Country code Lebanon, +961 or 00961?
There are two spellings for the Lebanon area code, namely +961 and 00961. Which area code do you have to use? What is the difference between the two country codes for Lebanon and what are the different versions for?
The country code of Lebanon that starts with a “+” (i.e. +961) 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 Lebanon using the +961 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 area code Lebanon with leading zeros (00961) 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 00961
In fact, the 00961 variant applies to calls to Lebanon, especially in Europe. In other countries of the world, the international code 00961 will not work. Example: In the USA, international calls to Lebanon begin with 011. An international call here begins with the area code 011961.
Conclusion
For calls from UK to Lebanon you can always use the country code 00961. In other countries, the two leading zeros must be replaced by a different access code. The international dialing code (+961) of the country code for Lebanon 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 Lebanon
To illustrate the use of the international dialing code for Lebanon (+961 or 00961), here is an example again:
You want to call the number 456789 with the area code 0123 in Lebanon. In this case you can use the following numbers (from UK/Europe):
00961 123 456789
If you are using a mobile phone, the following notation also applies worldwide:
+961 123 456789