🇮🇹 Italy Phone Number Format
Italy is the great exception in European dialing: the leading 0 of landline numbers is part of the number itself and stays even after +39. Mobiles start with 3 (no zero) at 9–10 digits; landlines start with 0 and run anywhere from 6 to 11 digits.
Italian Number Formats: Mind the Zero
Here is how one Italy number is written in each of the four standards:
| Format | Example | Use for |
|---|---|---|
| E.164 | +393123456789 | Databases, SMS APIs (Twilio, WhatsApp), CRMs |
| International | +39 312 345 6789 | Display to a global audience, business cards |
| National | 312 345 6789 | Domestic display inside Italy |
| RFC3966 | tel:+39-312-345-6789 | Clickable tel: links on websites |
Why Italy Keeps Its Leading Zero
In 1998 Italy did the opposite of Spain: instead of deleting the trunk prefix, it promoted the zero into the number itself. Rome’s 06 and Milan’s 02 are not dialing instructions — they are the first digits of the subscriber number, required from everywhere on Earth. “+39 06 1234 5678” keeps its zero; strip it and the call fails.
This single exception breaks every generic “drop the zero after the country code” rule baked into address books, CRMs and homemade formatters. Software that normalises +39 numbers the way it normalises +44 numbers silently corrupts every Italian landline it touches — one of the best arguments for using libphonenumber’s per-country metadata rather than universal rules.
Mobiles live in a separate world: they begin with 3 (TIM’s 33x, Vodafone’s 34x, WindTre’s 32x/38x…) and never carry a zero. So the quick triage for any Italian number is: starts with 3, it’s a mobile, starts with 0, it’s a landline — and in both cases, dial every digit you see.
3xx Mobiles and Leading-Zero Landlines
Type Prefixes Digits Example Mobile 3xx (320, 333, 339, 347…) 9–10 312 345 6789 Rome landline 06 8–10 (incl. 0) 06 1234 5678 Milan landline 02 8–10 02 1234 5678 Freephone 800 9 800 123 456
Calling Italy: Keep the Zero
Calling from Dial Within Italy 312 345 6789 (mobile) / 06 1234 5678 (Rome) From the US (landline) 011 39 06 1234 5678 — Keep the 0 — Italy is the exception! From any mobile +39 312 345 6789
- Enter + or your country’s exit code.
- Add the Italian country code 39.
- For landlines, KEEP the leading 0 (unlike almost every other country).
- Dial the full mobile (3xx…) or landline (0x…) number.
Italy’s Numbering Exceptions
- Italy’s leading 0 is part of the landline number itself: +39 06 1234 5678 is correct, dropping the 0 makes it undialable.
- Italian mobiles never start with 0 — they begin with 3 and go straight after +39: +39 312 345 6789.
- Number lengths vary (mobiles 9–10 digits, landlines 6–11), so length-based validation alone is unreliable.
- Italian formatters must special-case the trunk-0 rule; generic “drop the 0” logic corrupts Italian landlines.
Mistakes That Break Italian Numbers
- Dropping the 0 after +39 for landlines — “+39 6 1234 5678” is wrong; Rome needs “+39 06…”.
- Adding a 0 before mobiles — Italian mobiles start directly with 3: +39 312 345 6789.
- Validating by length — Italian landlines legitimately span 6 to 11 digits.
- Applying generic trunk-prefix rules in code — Italy must be special-cased (libphonenumber handles it).
Format an Italian Number Correctly
Landline or mobile, this formatter applies Italy’s keep-the-zero rule automatically — no corrupted +39 numbers.
Enter phone number with country code or select country below.
Up to 100 numbers. Include country code or select a default country below.
| Original | E.164 | International | National | Valid |
|---|
Italy Phone Format FAQ
Do I drop the leading 0 in Italian numbers after +39?
No — Italy is the famous exception. The 0 is part of landline numbers: Rome 06 1234 5678 is +39 06 1234 5678 internationally. Mobiles start with 3 and have no 0 anyway.
What do Italian mobile numbers start with?
Italian mobiles start with 3 — common prefixes include 320, 328, 333, 339, 347, 380 and 389. In international form: +39 3xx xxx xxxx.
How many digits does an Italian phone number have?
It varies: mobiles are usually 10 digits (3xx xxx xxxx), landlines range from about 6 to 11 digits including the leading 0.
How do I call Rome from the US?
Dial 011 39 06 followed by the subscriber number — keep the 0 of 06. Example: 011 39 06 1234 5678.