Country code Malawi, +265 or 00265?
There are two spellings for the Malawi area code, namely +265 and 00265. Which area code do you have to use? What is the difference between the two country codes for Malawi and what are the different versions for?
The country code of Malawi that starts with a “+” (i.e. +265) 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 Malawi using the +265 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 Malawi area code with leading zeros (00265) 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 00265
In fact, the 00265 variant is used for calls to Malawi, especially in Europe. In other countries of the world, the international code 00265 will not work. Example: In the USA, international calls to Malawi begin with 011. An international call here begins with the area code 011265.
Conclusion
For calls from UK to Malawi you can always use the country code 00265. In other countries, the two leading zeros must be replaced by a different access code. The international (+265) dialing code for Malawi 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 Malawi
To illustrate the use of the international dialing code Malawi (+265 or 00265) here is an example again:
In Malawi you want to call the number 456789 with the area code 0123. In this case you can use the following numbers (from UK/Europe):
00265 123 456789
If you use a mobile phone, the following notation also applies worldwide:
+265 123 456789