Country code Sri Lanka, +94 or 0094?
There are two spellings for the Sri Lanka area code, namely +94 and 0094. Which area code do you have to use? What is the difference between the two country codes for Sri Lanka and what are the different versions for?
The country code of Sri Lanka that starts with a “+” (i.e. +94) 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 Sri Lanka using the +94 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 Sri Lanka area code with leading zeros (0094) 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 0094
In fact, the 0094 variant applies to calls to Sri Lanka, especially in Europe. In other countries of the world, the international code 0094 will not work. Example: In the USA, international calls to Sri Lanka begin with 011. An international call here begins with the area code 01194.
Conclusion
For calls from UK to Sri Lanka you can always use the country code 0094. In other countries, the two leading zeros must be replaced by a different access code. The international dialing code (+94) for Sri Lanka 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 Sri Lanka
To illustrate the use of the international dialing codes Sri Lanka (+94 or 0094) here is another example:
You want to call the number 456789 with the area code 0123 in Sri Lanka. In this case you can use the following numbers (from UK/Europe):
0094 123 456789
If you use a mobile phone, the following notation also applies worldwide:
+94 123 456789