Country code Macao, +853 or 00853?
There are two spellings for the Macao area code, namely +853 and 00853. Which area code do you have to use? What is the difference between the two country codes for Macao and what are the different versions for?
The country code of Macau that starts with a “+” (i.e. +853) 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 Macao using the +853 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 Macao area code with leading zeros (00853) 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 00853
In fact, the 00853 variant applies to calls to Macao, especially in Europe. In other countries of the world, the international code 00853 will not work. Example: In the USA, international calls to Macau begin with 011. An international call here begins with the area code 011853.
Conclusion
For calls from UK to Macao you can always use the country code 00853. In other countries, the two leading zeros must be replaced by a different access code. The international dialing code (+853) of the international country code Macao 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 Macao
To illustrate the use of the international prefixes Macao (+853 or 00853), here is an example again:
In Macao you want to call 456789 with the area code 0123. In this case you can use the following numbers (from UK/Europe):
00853 123 456789
If you use a mobile phone, the following notation also applies worldwide:
+853 123 456789