Quick answer: +30 is Greece. Every Greek number has 10 digits after +30. Mobiles start with 6, almost always 69, and landlines start with 2. There is no leading 0 to drop: dial the number as written. Example:
+30 694 123 4567.
How to dial Greece
| Calling from | Dial |
|---|---|
| Any mobile phone | +30 + 10 digits |
| US or Canada landline | 011 30 + 10 digits |
| UK, Germany or Cyprus landline | 00 30 + 10 digits |
| Australia landline | 0011 30 + 10 digits |
Greece has no trunk prefix. Since 2002 every number is dialed in full, all 10 digits, even for local calls, so you dial exactly what you were given after +30: 210 123 4567 becomes +30 210 123 4567. Don't add a 0.
Mobile and landline numbers
Mobiles are 10 digits starting with 6, nearly always 69, like 694 123 4567. They have no area code.
Landlines start with 2. The area code is 2, 3 or 4 digits, and the local number fills the rest of the 10 digits.
| City | Area code in Greece | From abroad |
|---|---|---|
| Athens | 21 | +30 21x xxx xxxx |
| Thessaloniki | 231 | +30 231 xxx xxxx |
| Patras | 261 | +30 261 xxx xxxx |
| Heraklion (Crete) | 281 | +30 281 xxx xxxx |
| Larissa | 241 | +30 241 xxx xxxx |
| Ioannina | 2651 | +30 2651 xxx xxx |
| Rhodes | 2241 | +30 2241 xxx xxx |
| Corfu | 2661 | +30 2661 xxx xxx |
| Chania (Crete) | 2821 | +30 2821 xxx xxx |
Most Athens numbers start 210, but 211 and other 21x numbers are Athens too. The area code is just 21.
Codes that get mixed up with +30
+31 is the Netherlands, one digit away. Cyprus, where many Greek speakers live, has its own code, +357.
Time difference
Greece is on EET (UTC+2) in winter and EEST (UTC+3) in summer. It changes clocks on the last Sundays of March and October, the same dates as the rest of the EU and the UK.
| Where you are | Your clocks on summer time | Your clocks on standard time |
|---|---|---|
| US East Coast | Greece is 7h ahead | |
| US West Coast | Greece is 10h ahead | |
| UK | Greece is 2h ahead all year | |
| Germany | Greece is 1h ahead all year | |
| Melbourne or Sydney | Greece is 9h behind | Greece is 7h behind |
The US changes its clocks on different dates, so for two or three weeks in March and about a week around the start of November, Greece is an hour closer to the US. Australia changes its clocks in early April and early October, so for a few weeks around those dates the gap from Melbourne and Sydney is 8 hours. A 9 AM call from New York reaches Athens at 4 PM.
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FAQ
I have an old Greek number with fewer digits. How do I dial it?
Greek numbers changed to 10 digits in 2002. For landlines, the old leading 0 became 2 and a 0 was added after the old area code, so an Athens number written 01 234 5678 is now 210 234 5678. Old mobile numbers starting 09 now start with 69.
Can I call a Greek 800 number from abroad?
Often not. 800 numbers are toll-free lines meant for callers in Greece, and many don't accept calls from other countries. Look for the company's regular number starting with 2.