Hong Kong country code, +852 or 00852?
There are two spellings for the Hong Kong area code, namely +852 and 00852. Which area code do you have to use? What is the difference between the two country codes for Hong Kong and what are the different versions for?
The country code of Hong Kong that starts with a “+” (i.e. +852) 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 Hong Kong using the +852 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 Hong Kong area code with leading zeros (00852) 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 00852
In fact, the 00852 variant is used for calls to Hong Kong, especially in Europe. In other countries of the world, the international code 00852 will not work. Example: In the USA, international calls to Hong Kong begin with 011. An international call here begins with the area code 011852.
Conclusion
For calls from UK to Hong Kong you can always use the country code 00852. In other countries, the two leading zeros must be replaced by a different access code. The international dialing code (+852) of the Hong Kong country 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 Hong Kong
To illustrate the use of Hong Kong’s international dialing code (+852 or 00852), here is another example:
You want to call Hong Kong number 456789 with area code 0123. In this case you can use the following numbers (from UK/Europe):
00852 123 456789
If you use a mobile phone, the following notation also applies worldwide:
+852 123 456789