Telephone numbers

General guidelines

Use parentheses, not a hyphen, to separate the area code from the phone number. Do not precede the area code with the country code except in international lists. Follow local conventions for grouping of digits and separating groups with spaces and hyphens (non-breaking).

Correct

(03) 8585 3003 (Australia)

(206) 882-8080 (US)

(01) 24 12 00 96 (France)

International phone numbers

In international phone numbers, add the country code preceded by the plus sign (+), separate the country code from the area code with a space, and remove any numbers that are not dialled, for example, the leading zero in the area code. If you are publishing an international phone number, you must not assume that the reader understands the local dialling conventions. Note that, in some countries, the leading zero in the area code is dialled. Do not include the international dialling prefix.

Correct

+44 (71) 270 0012

+61 (3) 8585 3003

+39 (042) 233 1009

Use the local country format only if the document is intended exclusively for a local audience, otherwise use the international format, or provide both.

Correct

Telephone: (03) 8585 3003

Overseas customers call: +61 (3) 8585 3003

Fictitious phone numbers

For fictitious phone numbers, use a prefix that is not assigned to any lines. For example, the US convention is the prefix 555 and four digits between 0100-0199.