Telephone numbers in the Netherlands are administered by the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Agriculture
and Innovation of the Netherlands and may be grouped into three general categories:
geographical numbers, non-geographical numbers, and numbers for public services.
Geographical telephone numbers are sequences of 9 digits and consist of an area code of
two or three digits and a subscriber number of seven or six digits, respectively.
When dialled within the country, the number must be prefixed with the trunk access code
0, identifying a destination telephone line in the Dutch telephone network.
Non-geographical numbers have no fixed length, but also required the dialling of a trunk
access code.
They are used for mobile telephone networks and other designated service types, such as
toll-free dialling, Internet access, voice over IP, restricted audiences, and information
resources.
In addition, special service numbers exist for emergency response, directory assistance,
and other services by the public authorities.
Numbering plan The telephone numbering plan of the Netherlands
is divided into geographical, non-geographical, and special public resource telephone numbers.
The dial plan prescribes that within the country dialling both geographical and non-geographical
numbers requires a national network access code, which is the digit 0.
The following list includes the national trunk access digit when it must be dialled before
the number.
01x(x) to 05x(x) and 07x: geographical area codes
061-065, 068 and 069: mobile phone number 066: mobile pagers
0670-0675: videotex 0676: internet access number
0800: toll free number 084: location independent, premium rate
085: location independent, basic rate 087: location independent, premium rate
088: location independent, basic rate 0900: premium rate, information
0906: premium rate, adult content 0909: premium rate, entertainment
112: emergency services 14xx(xx): public authorities, where xxxx is
the two-, three- or four-digit area-code of the municipality
16xx: carrier select prefixes 18xx: number information
066, 084 and 087 are often used by scammers, because they are easy and cheap to register
and make identification very hard.
Previously, 06-0, 06-1000 and 06-4 were used for toll-free numbers, 06-8 for shared cost,
06-9 for premium rate, and other 06-numbers for mobile numbers.
0011 and later 06-11 was used for emergency services before this changed to 112.
09 was used as the international access code before this changed to 00.
Geographical telephone numbers Since the reorganization of the telephone
system in 1995, Dutch geographical numbers consist of 9 digits.
The numbering plan implements a system of area codes.
An area code consists of two or three digits.
The larger cities and areas have two digits with a subscriber number of seven digits,
permitting more local numbers.
Smaller areas use three digits with a six-digit subscriber number.
Geographic numbers are allocated in blocks to telecommunications providers.
However, a telephone number from a block allocated to a certain provider may no longer be serviced
by the original assignee due to number portability; subscribers who switch providers can take
their number with them.
When dialled within the Netherlands, the domestic trunk access code 0 must be dialled before
the telephone number, extending the dialling sequence to 10 digits.
Before the 1995 reorganization, area codes were restricted to towns.
This was lifted and multiple towns may now share an area code.
The following table lists only one town for each area code, and it includes the trunk
access code.
Non-geographical telephone numbers The non-geographic numbers do not have a prescribed
fixed number of digits, but are usually kept as short as possible.
Mobile telephone numbers, however, always have 9 digits, just like geographic numbers.
The non-geographical telephone number categories are, including the trunk access code:
06: mobile telephone operators), 0800: free service numbers,
084, 085: used for VoIP 087: voicemail and virtual private numbers)
088: large companies with more than one address 0900: paid information services
0906: adult lines 0909: entertainment
Toll-free numbers can always be dialled for free, even from payphones; other numbers starting
with 08 are not free.
Public resources The emergency number is 112.
GSM mobile phones may accept different numbers, such as 999, 000 or 911, depending on the
firmware.
Additionally, calls to 911 are forwarded to 112.
Directory assistance is available from several commercial providers, on 18xx.
Caribbean Netherlands
The islands of Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba, which form the Caribbean Netherlands
after the dissolution of the Netherlands Antilles, retained the numbering plan of the Netherlands
Antilles using country code +599, followed by 7, 3 or 4 for Bonaire, Sint Eustatius or
Saba, respectively.
Calls between the European Netherlands and Caribbean Netherlands are billed as international
calls.
See also Communications in the Netherlands
Telephone numbers in Aruba Telephone numbers in Sint Maarten
External links The Ministry of Economic Affairs, Agriculture
and Innovation is responsible for the Dutch Numbering plan.
The Authority for Consumers & Markets manages the available telephone and other numbers
and assigns these to telecommunication companies, as well as being the regulatory body governing
telecommunications providers in The Netherlands.
De Telefoongids KPN telephone directory, combined white pages and yellow pages