What is a country calling code?

A country calling code is the numeric prefix you dial before a national phone number to route a call to a specific country. For example, +1 reaches the United States and Canada, +44 reaches the United Kingdom, and +91 reaches India. The plus sign stands in for the international access code your network uses.

How do I dial an international number correctly?

Start with your exit or access code (or the + symbol on a mobile), add the destination country code, then the area or city code without its leading zero, and finally the local subscriber number. So a London line looks like +44 20 7946 0000.

What does the plus (+) sign mean in a phone number?

The + is a universal placeholder for the international dialing prefix. Saving numbers in +country-code format means they connect from any country without editing the access code, which is why it is the recommended way to store contacts.

Why do the United States and Canada share the country code +1?

Both countries belong to the North American Numbering Plan, a shared system that also covers several Caribbean nations. They use the same +1 country code but are separated by distinct three-digit area codes.

Do I need to remove the leading zero from a phone number when calling internationally?

Usually yes. Many countries print a trunk prefix, often a 0, for domestic calls. When dialing from abroad you drop that leading zero after the country code. For example, a UK mobile written as 07700 900000 becomes +44 7700 900000.

Does Egypt observe daylight saving time, and what time zone applies for letsdial scheduling?

Egypt abolished daylight saving time in 2011 and now observes Eastern European Time (EET, UTC+2) year-round. This permanent offset simplifies letsdial scheduling — there are no seasonal clock changes to track. Egypt is 2 hours ahead of UTC, placing it in the same winter zone as South Africa and the same year-round zone as Israel.

Does Egypt follow a Sunday–Thursday business week, and how does this affect letsdial call planning?

Many Egyptian government offices and traditional businesses observe a Sunday–Thursday work week with Friday–Saturday as the weekend. However, many multinational companies, banks, and private sector firms in Egypt now follow a Monday–Friday schedule. When scheduling letsdial calls with Egyptian contacts, confirm their specific working week in advance, especially for government-related business where the Sunday–Thursday pattern is more consistently followed.

Is WhatsApp commonly used in Egypt for business pre-call outreach?

Yes — WhatsApp is the leading messaging platform in Egypt and is used extensively across all demographics for personal and business communication. A WhatsApp message before your letsdial call is the most effective warm-up in the Egyptian market. Voice calling via WhatsApp is also popular, but network quality for voice calls can vary — a letsdial PSTN-routed call typically delivers better audio quality than internet-based WhatsApp calls on Egyptian networks.

Can letsdial provide an Egyptian virtual number for the Cairo market?

Yes, letsdial offers Egyptian virtual numbers with Cairo's area code 2, which is the commercial and political heart of the country. A local +20 2 number makes international businesses appear locally present in Cairo, improving trust and answer rates with Egyptian corporate and government contacts. This is particularly useful for companies in sectors like energy, infrastructure, and technology entering the Egyptian market.

What business culture norms are important to respect on letsdial calls with Egyptian counterparts?

Egyptian business culture values courtesy, relationship-building, and personal trust before transaction. Beginning a letsdial call with genuine greetings (even brief inquiries about family or health) is customary and appreciated, not time-wasting. Hierarchy is respected, so addressing senior contacts formally is important. Decision-making can be slower than in Western contexts, requiring patience and consistent follow-up via WhatsApp after each letsdial call.

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Egypt

+20

Country code

International prefix

Egypt's country code +20 connects Africa's third-largest economy and the Arab world's most populous nation. Cairo is a major regional hub for finance, media, and trade.

Best hours:9 AM – 5 PM EET

Language:Arabic

Capital:Cairo

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🇪🇬

Egypt

EG · Africa

+20

dial code

Capital

Cairo

Currency

EGP (£)

Language

Arabic

Population

104 million

Best calling window

9 AM – 5 PM EET

12 AM

12 PM

11 PM

Eastern European Time (EET) · UTC+2

Country

Egypt

2 Digit ISO

Country Calling Code

+20

ISO Alpha-3

EGE

Loading map…

Cairo

Capital

Live

Cairo

--:--:-- --

Time Zone

Eastern European Time (EET)

Quick Facts

CurrencyEGP (£)

LanguageArabic

Population104 million

GMT OffsetUTC+2

Best Hours9 AM – 5 PM EET

Step by step

How to call Egypt from abroad

International dialing is a four-step process.
Use + on mobile to skip the exit code entirely.

Step 01

Exit code

Dial from US/Canada (or use +)

Step 02

+20

Country code

Egypt international prefix

Step 03

Area / city code

Local routing prefix

Step 04

1234 5678

Local number

Subscriber number

dialing-example.txt

International format

00—20—2—1234 5678

Shorthand (works from any device): +20 2 1234 5678

Why letsdial

Benefits of calling Egypt
with letsdial

Start free trial

Get a local +20 number

A Cairo +20 2 or Alexandria +20 3 caller ID signals an Egyptian business presence — essential in the Arab world's most populous nation where WhatsApp drives outreach.

Egypt and 50+ countries, one plan

Call Egypt and 50+ global markets from one letsdial subscription — no per-city fees for Cairo, Alexandria, or Giza.

Full call analytics

Track every Egypt call in EET (UTC+2) — monitor answer rates, peak business windows, and team performance in one real-time dashboard.

Works on any device

Mobile app, desktop, or IP phone — your +20 number lets your team reach Egyptian contacts from any device and any location.

Unified Communications

One platform. Every call, message and team — connected.

One cloud platform replaces your phone system, chat tool, and contact centre — no hardware, no juggling apps.
Reach Egypt and 50+ countries from one dashboard.

50+

Countries covered

99.9%

Uptime SLA

2 min

Setup time

Hardware needed

Voice & Video Calls

Crystal-clear HD calls to Egypt and 50+ countries from one number.

Team Messaging

Chat, share files, and collaborate — all inside the same platform you call from.

Real-Time Analytics

Live dashboards for call volumes, answer rates, and agent performance.

Global Number Coverage

Local +20 numbers plus 50+ country codes — managed from one dashboard.

Format reference

Egypt & neighbouring countries

Egyptian numbers under +20 use city codes — Cairo (2), Alexandria (3). Always drop the leading 0. Mobile numbers use 010x/011x/012x/015x prefixes: +20 1xx xxx xxxx.

CountryLocal formatInternational format

Egyptcurrent1234 5678+20 2 1234 5678

Saudi Arabia234 5678+966 11 234 5678

United Arab Emirates123 4567+971 4 123 4567

Nigeria234 5678+234 1 234 5678

South Africa123 4567+27 11 123 4567

Turkey345 6789+90 212 345 6789

Good to know

Tips for calling Egypt

4 things to check before you dial internationally

Egyptian mobiles start with 010–019 — drop the 0 from abroad

Egyptian mobile numbers are 11 digits domestically (e.g. 0100 xxx xxxx for Vodafone). From abroad, drop the 0: +20 100 xxx xxxx. Cairo landlines: +20 2. Alexandria: +20 3.

WhatsApp is Egypt's primary business channel

WhatsApp is the dominant business messaging channel across Egypt — used by SMEs, enterprises, and the large informal sector. Send a WhatsApp message before calling to establish contact and improve response rates.

Show a local +20 caller ID

Egyptian contacts routinely screen calls from unknown or foreign numbers. A letsdial +20 2 (Cairo) or +20 3 (Alexandria) caller ID signals an Egyptian presence and substantially improves the likelihood of being answered.

EET is UTC+2 — no daylight saving since 2011

Egypt Eastern European Time is UTC+2 year-round — Egypt stopped observing daylight saving in 2011. Business hours are 9 AM–5 PM EET, Sunday to Thursday for many businesses. From London (GMT), Egypt is 2 hours ahead.

Market data

Egypt communication insights

72%

Internet penetration

72% of Egypt's population uses the internet, with mobile data driving most of the growth.

92%

Mobile users

95% of Egyptians use mobile phones, making mobile the central communication infrastructure.

58%

Smartphone owners

57% of Egyptian adults own smartphones; WhatsApp is the primary platform for business messaging.

70%

Digital businesses

62% of Egyptian businesses have adopted digital communication tools for operations and outreach.

Global directory

List of Country Codes

50+ countries listed with their international dial prefix and ISO code.

Filter by letter or search to find any country code instantly.

Egypt calling FAQs

Frequently asked about Egypt

Egypt's country code is +20. Cairo landlines use area code 2 (domestic 02) and Alexandria uses 3 (domestic 03). Mobile numbers use 3-digit operator prefixes: Vodafone Egypt is 010x, Orange is 012x, Etisalat/e& is 011x, and WE is 015x — all domestically 11 digits starting with 0. In international format for letsdial, replace the leading 0 with +20, making a Vodafone Cairo mobile +20 10x XXX XXXX.

Get a local Egypt number

Get a local Egypt number in minutes.

Build trust with Egypt customers using a local +20 virtual phone number — from the same letsdial dashboard your whole team already uses.

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Looking up US area codes? Browse all US area codes →

Egypt

Egypt

How to call Egypt from abroad

Benefits of calling Egyptwith letsdial

Get a local +20 number

Egypt and 50+ countries, one plan

Full call analytics

Works on any device

One platform. Every call, message and team — connected.

Egypt & neighbouring countries

Tips for calling Egypt

Egyptian mobiles start with 010–019 — drop the 0 from abroad

WhatsApp is Egypt's primary business channel

Show a local +20 caller ID

EET is UTC+2 — no daylight saving since 2011

Egypt communication insights

List of Country Codes

Frequently asked about Egypt

Get a local Egypt number in minutes.

Benefits of calling Egypt
with letsdial