Telephone numbers in Hong Kong are mostly eight-digit. Fixed land line numbers start with 2 or 3, Mobile (cellular) phone numbers with 5, 6 or 9, pager numbers with 7 and forwarding service with 8. Since the end of 1989, there have been no area codes within Hong Kong.
The telephone number for emergency services – Police, Fire Service and Ambulance – is 999 for all telephone lines. These numbers can also be used for mobile and other users:
992 – fax on fixed line, SMS on mobile phones (for subscribers with disabilities)112 – mobile phonesSome special numbers are three- to five-digit. Some premium rate services, for example for games and adult contents, are 11-digit. Numbers beginning with '1' are usually reserved for carrier/operator services. These services are provided by the individual telephone carrier. In general, these numbers can be used across all carriers:
Directory services can be reached at 1081 (English), 1083 (Cantonese) and 1088 (Mandarin)Time and temperature information can be reached at 18501 (English), 18503 (Cantonese) and 18508 (Mandarin)The International Call Prefix varies depending on IDD provider, however 001 works on all phone lines and uses the IDD service provided by the same carrier as the telephone line that 001 call is dialed from. During the years of telephone monopoly, the International call prefix was 106 (through 1980s) and then 001. Calls to Macau and the People's Republic of China are international, as are calls to Taiwan. Format to dial from Hong Kong to:
Macau +853 xxxx xxxxmainland China +86 (Area Code) xxxx xxxxTaiwan +886 (Area Code) xxx xxxxThe present structure and format of telephone numbers in Hong Kong according to the Hong Kong Telecom Service Numbering Scheme, is as follows (the first digits of the telephone number is used as follows):
001 - International long-distance voice service access code002 - International long-distance fax / data service access code003 to 009 - International gateway access code100xxxx to 107xxxx - Inquiry / hotline / operator-assisted service1081 - Directory Services in English1083 - Directory Services in Cantonese1088 - Directory Services in Mandarin109 - Telephone repair112 - Emergency Calls (Mobile Phones only)115 to 118 - International Routing Network Identification Number12xxxxx - Inquiry / hotline / operator-assisted service133 - Enable the Restricted Caller ID feature1357 - Cancel the "Caller ID Restrictions" feature14 - Network identification number15 to 16 - External telecommunications service access code17xxxxx - Operator-assisted service1801x - PPS (Payment by Phone Service)1803x - PPS (Payment by Phone Service)18060x - PPS (Payment by Phone Service)1808 - International calls search service181 - Helpdesk/Hotline182xxxx - High-traffic telephone line182182 - Employees Retraining Board1823 - Hong Kong SAR Government Efficiency Unit18281 - Tung Wah Group of Hospitals18282 - The Community Chest of Hong Kong18288 - Caritas Family Services183xxxx - High-traffic telephone line184xx - Hong Kong Jockey Club18501 - Time and temperature information service in English18503 - Time and temperature information service in Cantonese18508 - Time and temperature information service in Mandarin186xxxx - High-traffic telephone lines186000 - Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau of the Government of the Hong Kong SAR186111 - "GovWiFi" help desk186131 - Security Bureau, Government of the Hong Kong SAR186186 - Anti Narcotics Division, Security Bureau, Government of the Hong Kong SAR1868 - Immigration Department of the Government of the Hong Kong SAR (assistance to Hong Kong residents in distress)187xxxx - High traffic telephone lines18713xx - Macau phone gambling (Telebet)1872xxx - Radio station listener calls live program hotline1878xxx - Public service, fundraising, accidental death inquiries1879xxx - Public service, charity hotline1880 - Hong Kong Jockey Club Customer Service1881 to 1889 - Hong Kong Jockey Club phone gambling (Telebet)189 - Disaster Response / Disaster Recovery19 - Test code / routing code200 - Telephone card access code201xxxxx to 206xxxxx - Fixed-line telephone207, 208, 209 - Telephone card access code21xxxxxx to 29xxxxxx - Fixed-line telephone28088000 to 28088099 - Telephone card access code3000xxx - Number Conversion Equipment301xxxxx to 304xxxxx - Non-external telecommunications services305xxxxx to 309xxxxx - External telecommunications services31xxxxxx - Fixed-line telephone34xxxxxx to 36xxxxxx - Fixed-line telephone370xxxxx to 372xxxxx - Fixed-line telephone374xxxxx to 376xxxxx - Fixed-line telephone379xxxxx - Fixed-line telephone384xxxxx to 387xxxxx - Fixed-line telephone389xxxxx - Fixed-line telephone39xxxxxx - Fixed-line telephone4xxxxxxxxxxx - Network number504, 505, 507, 508, 509 - SMS / Multimedia value-added services51xxxxxx to 57xxxxxx - Mobile phone number58xxxxxx - 'Class 2 Service' such as voice over IP59xxxxxx - Mobile phone number6xxxxxxx - Mobile phone number7xxxxxxx - Pager number800xxxxxx - Toll-free telephone number81xxxxxx to 83xxxxxx - Personal number service900xxxxxxxx - Information service901xxxxx to 989xxxxx - Mobile phone number990 to 998 - Emergency services (routing)999 - Emergency number (Police, Fire service and Ambulance)Aberdeen - 6 Wong Chuk Hang RoadChai Wan - 13-15 Cheung Lee Street near Kut Shing StreetFanling - 21 Lok Yip RoadHung Hom - 140 Gillies Avenue NorthKennedy Town - 14 Smithfield Road, Sai WanKwai Chung - Kwok Shui Road near Fu Uk RoadKwun Tong - 408 Kwun Tong RoadMa On Shan - 20 On Shing StreetSai Kung - 66 Man Nin StreetSha Tin - 14-16 Man Lai Road, Tai WaiShau Kei Wan - 17 Sun Sing StreetSheung Shui - 88-98 Jockey Club RoadTai Kok Tsui - 663 Shanghai Street, Mong KokTsing Yi (Kwai Shing) - 298 Kwai Shing Circuit, Kwai ChungTuen Mun - 1 Hing On LaneWan Chai - 44-46 Wood RoadYau Ma Tei - 524A Nathan RoadYau Tong - 6 Tseung Kwan O Road, Lam TinIn the 1970s, area codes were assigned with the following pattern:
3 Kowloon, New Kowloon, Ha Kwai Chung and Sai Kung5 Hong Kong Island and Outlying Islands12 New TerritoriesThere was no standard trunk prefix like '0' – only the area code and phone number were dialed when calling from one area code to another. Thus the Kowloon number xxx-xxx would have been dialed as follows:
xxx-xxx – from within Kowloon3 xxx-xxx – from Hong Kong Island or New Territories+852 3 xxx-xxx – from the rest of the worldIn the mid-1980s, 6-digit numbers starting with '0' became 7-digit numbers starting with '71', making way for subsequent change of the New Territories prefix from '12' to '0'.
0xxxxx became 71xxxxxFixed-line phone numbers were either six- or seven-digit in the 1980s. Area codes were assigned with the following patterns.
3 Kowloon, New Kowloon, Ha Kwai Chung and Sai Kung5 Hong Kong Island and Outlying Islands0 New TerritoriesCellular phone numbers are all eight-digit starting with '9'.
On 30 December 1989, area codes were abolished. Area codes for six-digit numbers became part of subscriber's numbers. Area codes for seven-digit numbers were simply removed. Some six-digit numbers had the first digit changed to two digits to make a seven-digit number.
(3) xxx xxx became 3xx xxxx(3) 7xx xxxx became 7xx xxxx(5) xxx xxx became 5xx xxxx(5) Nxx xxxx became Nxx xxxx (N = 8 or 9)(0) 8xx xxx became 46x xxxx(0) Nxx xxxx became Nxx xxxx (N = 4 or 6)In the mid-1990s, a '2' was prefixed to all fixed line (land line) numbers which are now eight-digit. A '7' was prefixed to existing pager service numbers.
xxx xxxx became 2xxx xxxx11xx xxx became 711xx xxx11xx xxxxx became 7xx xxxxx9xxx xxxx remain unchangedBefore the introduction of portable fixed line numbers, numbers were assigned in a pattern akin to districts. For example, in addition to the existing 3, 5 and 0 prefixes, a 4 prefix was used for Tuen Mun and Yuen Long, 6 for Tai Po and Sha Tin, and 8 for Island East.
Numbers starting with '3' were introduced when '2' for fixed lines started running out. Cell phone numbers remain eight-digit. The number '6' started to be used when numbers started with '9' were running out. In May 2008, cellular phone numbers with '5' as the beginning were also introduced.
