Country code Slovakia, +421 or 00421?
There are two spellings for the Slovakia area code, namely +421 and 00421. Which area code do you have to use? What is the difference between the two country codes for Slovakia and what are the different versions for?
The country code of Slovakia that starts with a “+” (i.e. +421) 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 Slovakia using the +421 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 Slovakia area code with leading zeros (00421) 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 00421
In fact, the 00421 variant is used for calls to Slovakia, especially in Europe. In other countries of the world, the international code 00421 will not work. Example: In the USA, international calls to Slovakia begin with 011. An international call here begins with the area code 011421.
Conclusion
For calls from UK to Slovakia you can always use the country code 00421. In other countries, the two leading zeros must be replaced by a different access code. The international dialing code (+421) for Slovakia 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 Slovakia
To illustrate the use of the international dialing code for Slovakia (+421 or 00421), here is an example again:
You want to call the number 456789 with the area code 0123 in Slovakia. In this case you can use the following numbers (from UK/Europe):
00421 123 456789
If you are using a mobile phone, the following notation also applies worldwide:
+421 123 456789