🇨🇳 China Phone Number Format
Chinese mobile numbers are 11 digits starting with 1, grouped 3-4-4: 138 1234 5678. Mobiles have no trunk prefix — domestically you dial all 11 digits directly, and internationally +86 slots in front without dropping anything. Landlines are different: the domestic trunk 0 (e.g. 010 Beijing) is dropped after +86.
A Chinese Mobile in All Four Formats
Here is how one China number is written in each of the four standards:
| Format | Example | Use for |
|---|---|---|
| E.164 | +8613812345678 | Databases, SMS APIs (Twilio, WhatsApp), CRMs |
| International | +86 138 1234 5678 | Display to a global audience, business cards |
| National | 138 1234 5678 | Domestic display inside China |
| RFC3966 | tel:+86-138-1234-5678 | Clickable tel: links on websites |
MIIT, the Three Carriers and a Billion-Plus Mobile Subscribers
China's mobile numbering is governed by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT), which divides the 1xx prefix space among three state-owned carriers. China Mobile holds the largest block — 134–139, 147, 150–152, 157–159, 178, 182–184, 187–188, 198 — while China Unicom occupies 130–132, 145, 155–156, 166, 175–176, 185–186, 196, and China Telecom covers 133, 149, 153, 173–174, 177, 180–181, 189, 191, 199. The first three digits of a Chinese mobile reliably identify the carrier, which is still relevant for SMS bulk platforms that route by network.
The absence of a trunk prefix on mobiles is China's most distinctive feature. Domestically you dial the full 11 digits starting with 1 — no leading 0 is ever added. This is the opposite of the UK, Australia, France, and Germany, where mobiles carry a 0 trunk prefix that must be dropped for international calling. With Chinese mobiles, "+86" slots directly in front of all 11 digits unchanged: 138 1234 5678 → +86 138 1234 5678.
Landlines behave differently. Beijing's 010 and Shanghai's 021 carry a domestic trunk 0 that vanishes internationally (+86 10 1234 5678, +86 21 1234 5678). The asymmetry — no trunk prefix on mobiles, trunk 0 on landlines — is the most common source of formatting errors. The reliable rule: if the number starts with 1, it's a mobile and nothing is dropped; if it starts with 0, it's a landline and strip the leading 0.
1xx Mobiles and Area-Code Landlines
Type Prefixes Digits Example Mobile (China Mobile) 134–139, 150–152, 157–159, 182–184, 187–188, 198 11 138 1234 5678 Mobile (China Unicom) 130–132, 155–156, 185–186, 196 11 155 1234 5678 Mobile (China Telecom) 133, 153, 180–181, 189, 199 11 189 1234 5678 Beijing landline 010 11 (incl. trunk 0) 010 1234 5678 Shanghai landline 021 11 021 1234 5678 Service numbers 400, 800 10 400 123 4567
Calling China: No Prefix to Drop for Mobiles
Calling from Dial Within China (mobile) 138 1234 5678 — No trunk prefix — dial all 11 digits directly. From the US (mobile) 011 86 138 1234 5678 — No digits dropped for mobiles. From any mobile +86 138 1234 5678 From the US (Beijing landline) 011 86 10 1234 5678 — Drop the trunk 0 from 010.
- Enter + or your country's international exit code.
- Add the Chinese country code 86.
- For mobiles (starting with 1): dial all 11 digits — nothing to drop.
- For landlines (starting with 0): drop the leading 0 and dial the remaining digits.
Chinese Numbering Essentials
- Chinese mobiles need no trunk prefix — domestically you dial the full 11 digits starting with 1; internationally, +86 goes directly in front.
- Landlines (e.g. Beijing 010, Shanghai 021) carry a trunk 0 that must be dropped after +86: +86 10 1234 5678.
- MIIT allocates 1xx ranges by carrier: China Mobile (134–139…), Unicom (130–132…), Telecom (133, 153…).
- The standard grouping for Chinese mobiles is 3-4-4: 138 1234 5678.
Common Mistakes with Chinese Numbers
- Adding a trunk 0 before mobiles — Chinese mobiles have no trunk prefix; "0138 1234 5678" is invalid.
- Keeping the 0 of a landline area code after +86 — "+86 010 1234 5678" is wrong; write +86 10 1234 5678.
- Grouping mobiles incorrectly — Chinese convention is 3-4-4 (138 1234 5678), not 4-7 or 3-3-5.
- Hardcoding carrier lookups by prefix — MIIT has reassigned some ranges; use libphonenumber for reliable validation.
Format a Chinese +86 Number Instantly
Works with WeChat-style bare digits, +86 international form, or Beijing/Shanghai landlines — outputs clean E.164 for any SMS gateway or CRM.
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| Original | E.164 | International | National | Valid |
|---|
China Phone Format: Common Questions
How do I write a Chinese mobile number in international format?
Add +86 directly in front of the 11 mobile digits — no leading digit is dropped. For example, 138 1234 5678 becomes +86 138 1234 5678, or +8613812345678 in strict E.164 for APIs and CRMs.
Do Chinese mobile numbers have a trunk prefix like "0"?
No. Unlike UK or Australian mobiles, Chinese mobiles carry no trunk prefix. You dial the full 11 digits starting with 1 both domestically and after +86 internationally — nothing is dropped.
How do I write a Beijing or Shanghai landline internationally?
Drop the trunk 0 from the area code. Beijing 010 1234 5678 becomes +86 10 1234 5678; Shanghai 021 1234 5678 becomes +86 21 1234 5678. The subscriber digits stay unchanged.
What do Chinese mobile numbers start with?
All Chinese mobile numbers start with 1 — specifically the 13x, 14x, 15x, 16x, 17x, 18x, and 19x ranges, allocated among China Mobile, China Unicom, and China Telecom.
How do I call China from the United States?
Dial 011 (US exit code), then 86, then the number: for mobiles 011 86 138 1234 5678 (no digits dropped); for Beijing landlines 011 86 10 1234 5678 (drop the 0 from 010). From a mobile, use +86 directly.