Telephone numbers in Switzerland are defined and assigned according to the Swiss telephone numbering plan administered by the Swiss Federal Office of Communications. The plan was changed many times and the most recent major reorganization was implemented in March 2002.
The Swiss telephone numbering plan implements the ITU-T recommendation E.164 and is designated E.164/2002, based on its last major revision in 2002. It is a closed numbering plan, which means that all telephone numbers, including the area code, have a fixed number of digits. Swiss area codes are officially termed national destination codes (NDC). A complete telephone number consists of ten digits: 0xx xxx xx xx. Two formats are distinguished: three digits for the NDC and seven digits for the subscriber number, and four digits for the NDC and six digits for the subscriber number. However, a few exceptions exist.
The associated dial plan requires that all numbers, even for local calls, must be dialed with the assigned NDC, in contrast to previous plans. When dialing from within the country, a prefix 0 must be dialed.
The plan was amended a few times, e.g., the transition of numbering zone 01 into 044 and 043.
The national destination code (NDC) is the area code for Swiss telephone numbers. Within Switzerland the trunk code 0 must be dialed before the NDC, while it is not needed from international locations.
Telephone numbers are portable between numbering zones (ZN) or between GSM/UTMS mobile operators, and therefore an NDC does not imply that a caller is actually located in a particular zone or is serviced by any particular mobile operator.
The national destination codes are the following.
1 – ZN Zurich (until 1 April 2007, replaced by 44)
21 – ZN Lausanne
22 – ZN Geneva
24 – ZN Yverdon, Aigle
26 – ZN Fribourg
27 – ZN Valais/Wallis
31 – ZN Bern and surrounding areas.
32 – ZN Biel/Bienne, Neuchâtel, Solothurn, Jura
33 – ZN Berner Oberland
34 – ZN Region Bern-Emme
41 – ZN Central Switzerland (Luzern, Zug etc.)
43 – ZN Zurich
44 – ZN Zurich (formerly 1)
51 – business telecommunication networks (SBB, CFF, FFS)
52 – ZN Winterthur
55 – ZN Rapperswil
56 – ZN Baden
58 – business telecommunication networks
61 – ZN Region Basel
62 – ZN Region Olten-Langenthal(Oberaargau)-Aargau-West
71 – ZN Region Eastern Switzerland (St. Gallen etc.)
74 – mobile services: paging services
75 – mobile services: GSM / UMTS - Swisscom
76 – mobile services: GSM / UMTS - Sunrise (with Yallo, talktalk, Lebara, MTV Mobile)
77 – mobile services: GSM / UMTS - various (M-Budget, Tele2)
78 – mobile services: GSM / UMTS - Salt/Orange (with CoopMobile, cablecom)
79 – mobile services: GSM / UMTS - Swisscom
800 – freephone numbers
81 – ZN Chur
840 – shared-cost numbers
842 – shared-cost numbers
844 – shared-cost numbers
848 – shared-cost numbers
860 – voice mail access (+ 9 digits phone without the initial 0, i.e. +41 860 66 555 44 33 is the voice mail of +41 66 555 44 33)
868 – test numbers - Not accessible from abroad
869 – VPN access code ( + 3 - 10 digits)
878 – personal numbers (UPT)
900 – Premium rate service for business, marketing
901 – Premium rate service for entertainment,
906 – Premium rate service for adult entertainment
91 – ZN Ticino
98 – Inter-network routing numbers - Not accessible from abroad - Non diallable
99 – Internal network numbers - Not accessible from abroad - Non diallable
Short dialing codes are assigned for special services or network features.
0 - Trunk prefix for calls within Switzerland
00 – International call prefix
1 – Short numbers, see table below (3, 4 or 5 digit length)
107xx – Carrier selection code (+ national or international number)
108xx – Carrier selection code (+ national or international number)
111 – Directory Enquiries (no longer in service - replaced with 1811)
112 – Police
113 – .
1141 – .
1144 – .
1145 – .
1151 – .
1152 – .
1153 – .
1154 – .
1159 – .
117 – Police
118 – Fire brigade
140 – Road assistance (TCS)
1414 – Air ambulance (REGA - outside Valais)
1415 – Air ambulance (Air Glaciers - Valais only)
143 – Psychological assistance ("the Helping Hand")
144 – Ambulance
145 – Poisoning/intoxication emergency
147 – Helpline for children
1600 – Regional announcement voice mail
161 – Speaking clock
162 – Weather forecast and meteorological conditions
163 – Traffic report and travel information
164 – Sport news
171 – Vermittlungsplaetze Stoerungsdienst
175 – Phone failures
176 – Feld Abfrage System
187 – Info about snow avalanges
188 – Info about exhibitions
1811 – Directory enquiries (Swisscom)
1818 - Directory enquiries
1850 - International directory enquiries
Instead of E.164/2002, another more ambitious numbering plan was proposed. In this plan the prefix 0 was discarded, and the area codes were defined differently, with 20 to 49 for geographic areas, 50 to 59 reserved, 60-69 for nationwide numbering, 70-79 for mobile services, 80-89 for shared cost and toll free numbers, and 90 for premium rate services. The plan was not implemented because it required too many phone number and prefix changes, with associated high costs...
The area code 01 was replaced with 044 (Zurich)
On 29 March 2002 the Swiss dialing plan changed to a closed dialing plan, i.e. the zone prefix become mandatory also for local calls.
058 - Corporate access (since 1 June 2000)
The previous plan removed a lot of area prefixes and added the seventh digit in phone numbers (usually a phone number (0cc) yx xx xx became (0dd) zzx xx xx).
023 - Short prefix for some French regions
025 - Chablais, since 2 November 1996 in 024
026 - Martigny, since 2 November 1996 in 027
028 - high Valais, since 2 November 1996 in 027
029 - Greyerzerland/Pays d'Enhaut, since 2 November 1996 in 026
030 - Zweisimmen, since 9 November 1996 in 033
035 - Langnau im Emmental, since 9 November 1996 in 034
036 - Interlaken, since 9 November 1996 in 033
037 - Fribourg, since 2 November 1996 in 026
038 - Neuchâtel, since 9 November 1996 in 032
039 - La-Chaux-de-Fonds, since 9 November 1996 in 032
040 - Telepage Swiss (pager)
042 - Zug, since 23 March 1996 in 041
043 - Schwyz, since 23 March 1996 in 041
044 - Altdorf, since 23 March 1996 in 041
045 - Sursee, since 23 March 1996 in 041
046 - Toll free, moved into 155 and then into 0800
051 - Zürich, moved into 01+7 digits, then replaced with 044
053 - Schaffhausen, since 23 March 1996 in 052
054 - Frauenfeld, since 23 March 1996 in 052
057 - Wohlen, since 23 March 1996 in 056
058 - Glarus, since 23 March 1996 in 055
059 - Short prefix for German regions, also for parts of France surrounding Geneva and northern Italy
061 - Basel
062 - Olten
063 - Langenthal, withdrawn and integrated into 062 Region Langenthal Oberaargau
064 - Aarau withdrawn and integrated into 062 Region Aarau, Fricktal
065 - Solothurn, since 9 November 1996 integrated into 032
066 - Delémont, since 9 November 1996 integrated into 032
067 - Short prefix for German regions
068 - Short prefix for some German regions
069 - Short prefix for some German regions
071 - St. Gallen, 30 March 1996
072 - Weinfelden, withdrawn and integrated into 071 Region Weinfelden (Thurgau) since 30 March 1996
073 - Wil, withdrawn and integrated into 071 Region Wil since 30 March 1996
074 - Wattwil, withdrawn and integrated into 071 Region Wattwil (Toggenburg) since 30 March 1996
074 - Pager
075 - Mobile phone "Natel D" (Swisscom)
076 - Mobile phone Sunrise
077 - Mobile phone "Natel C"
078 - Mobile phone Orange (telecommunications)
079 - Mobile phone "Natel D" (Swisscom)
092 - Bellinzona, Misox and Calanca Valley (GR), withdrawn and integrated into 091 (Ticino)
093 - Locarno, withdrawn and integrated into 091 (Ticino)
094 - Leventina Valley, withdrawn and integrated into 091 (Ticino)