Country code Serbia, +381 or 00381?
There are two spellings for the Serbia area code, namely +381 and 00381. Which area code do you have to use? What is the difference between the two country codes for Serbia and what are the different versions for?
The country code of Serbia that starts with a “+” (i.e. +381) 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 Serbia using the +381 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 Serbia area code with leading zeros (00381) 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 00381
In fact, the 00381 variant is used for calls to Serbia, especially in Europe. In other countries of the world, the international code 00381 will not work. Example: In the USA, international calls to Serbia begin with 011. An international call here begins with the area code 011381.
Conclusion
For calls from UK to Serbia you can always use the country code 00381. In other countries, the two leading zeros must be replaced by a different access code. The international dialing code for Serbia (+381) works in all countries of the world. However, it is not supported in all networks and by all telephone devices.
Example of phone calls to Serbia
To illustrate the use of the international dialing code for Serbia (+381 or 00381), here is another example:
You want to call the number 456789 with the area code 0123 in Serbia. In this case you can use the following numbers (from UK/Europe):
00381 123 456789
If you use a mobile phone, the following notation also applies worldwide:
+381 123 456789