The +225 country code is for Côte d'Ivoire, usually called the Ivory Coast in English (though the Ivorian government prefers the French name in all languages). The country is the economic heavyweight of francophone West Africa, with Abidjan functioning as the real capital even though Yamoussoukro holds the title officially. About 28 million people. French is the official language, but Dioula is the lingua franca in markets and daily life. Côte d'Ivoire produces about 40% of the world's cocoa -- if you've eaten chocolate, you've probably consumed Ivorian beans. The phone system went through a major change in January 2021 when all numbers switched from 8 digits to 10 digits, which means old numbers saved in your contacts won't work anymore.
Quick answer: Côte d'Ivoire's country code is +225. Since January 2021, all numbers are 10 digits. No trunk prefix -- dial the full number. Mobile numbers start with 07 (Orange), 05 (MTN), or 01 (Moov). From France, dial
00 225then the 10-digit number. From the US, dial011-225or+225then the 10-digit number.
How to call Ivory Coast: quick reference
Côte d'Ivoire has no trunk prefix. Dial the full 10-digit local number after the country code. If you have an old 8-digit Ivorian number from before January 2021, it won't work -- you need the updated 10-digit version with the carrier prefix (07 for Orange, 05 for MTN, 01 for Moov, 27 for landlines).
| Calling from | Dialing format |
|---|---|
| France | 00 225 XX XX XX XX XX |
| US/Canada mobile | +225 XX XX XX XX XX |
| US/Canada landline | 011 225 XX XX XX XX XX |
| UK | 00 225 XX XX XX XX XX |
| Burkina Faso | 00 225 XX XX XX XX XX |
| Senegal | 00 225 XX XX XX XX XX |
Understanding Ivory Coast phone numbers
The biggest thing to know about Ivorian phone numbers: they changed in 2021. If you have a number from before then, it's outdated.
The 2021 number migration
In January 2021, Côte d'Ivoire migrated all phone numbers from 8 digits to 10 digits. A 2-digit carrier prefix was added to the front of every existing number:
- 07 for Orange numbers
- 05 for MTN numbers
- 01 for Moov Africa numbers
- 27 for landlines
If you have an old 8-digit Ivorian number in your contacts, add the appropriate prefix. If you don't know which carrier the person uses, ask for their updated number.
Mobile numbers
10 digits: carrier prefix (2 digits) + subscriber number (8 digits). Mobile numbers start with 07 (Orange), 05 (MTN), or 01 (Moov Africa). No trunk prefix -- dial the full 10 digits locally or after +225 internationally.
Landline numbers
10 digits, starting with 27. The next two digits indicate the region. Landline use is low -- mobile dominates overwhelmingly, and many businesses use mobile numbers rather than landlines.
Landline area codes
| Prefix | City/region |
|---|---|
| 27 20 / 27 21 | Abidjan |
| 27 30 | Bouaké |
| 27 31 | Yamoussoukro |
| 27 32 | Daloa |
| 27 33 | Man |
| 27 34 | San-Pédro |
| 27 36 | Korhogo |
Mobile carriers in Ivory Coast
Three operators compete, with Orange dominating both voice and mobile money.
Orange Côte d'Ivoire (~40-45% mobile market share)
Subsidiary of French Orange SA. The largest operator in the country. Originally launched as Ivoiris in 1996, rebranded to Orange in 2002. Orange Money, its mobile money platform, is the most widely used financial service in Côte d'Ivoire -- more people use Orange Money than have bank accounts. Mobile numbers starting with 07 belong to Orange.
MTN Côte d'Ivoire (~30-35%)
South African MTN Group's Ivorian subsidiary. Second-largest operator. MTN entered the market in 2005 by acquiring Loteny Telecom. Mobile numbers starting with 05. MTN Mobile Money competes with Orange Money but has a smaller share of the mobile money market.
Moov Africa Côte d'Ivoire (~20-25%)
Owned by Maroc Telecom (Morocco), which is part of the Etisalat group (UAE). Was originally Atlantique Telecom, rebranded to Moov, then Moov Africa. The smallest of the three operators. Mobile numbers starting with 01. Competes primarily on price.
Mobile money deserves special mention. It's how most Ivorians handle daily transactions -- paying for goods, sending money to family, paying bills. Orange Money alone processes billions of dollars annually. If you're sending money to someone in Côte d'Ivoire, they'll likely ask you to send it to their Orange Money or MTN Mobile Money account rather than a bank.
Don't confuse +225 with nearby codes
+224 (Guinea) and +226 (Burkina Faso) are one digit away in each direction. All three are francophone West African countries, so if you misdial, you'll hear French on the other end and might not notice immediately.
| Code | Country | Number length |
|---|---|---|
| +225 | Côte d'Ivoire | 10 digits (since 2021) |
| +224 | Guinea (Conakry) | 9 digits |
| +226 | Burkina Faso | 8 digits |
| +223 | Mali | 8 digits |
The giveaway is the local number length: Côte d'Ivoire uses 10 digits since 2021, Guinea uses 9, Burkina Faso and Mali use 8. If you dial +224 instead of +225, the call will still connect (to a stranger in Conakry), and since both countries speak French, it may take a moment to realize the mistake.
Time zone considerations
Côte d'Ivoire is on GMT (UTC+0) year-round. No daylight saving time. Same as London in winter, one hour behind in summer.
| Your location | Time difference | Call CI 9 AM - 6 PM |
|---|---|---|
| France (CET, winter) | CI is 1 hour behind | 10 AM - 7 PM CET |
| France (CEST, summer) | CI is 2 hours behind | 11 AM - 8 PM CEST |
| US East Coast (EST) | CI is 5 hours ahead | 4 AM - 1 PM EST |
| US East Coast (EDT) | CI is 4 hours ahead | 5 AM - 2 PM EDT |
| UK (GMT, winter) | Same time | 9 AM - 6 PM GMT |
| UK (BST, summer) | CI is 1 hour behind | 10 AM - 7 PM BST |
| Burkina Faso (GMT) | Same time | 9 AM - 6 PM GMT |
For the French diaspora (the largest), the 1-2 hour gap is easy to manage. Evening calls from Paris at 7 PM CET reach Abidjan at 6 PM local time. The US East Coast is harder -- calling after work at 6 PM EST means it's already 11 PM in Abidjan. Weekends and mornings work better for US-based callers.
Communication in Ivory Coast
Business hours
Monday to Friday, 8 AM to 12 PM, then 2:30 PM to 5:30 PM. The long midday break is standard across West Africa -- don't expect anyone to answer between noon and 2:30 PM. Saturday mornings are common for some businesses. Government offices close by 3 or 4 PM. Abidjan runs faster than the rest of the country; businesses outside Abidjan keep more relaxed hours.
Language
French is the official language and what you'll hear in business, government, and formal settings. In practice, Dioula (Jula) is the most widely spoken language in markets, transport, and daily life, especially in the north. In Abidjan, you'll hear a mix of French, Dioula, Baoulé, and Nouchi -- an Abidjan street slang that blends French with local languages. On the phone, business calls are in standard French. Informal calls mix French with Dioula or Nouchi depending on who's talking.
Network quality
Mobile coverage is strong in Abidjan, Yamoussoukro, Bouaké, and along the main highways. All three operators have expanded 4G in urban areas. Rural coverage is patchier, particularly in the western mountains and the northern savanna near the Burkina Faso border. International call quality from France to Abidjan is typically clear. Calls to rural areas may drop during rainy season when power outages knock out cell towers running on backup batteries.
The Ivory Coast diaspora
The Ivorian diaspora is concentrated heavily in France, with smaller communities in other West African countries, North America, and beyond.
France (~300,000-500,000)
Home to the largest Ivorian community abroad, by far. Concentrated in the Paris region (Île-de-France), with communities in Marseille, Lyon, Toulouse, and Bordeaux. The Château Rouge neighborhood in Paris's 18th arrondissement is a center of West African life in the city. Migration accelerated during the political crises of the 2000s (the 2002-2007 civil war and the 2010-2011 post-election conflict). The France-Côte d'Ivoire phone route is one of the busiest between Europe and West Africa.
Other West African countries
Large Ivorian communities exist in Burkina Faso, Mali, Guinea, and Senegal. The reverse is also true -- before the civil wars, Côte d'Ivoire's relative prosperity attracted millions of migrants from neighboring countries, particularly Burkina Faso. The concept of "ivoirité" (Ivorian national identity) became politically charged during the 2000s conflicts, partly over the status of these migrant communities. Cross-border family connections drive heavy phone traffic between Côte d'Ivoire and its neighbors.
United States (~15,000-25,000)
A smaller but growing community, concentrated in the New York metro area, the DC/Maryland/Virginia corridor, and Texas (Houston and Dallas). Many arrived as students or through the diversity visa lottery. The community is close-knit, centered around Ivorian associations and churches.
Canada
A small community in Montreal and Quebec (the French-language connection), with some in Toronto. Quebec's francophone environment is a natural draw for Ivorian immigrants.
Dialing examples
All examples use the current 10-digit format (post-January 2021).
Example 1: Calling an Orange mobile in Abidjan from Paris
- Ivorian number: 07 08 12 34 56
- From France:
00 225 07 08 12 34 56 - The 07 prefix tells you it's an Orange subscriber.
Example 2: Calling an MTN mobile from New York
- Ivorian number: 05 44 56 78 90
- From US mobile:
+225 05 44 56 78 90 - From US landline:
011 225 05 44 56 78 90
Example 3: Calling a landline in Abidjan from London
- Ivorian number: 27 20 30 45 67
- From UK:
00 225 27 20 30 45 67 - The 27 20 tells you it's an Abidjan landline.
Example 4: Calling from Côte d'Ivoire to France
- French number: 06 12 34 56 78
- From Côte d'Ivoire:
00 33 6 12 34 56 78 - Drop the leading 0 from the French number after the country code.
Common mistakes to avoid
The most common errors when calling Côte d'Ivoire:
Using an old 8-digit number
The single biggest problem. If you have a Côte d'Ivoire number saved from before January 2021, it's 8 digits and won't connect anymore. You need to add the 2-digit carrier prefix: 07 (Orange), 05 (MTN), 01 (Moov), or 27 (landline). If you don't know which carrier your contact uses, ask them for their current 10-digit number.
Confusing +225 with +224 or +226
+224 is Guinea, +226 is Burkina Faso. One digit off in either direction. All three countries speak French, so you might not realize you've reached the wrong country until you ask who's speaking. Check the country code before dialing.
Adding a trunk prefix
Some countries use 0 as a trunk prefix for domestic calls (like France, where you drop the 0 internationally). Côte d'Ivoire does not have a trunk prefix. If a number starts with 07, 05, 01, or 27, that's the actual number. Dial the full 10 digits after +225.
Calling during power outages
Abidjan has relatively stable electricity, but other cities experience regular outages. When the power goes out, cell towers run on backup batteries that last a few hours at most. If you can't reach someone in a smaller city, try again later -- the call may go through once power is restored.
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Frequently asked questions (FAQ)
What country uses the +225 code?
+225 is the country code for Côte d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast) in West Africa.
How many digits are Ivorian phone numbers?
Since January 2021, all Côte d'Ivoire numbers are 10 digits. The old 8-digit format no longer works. Mobile numbers start with 07 (Orange), 05 (MTN), or 01 (Moov). Landlines start with 27.
How do I call Côte d'Ivoire from France?
Dial 00 225 followed by the 10-digit local number. For example: 00 225 07 08 12 34 56.
What is the time difference between France and Côte d'Ivoire?
Côte d'Ivoire is on GMT (UTC+0) year-round. France is 1 hour ahead in winter (CET) and 2 hours ahead in summer (CEST).
Do I need to drop a 0 when calling Côte d'Ivoire?
No. Côte d'Ivoire does not use a trunk prefix. The numbers starting with 07, 05, 01, or 27 are the actual numbers. Dial all 10 digits after +225.
Why doesn't my old Ivorian number work?
Côte d'Ivoire switched from 8-digit to 10-digit numbers in January 2021. Your old number needs a 2-digit carrier prefix added to the front. Ask your contact for their updated number.
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