International Phone Number Format

International format is the human-readable way to write a phone number for a global audience: the + sign, the country code, then the national number (without its trunk prefix) grouped with spaces — for example +44 7400 123456.

Use international format whenever a number will be read by people who might be outside the country: email signatures, business cards, websites, invoices. Anyone, anywhere can dial it exactly as written.

The digit grouping follows each country’s convention — France groups in pairs (+33 6 12 34 56 78), the US in 3-3-4 (+1 415 555 0132), Germany by area code (+49 30 901820). A good formatter applies the right grouping automatically; that is what Google’s libphonenumber (and this site) does.

How International Notation Works

  • Begins with + and the country calling code.
  • National trunk prefix (leading 0) is dropped — except Italy, which keeps it.
  • Digits are grouped with spaces according to each country’s convention.
  • Identical digits to E.164 — only the separators differ.
  • ITU recommendation E.123 defines this notation.

International Format Across 10 Countries

The same numbers from our country guides, written in International format:

CountryInternational example
🇺🇸 United States (+1) +1 415 555 0132
🇬🇧 United Kingdom (+44) +44 7400 123456
🇨🇦 Canada (+1) +1 416 555 0199
🇦🇺 Australia (+61) +61 491 570 156
🇮🇳 India (+91) +91 98765 43210
🇩🇪 Germany (+49) +49 1512 3456789
🇫🇷 France (+33) +33 6 12 34 56 78
🇪🇸 Spain (+34) +34 612 34 56 78
🇮🇹 Italy (+39) +39 312 345 6789
🇧🇷 Brazil (+55) +55 11 91234-5678

When Humans Will Read the Number

  • Email signatures, business cards, letterheads seen by international contacts.
  • Public websites and Google Business profiles.
  • Invoices, contracts, and customer support pages.
  • Anywhere a human (rather than software) will read and dial the number.

Producing International Format in Code

JavaScript (libphonenumber-js)
import { parsePhoneNumber } from 'libphonenumber-js';

const phone = parsePhoneNumber('+14155550132');
phone.formatInternational(); // '+1 415 555 0132'
Python (phonenumbers)
import phonenumbers

n = phonenumbers.parse("+14155550132")
phonenumbers.format_number(n, phonenumbers.PhoneNumberFormat.INTERNATIONAL)
# '+1 415-555-0132'

Get the Readable International Form

Enter any number and receive the properly spaced +country-code form, grouped exactly as locals expect to read it.

Enter phone number with country code or select country below.

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International Format: Common Questions

What is international phone number format?

The + sign, country code, and national number written with spaces for readability — e.g. +44 7400 123456. It is defined by ITU recommendation E.123 and dialable from anywhere in the world.

Should I use 00 or + for international numbers?

Prefer +. The 00 prefix is the European exit code, but it is 011 in North America and 0011 in Australia. The + symbol means "your local exit code" and works universally, especially on mobiles.

Do I drop the leading 0 in international format?

In almost every country, yes — the leading 0 is a domestic trunk prefix. The famous exception is Italy, where the 0 is part of landline numbers and is kept: +39 06 1234 5678.

What is the difference between international format and E.164?

Same digits, different presentation. International format has spaces for humans (+1 415 555 0132); E.164 has none for machines (+14155550132). Store E.164, display international.

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