The +256 country code is for Uganda. A landlocked country in East Africa with about 47 million people, Uganda sits between Kenya to the east, Tanzania to the south, DR Congo to the west, South Sudan to the north, and Rwanda to the southwest. Kampala, the capital, is built across several hills overlooking Lake Victoria. The country is young -- the median age is around 15, making it one of the youngest populations on earth.

Quick answer: The country code +256 is for Uganda. Ugandan mobile numbers are 9 digits after +256 and all start with 7. A typical mobile looks like +256 77X XXX XXX. Kampala landlines use area code 41: +256 41 XXX XXX.

How to call Uganda: quick reference

Uganda uses a domestic trunk prefix of 0. Drop it when dialing from abroad.

Calling from Dialing format
US/Canada mobile +256 [number without leading 0]
US/Canada landline 011-256-[number without leading 0]
United Kingdom (UK) 00-256-[number without leading 0]
Kenya 000-256-[number without leading 0]
Tanzania 000-256-[number without leading 0]
South Africa 00-256-[number without leading 0]
Australia 0011-256-[number without leading 0]

The UK is listed because it has the largest Ugandan diaspora in Europe, a legacy of the Idi Amin expulsions in the 1970s and subsequent waves of migration. The US, Canada, South Africa, and the East African neighbours all have significant Ugandan communities too.

Understanding Ugandan phone numbers

Ugandan mobile numbers are 9 digits after +256. Every mobile number starts with 7. The second digit tells you the carrier, though number portability means this isn't always reliable anymore -- someone who ported from MTN to Airtel keeps their old prefix.

Mobile numbers

Uganda has three main carriers and a couple of smaller ones:

  • MTN Uganda: Prefixes 77, 78, 76 (76 is shared). The market leader with the widest coverage. South African-owned. MTN Mobile Money (MoMo) is the dominant mobile money platform. If you're calling a random Ugandan number, there's a good chance it's MTN.
  • Airtel Uganda: Prefixes 70, 75, 74 (74 shared with Africell). Indian-owned (Bharti Airtel). Second largest carrier. Airtel Money is the main competitor to MTN MoMo. Airtel tends to have slightly cheaper voice rates, which matters a lot in a price-sensitive market.
  • Africell Uganda: Prefix 79 (and some 74 numbers). Smaller carrier, competes aggressively on data pricing. Popular with younger users who want cheap internet.

UTL (Uganda Telecom Limited) still technically exists with prefix 71 but has been in financial trouble for years and has very few active subscribers. You're unlikely to encounter a UTL number.

Many Ugandans carry two SIM cards -- one MTN, one Airtel -- to take advantage of on-network calling discounts. Calling within the same carrier is cheaper than cross-network, so people learn which SIM to use for which contact.

  • Length: 9 digits after +256 (consistent).
  • Example: Domestic 0772-345-678 becomes +256 77 234 5678 internationally.

Landline numbers

Ugandan landlines use area codes:

  • Kampala: Area code 41 (sometimes written as 31 for newer Kampala lines).
  • Jinja: Area code 43.
  • Entebbe: Area code 42.
  • Trunk prefix: Drop the leading 0 when dialing from abroad.

Landlines are rare in Uganda. Even businesses and government offices primarily use mobile numbers. Hotels sometimes have a landline at the front desk, but staff will usually give you a mobile number to reach them. Entebbe airport has landlines, but that's about the limit of what you'll encounter as a caller from abroad.

Uganda area codes reference table

These are rarely needed for international calls since almost everything goes to mobile numbers. Included here for completeness.

City Area code International format
Kampala 41 +256 41 XXX XXX
Entebbe 42 +256 42 XXX XXX
Jinja 43 +256 43 XXX XXX
Mbale 45 +256 45 XXX XXX
Gulu 47 +256 47 XXX XXX
Mbarara 48 +256 48 XXX XXX
Fort Portal 48 +256 48 XXX XXX
Masaka 48 +256 48 XXX XXX

Mbarara, Fort Portal, and Masaka share area code 48 -- the western Uganda region code. This is similar to how Tanzania groups multiple cities under shared area codes.

Don't confuse +256 with +255

Uganda is +256. Tanzania is +255. One digit off, and they're neighbours. Both are in East Africa, both use UTC+3, and both have English as an official language, so you might not immediately realise you've reached the wrong country.

Code Country Region
+256 Uganda East Africa
+255 Tanzania East Africa

The tip-off is language. If you expected to hear Luganda and got Swahili instead, you probably dialed +255. (Uganda also uses Swahili, but Luganda dominates around Kampala.)

Time zone: UTC+3

Uganda is on East Africa Time (EAT, UTC+3) year-round with no daylight saving. This is the same time zone as Kenya, Tanzania, Ethiopia, and the eastern half of DR Congo. If you're already calling one of those countries, the timing works the same for Uganda.

Your location Time difference Call Uganda 9 AM - 6 PM
US East Coast (EST) Uganda is 8 hours ahead 1 AM - 10 AM EST
US East Coast (EDT) Uganda is 7 hours ahead 2 AM - 11 AM EDT
US West Coast (PST) Uganda is 11 hours ahead 10 PM - 7 AM PST (night before)
UK (GMT) Uganda is 3 hours ahead 6 AM - 3 PM GMT
UK (BST) Uganda is 2 hours ahead 7 AM - 4 PM BST
Kenya/Tanzania Same time zone 9 AM - 6 PM EAT
South Africa (SAST) Uganda is 1 hour ahead 8 AM - 5 PM SAST
Australia (AEDT) Uganda is 8 hours behind 5 PM - 2 AM AEDT

Tip: The UK-Uganda time gap is manageable. UK afternoon (2-5 PM) corresponds to Uganda evening (5-8 PM), which is a natural window for personal calls. Many Ugandans in the UK call home after work, and the timing works without anyone losing sleep.

Mobile money: MTN MoMo and Airtel Money

Uganda was one of the earliest adopters of mobile money in East Africa, after Kenya's M-Pesa. Mobile money transactions in Uganda now exceed the country's GDP -- people use it for everything from buying airtime to paying school fees to splitting a bill at a restaurant.

  • MTN Mobile Money (MoMo): The dominant platform. Your MTN number is effectively your bank account number. MoMo agents -- tiny kiosks painted yellow -- are on every street corner in Kampala and in most trading centres across the country. You deposit cash with an agent, send it to any mobile number, and the recipient withdraws at their nearest agent.
  • Airtel Money: Works identically. Red kiosks instead of yellow. Cross-network transfers between MTN MoMo and Airtel Money work, though they cost a small fee.

The government introduced a mobile money tax in 2018 (initially on every transaction, later revised to withdrawals only) that was deeply unpopular. Ugandans call it the "social media tax" era because the same legislation introduced a daily levy for accessing social media platforms -- though the social media tax was eventually dropped in 2021 after widespread criticism and creative VPN usage. The mobile money withdrawal tax remains.

For the diaspora, services like WorldRemit, Remitly, and Sendwave can deposit directly into MTN MoMo or Airtel Money wallets. The recipient gets a notification and can either use the balance digitally or cash out at any agent.

The carriers: MTN, Airtel, Africell

MTN Uganda is the largest carrier and has been since it entered the market in 1998. Coverage is the widest of any carrier, including in rural and northern Uganda where other networks are patchy. MTN's dominance in mobile money (MoMo) makes it hard for people to switch away even if another carrier has cheaper calls -- your MoMo account is tied to your MTN number, and everyone knows your MoMo number.

Airtel Uganda is the second largest. Airtel competes on price -- voice calls and data bundles tend to be slightly cheaper than MTN. Coverage in Kampala and the major towns is comparable to MTN, but Airtel's rural coverage has gaps. Many people keep an Airtel SIM as their "cheap calls and data" SIM alongside their MTN SIM for MoMo.

Africell Uganda is the third player. Africell has carved out a niche with cheap data bundles that appeal to young, internet-heavy users. Coverage is mostly limited to Kampala and the bigger towns. Lebanese-owned, same parent company as Africell in the DRC.

The OTT tax and social media

In 2018, Uganda introduced a daily tax of 200 UGX (about 5 US cents) to access social media platforms -- WhatsApp, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram. The government called it the Over-The-Top (OTT) services tax. The stated reason was to raise revenue and reduce "gossip" on social media.

The response was predictable: VPN usage exploded. People who couldn't or wouldn't pay the tax used VPNs to bypass it. Others simply stopped using social media on mobile data and only accessed it on wifi. The tax was widely criticised for being regressive -- 200 UGX per day is nothing for a wealthy Kampala resident but adds up for someone in a rural area earning a few dollars a day.

The OTT tax was scrapped in July 2021 and replaced with a 12% tax on mobile data instead. This was less visible to users (baked into the data price) but arguably more expensive overall. The practical effect for callers: WhatsApp and other messaging apps now work without the daily levy, but data itself costs more than before.

The diaspora connection

Uganda's diaspora is smaller than some of its neighbours but has distinct clusters:

  • United Kingdom: The largest Ugandan community in Europe. London has the biggest concentration, but there are communities in Birmingham, Manchester, and other cities. The UK connection dates to the 1972 expulsion of Ugandan Asians by Idi Amin -- around 27,000 came to Britain. Subsequent waves of Ugandan migration (both African and Asian Ugandans) have followed.
  • United States: Scattered communities, with notable populations in the DC metro area, Boston, Minneapolis, Dallas, and the San Francisco Bay Area. A mix of students who stayed, professionals, and refugees.
  • Canada: Toronto and Calgary have noticeable Ugandan communities. Many came through refugee programmes or as skilled immigrants.
  • South Africa: Johannesburg, mostly for work. A steady flow of Ugandans has moved to South Africa for economic opportunities, though they face the same xenophobic pressures as other East African migrants.
  • Kenya: Nairobi has a significant Ugandan community. The border between the two countries is busy, and many Ugandans work, study, or do business in Kenya. Cross-border calls between +256 and +254 are extremely common.
  • Middle East: Growing numbers of Ugandan workers in the UAE and Saudi Arabia, particularly in domestic work. Calls home from Gulf countries are a regular part of life.

Internet and calling apps

WhatsApp is the primary messaging and calling app. If both sides have data, WhatsApp voice calls are the cheapest way to reach someone in Uganda. Video calls work in Kampala and the major towns on 4G, though they can be choppy on 3G connections in smaller towns.

Facebook is widely used, and Facebook Messenger voice calls are common. Some mobile plans include "free Facebook" data bundles, which means Messenger might work even when someone has run out of regular data.

Telegram has gained popularity in Uganda, partly because of the OTT tax era when people explored alternatives. It's not as dominant as WhatsApp, but tech-savvy users and younger Ugandans use it.

Mobile data coverage: 4G is available in Kampala, Jinja, Mbarara, Gulu, and other major towns from both MTN and Airtel. 3G covers most of the country's populated areas. 2G-only areas still exist in remote rural regions, where voice calls and SMS are the only reliable communication. Northern Uganda (former conflict zone during the LRA insurgency) has improved coverage since the 2000s, but it's still less reliable than the central and southern regions.

English, Luganda, Swahili: what you'll hear

Uganda's official language is English, and most educated Ugandans speak it fluently. Carrier voice prompts (the automated messages when a number is busy or unavailable) are typically in English. You won't face a language barrier on phone menus the way you might in francophone Africa.

Luganda is the most widely spoken local language, especially in and around Kampala. If you call someone and they answer in a language you don't recognise, it's probably Luganda. Other major languages include Runyankole (western Uganda), Acholi (northern), and Lusoga (eastern).

Swahili is an official language but is more commonly used in the military, police, and in the eastern border regions near Kenya. You're less likely to hear Swahili on a random call to Kampala than you would on a call to Nairobi.

Mobile vs. landline: how to tell the difference

You can tell by the first digit after +256:

  • Starts with 7: A mobile number.
  • Starts with 3 or 4: A landline number (area code).

Mobile numbers make up almost all calls to and from Uganda. If you have a +256 number, assume it's mobile unless told otherwise.

Dialing examples

Here are practical examples for calling different types of Ugandan numbers:

Example 1: Calling a Kampala mobile (MTN) from the US

  • Ugandan number (domestic): 0772-345-678
  • From a US mobile: +256 77 234 5678
  • From a US landline: 011 256 77 234 5678

Example 2: Calling a Ugandan mobile (Airtel) from the UK

  • Ugandan number (domestic): 0701-234-567
  • From the UK: 00 256 70 123 4567

Example 3: Calling from Kenya

  • Ugandan number (domestic): 0752-345-678
  • From Kenya: 000 256 75 234 5678

Example 4: Calling a Kampala landline from the US

  • Ugandan number (domestic): 041-234-567
  • From a US mobile: +256 41 234 567

Common mistakes to avoid

Here are the most common mistakes when dialing the +256 country code:

  • Keeping the leading 0: Ugandan numbers start with 0 domestically (e.g., 0772...). Drop it. Dial +256 77, not +256 077.
  • Confusing +256 with +255: Tanzania is +255, Uganda is +256. If you hear Swahili when you expected Luganda, check your number.
  • Assuming carrier from prefix: Number portability means a 077 number might now be on Airtel, not MTN. This matters less for calling (it still works) but matters for mobile money transfers.
  • Phone off doesn't mean wrong number: Power outages are common in Uganda, and many people in rural areas charge their phones at solar-powered kiosks. A phone that's off at noon might be on by evening.
  • Calling during load shedding: Uganda still experiences scheduled power cuts (load shedding) in some areas. People's phones die more often during these periods. If you can't reach someone, try again after a few hours.

Cheapest ways to call +256 numbers

International calls to Uganda through traditional carriers cost $1-$3 per minute. Options to bring that down:

  • VoIP services: Services like CallSky.io offer competitive per-minute rates to Ugandan mobile and landline numbers. Check our international calling rates.
  • WhatsApp/Messenger: Free when both sides have data. The cheapest option, though it depends on the Uganda side having a working data connection.
  • Calling cards: Available in Ugandan diaspora communities, particularly in the UK. Shops in South London and Birmingham sell cards specifically for East African calls. Check our guide to the best apps for WiFi calling.

For someone in a rural area with 2G-only coverage, a regular voice call to their +256 mobile is the only reliable way to reach them.

Frequently asked questions (FAQ)

What country has the +256 country code?

The +256 country code is for Uganda.

How many digits is a Ugandan phone number?

Ugandan mobile numbers are 9 digits after +256. All mobile numbers start with 7. The second digit indicates the carrier.

What is the area code for Kampala?

The area code for Kampala is 41. Internationally, dial +256 41 followed by the local number. Most calls to Kampala go to mobile numbers, not landlines.

How do I call Uganda from the USA?

From a mobile phone, dial +256 followed by the Ugandan number (drop the leading 0). From a landline, dial the US exit code 011, then 256, then the number.

What time zone is Uganda in?

Uganda is on East Africa Time (EAT, UTC+3) year-round with no daylight saving time. Same as Kenya, Tanzania, and Ethiopia.

What is the difference between +256 and +255?

+256 is Uganda (capital: Kampala). +255 is Tanzania (capital: Dodoma). Neighbouring countries, one digit apart.

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