Country code Rwanda, +250 or 00250?
There are two spellings for the Rwanda area code, namely +250 and 00250. Which area code do you have to use? What is the difference between the two country codes for Rwanda and what are the different versions for?
The country code of Rwanda that starts with a “+” (i.e. +250) 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 Rwanda if you use the +250 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 Rwanda area code with leading zeros (00250) 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 00250
In fact, the 00250 variant is mostly used for calls to Rwanda in Europe. In other countries of the world, the international code 00250 will not work. Example: In the USA, international calls to Rwanda start with 011. An international call here starts with the area code 011250.
Conclusion
For calls from UK to Rwanda you can always use the country code 00250. In other countries, the two leading zeros must be replaced by a different access code. The international dialing code (+250) for Rwanda 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 Rwanda
To illustrate the use of the international prefixes Rwanda (+250 or 00250) here is an example again:
You want to call the number 456789 with the area code 0123 in Rwanda. In this case you can use the following numbers (from UK/Europe):
00250 123 456789
If you use a mobile phone, the following notation also applies worldwide:
+250 123 456789