an English extension abbreviation identify this extra step. A comma or pause saved in one phone app may behave differently in another, so keep the extension in a separate contact field or note when sharing it.

Check format, availability and local time separately

The China phone formatter separates domestic, international and origin-dependent dialing formats. Select the actual country or region you are calling from. A plausible result does not establish that a number is assigned, active or owned by the organisation you intend to reach.

For a business call, also check the recipient's local date and working hours with the China meeting planner. Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan use different calling codes; do not put a mainland +86 prefix in front of those numbers.