Country code Réunion, +262 or 00262?
There are two spellings for the Réunion area code, namely +262 and 00262. Which area code do you have to use? What is the difference between the two country codes for Reunion and what are the different versions for?
The country code of Réunion that starts with a “+” (i.e. +262) 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 Reunion using the +262 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 Réunion area code with leading zeros (00262) 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 00262
In fact, the 00262 variant is used for calls to Réunion, especially in Europe. In other countries of the world, the international code 00262 will not work. Example: In the USA, international calls to Reunion begin with 011. An international call here begins with the area code 011262.
Conclusion
For calls from UK to Réunion you can always use the country code 00262. In other countries, the two leading zeros must be replaced by a different access code. The international variant (+262) of the country code Reunion 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 Réunion
To illustrate the use of the international prefixes Réunion (+262 or 00262) here is an example again:
You want to call the number 456789 with the area code 0123 in Réunion. In this case you can use the following numbers (from UK/Europe):
00262 123 456789
If you use a mobile phone, the following notation also applies worldwide:
+262 123 456789