Country code Falkland Islands, +500 or 00500?
There are two spellings for the Falkland Islands area code, namely +500 and 00500. Which area code do you have to use? What is the difference between the two country codes for the Falkland Islands and what are the different versions for?
The country code of Falkland Islands that starts with a “+” (i.e. +500) is the so-called international code (international spelling). It is primarily used in the mobile communications sector. Most cell phones can make an international call to the Falkland Islands if you use the +500 area code. This applies to almost every country in the world.
Unfortunately, there are phones (especially older models) that do not support the international spelling. The Falkland Islands area code with leading zeros (00500) is then used on these phones. The leading zeros are also referred to as the so-called traffic elimination number. When you call, they indicate that it is an international call.
Problem: Access code and area code 00500
In fact, the 00500 variant is used for calls to the Falkland Islands, especially in Europe. In other countries of the world, the international code 00500 will not work. Example: In the USA, international calls to the Falkland Islands begin with 011. An international call here begins with the area code 0115011.
Conclusion
For calls from UK to the Falkland Islands you can always use the country code 00500. In other countries, the two leading zeros must be replaced by a different access code. The international dialing code (+500) for the Falkland Islands international code works in all countries in the world. However, it is not supported in all networks and by all telephone devices.
Example of phone calls to Falkland Islands
To illustrate the use of the international dialing code for the Falkland Islands (+500 or 00500), here is another example:
You want to call the number 456789 with the area code 0123 in the Falkland Islands. In this case you can use the following numbers (from UK/Europe):
00500 123 456789
If you use a mobile phone, the following notation also applies worldwide:
+500 123 456789