The telephone code +39 designates Italy in the international numbering plan established by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). When a call or SMS displays this prefix, it generally comes from the Italian network, whether it is a landline, mobile, or special service. Understanding the structure of this code allows one to distinguish a legitimate call from a fraud attempt and to correctly call a contact in Italy from France or elsewhere.
Structure of the Italian numbering plan under the +39 code
The national numbering plan associated with the +39 code has been approved by the Autorità per le Garanzie nelle Comunicazioni (AGCOM). According to the ITU-T E.164 document related to Italy, the length of numbers varies from 3 to 12 digits (excluding the country code). This range is explained by the coexistence of abbreviated service numbers and full geographic numbers.
The first digit after +39 identifies the service category. A call to a number starting with 0 concerns a geographic line (landline). A number beginning with 3 corresponds to mobile and personal services. The prefixes 1, 4, 5, 7, and 8 cover specific uses ranging from abbreviated numbers to free or shared-cost services.
To know exactly what 39 corresponds to in each case, one must look beyond the simple country code and analyze the digits that follow.
| First digit after +39 | Service category | Example of use |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | Geographic numbers (landlines) | Residential lines, businesses |
| 1 | Abbreviated numbers and kiosk services | Information, emergencies |
| 3 | Mobile and personal services | Mobile phones |
| 4 | Internal services, SMS/MMS, data | SMS kiosks |
| 5 | Nomadic communications | Nomadic VoIP |
| 7 | Switched Internet access | Dial-up connections |
| 8 | Free or shared-cost services | Toll-free numbers, hotlines |
Calling Italy from France: format and dialing pitfalls
From a French phone, dialing an Italian number requires entering the international exit prefix (00 or +), followed by 39, then the full number of the contact. The initial zero of the local number is not removed for Italy, unlike most other European countries. Therefore, a call to a landline in Rome consists of +39 06 followed by the subscriber’s number.
This peculiarity regularly causes errors. In France, it is customary to remove the 0 before adding the +33 code. Applying the same logic to the Italian +39 results in a connection failure or a wrong number.
Difference with neighboring codes
The +39 should not be confused with other nearby codes in the European area. The +38 is not assigned to a single country: it breaks down into +380 (Ukraine), +381 (Serbia), +385 (Croatia), +386 (Slovenia), and +387 (Bosnia and Herzegovina). The +37 groups Lithuania (+370), Latvia (+371), and Estonia (+372). The +39 is exclusively reserved for Italy, without a sub-code shared with another state.
Phone scams using the +39 prefix
Fraudulent campaigns exploit numbers displaying the +39 prefix to impersonate delivery services, banks, or acquaintances. The method relies on spoofing: the caller falsifies the displayed number to make it appear as if it originates from Italy, while the call is made from another country.
Several signals should raise alarms:
- A brief call (one or two rings) followed by a hang-up, intended to encourage a callback to a premium-rate number
- A text message in Italian or broken French containing a clickable link, supposedly sent by a package carrier
- An automated voicemail requesting a callback to a number to “regularize a situation”
Never call back an unknown number in +39 without prior verification. In France, fraudulent SMS can be reported by forwarding them to 33700, the reporting platform managed by telecom operators.
Filtering by operators
A regulatory evolution now requires operators to block or filter numbers whose display does not correspond to the originating network. This mechanism aims to reduce the impersonation of Italian numbers. The filtering does not cover calls made via messaging applications like WhatsApp or Telegram, where the +39 number may be displayed without network control.
Code +39 and roaming: what changes for a French mobile in Italy
A French subscriber traveling in Italy retains their number in +33. Incoming calls are routed through the Italian network, but the caller still dials the French number. However, to reach a local Italian from the territory, it is preferable to dial the international format +39 rather than the raw local number, especially if the phone is set to a foreign network.
Since the abolition of roaming charges within the European Union, calls to a French number from Italy are charged as a national call. Calls to an Italian number in +39 from a French mobile in Italy remain subject to the pricing conditions of international calls, depending on the operator’s plan.
- Call from Italy to France (+33): included in the European plan, with no extra cost
- Call from Italy to an Italian number (+39): considered an international call, potentially charged extra
- Receiving calls in Italy on a French number: free under European roaming
The distinction between these scenarios relies entirely on the composed prefix, not on the physical location of the caller. It is the prefix +39 or +33 that determines the pricing, not the country where the phone is located at the time of the call.
The +39 code remains one of the most frequently encountered codes on French phones, due to the geographical proximity and tourist flows between the two countries. Correctly identifying this prefix, knowing the structure of Italian numbers, and spotting fraud attempts that exploit it allows for a discerning response.