Country code Tonga, +676 or 00676?
There are two spellings for the Tonga area code, namely +676 and 00676. Which area code do you have to use? What is the difference between the two country codes for Tonga and what are the different versions for?
The country code of Tonga that starts with a “+” (i.e. +676) 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 Tonga using the +676 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 Tonga area code with leading zeros (00676) 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 00676
In fact, the 00676 variant applies to calls to Tonga, primarily in Europe. In other countries of the world, the international code 00676 will not work. Example: In the USA, international calls to Tonga start with 011. So an international call here starts with the area code 011676.
Conclusion
For calls from UK to Tonga you can always use the country code 00676. In other countries, the two leading zeros must be replaced by a different access code. The international dialing code (+676) of the country code Tonga 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 Tonga
To illustrate the use of the international dialing codes Tonga (+676 or 00676) here is an example again:
You want to call the number 456789 with the area code 0123 in Tonga. In this case you can use the following numbers (from UK/Europe):
00676 123 456789
If you are using a mobile phone, the following notation also applies worldwide:
+676 123 456789