The +594 country code is for French Guiana (Guyane française), a French overseas department on the northeastern coast of South America. French Guiana is not an independent country - it's part of France, the same way Normandy or Provence is. About 300,000 people live here, mostly around the capital Cayenne and the towns of Kourou (home to the European Space Agency's launch centre) and Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni.
Because French Guiana is legally France, its phone system follows French numbering rules. Numbers are 9 digits (after the country code), and the same carriers that operate in mainland France - Orange, SFR, and Digicel - serve the territory. However, calling French Guiana from abroad uses +594, not France's +33. This trips people up: French Guiana is France, but it has its own country code for international calls.
Quick answer: French Guiana's country code is +594. Phone numbers are 9 digits after the country code. When calling from outside, drop the leading 0 (trunk prefix). Mobile numbers start with 694, and landline numbers start with 594. From abroad, dial +594 followed by the 9 digits (without the leading 0).
How to call French Guiana: quick reference
French Guiana uses a trunk prefix (0) for domestic calls. When dialling internationally, drop the 0 and use +594 instead. The table below shows the format from common origins.
| Calling from | Dialing format |
|---|---|
| US/Canada mobile | +594 [local number] |
| US/Canada landline | 011-594-[local number] |
| UK | 00-594-[local number] |
| Australia | 0011-594-[local number] |
| Germany | 00-594-[local number] |
| France | 00-594-[local number] |
Understanding French Guiana phone numbers
French Guiana follows the French numbering plan. Local numbers are 10 digits including the trunk prefix (0), or 9 digits without it. When calling internationally, you drop the 0 and use +594.
Mobile numbers
Mobile numbers start with 0694 locally (or 694 after +594 internationally). The full international format is +594 694 XX XX XX. All three carriers (Orange, SFR, Digicel) use the 694 prefix for French Guiana mobiles.
Landline numbers
Landline numbers start with 0594 locally (or 594 after +594 internationally). The full format is +594 594 XX XX XX. Yes, 594 appears twice - once as the country code and once as the local prefix. This looks odd but is correct.
Number structure
| Type | Local format | International format | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mobile | 0694 XX XX XX | +594 694 XX XX XX | +594 694 12 34 56 |
| Landline | 0594 XX XX XX | +594 594 XX XX XX | +594 594 30 12 34 |
Mobile carriers in French Guiana
French Guiana gets the same carriers as mainland France, plus one Caribbean specialist.
Orange Guyane
Orange is the largest carrier, operating both the fixed-line network and mobile service. As the former state monopoly (France Télécom), it has the most extensive infrastructure, including coverage in some interior areas along the main rivers. Orange offers 4G in Cayenne, Kourou, and Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni.
SFR Caraïbe
SFR operates across the French Caribbean and Guiana. It's the second-largest carrier with good coverage in urban areas. SFR provides 4G service in the main towns but limited coverage in the interior. Customers with French SFR plans can often use their service in French Guiana without roaming charges, since it's the same country.
Digicel Guyane
Digicel is a Caribbean-focused carrier that also operates in French Guiana. It's popular for prepaid plans and competes on price. Coverage is concentrated along the coast. Digicel has a strong presence in the Maroni River border area where it also picks up customers from neighbouring Suriname.
Coverage in the interior
French Guiana's interior is almost entirely Amazonian rainforest with scattered Amerindian and Maroon communities. Mobile coverage drops off sharply outside the coastal towns. Communities along the Maroni and Oyapock rivers may have limited Orange coverage, but much of the interior has no mobile signal at all. Satellite phones are used by gold miners, researchers, and military patrols operating deep in the forest.
Don't confuse +594 with nearby codes
French Guiana's +594 gets confused with neighbouring codes and with France itself:
| Code | Country | Why it's confused |
|---|---|---|
| +33 | France | French Guiana IS France, but uses +594 not +33 for international calls. Dialling +33 won't reach French Guiana. |
| +592 | Guyana | Next-door neighbour with a similar name. French Guiana (+594) vs Guyana (+592). Easy name and code confusion. |
| +597 | Suriname | Shares a border along the Maroni River. Similar code range (594 vs 597). |
| +55 | Brazil | Shares the southern border along the Oyapock River. Some border-area confusion. |
The France confusion is the most common. People see a French Guiana number and dial +33 because "it's France." Technically they're right about the politics, but wrong about the phone code. French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Réunion, and Mayotte each have their own country codes despite being part of France.
Time zone considerations
French Guiana uses French Guiana Time (GFT, UTC-3) year-round. No daylight saving time. This is 4 hours behind mainland France in winter and 5 hours behind in summer.
| Your location | Time difference from French Guiana | Best calling window |
|---|---|---|
| US East Coast (EST/EDT) | +1 hour (winter) / same (summer) | Anytime during business hours |
| France (CET/CEST) | +4 hours (winter) / +5 hours (summer) | Morning France time (afternoon in Guiana) |
| UK (GMT/BST) | +3 hours (winter) / +4 hours (summer) | 11am-5pm your time (8am-2pm Guiana) |
| Brazil (BRT) | Same | Anytime |
| Caribbean (AST) | +1 hour | Anytime during business hours |
The time gap with mainland France is worth noting. When it's 2pm in Paris, it's only 9am in Cayenne (winter) or 8am (summer). Calls between French Guiana and metropolitan France need to account for this.
Communication in French Guiana
Business hours
French Guiana follows French business customs adapted to the tropics. Offices open from about 7:30am to 1pm, close for lunch, and reopen from 3pm to 5:30pm or 6pm. The long lunch break (sometimes 2 hours) is standard. Government offices often close by 1pm on Fridays. Saturday is a half-day for some shops. Most things are closed on Sunday. Public holidays follow the French calendar plus some local ones.
Language
French is the official language and what you'll hear on the phone. French Guianese Creole is widely spoken informally, especially among the Creole population. Along the Maroni River, Maroon languages (Saramaccan, Ndjuka) are common, and Amerindian languages are spoken in the interior. Business calls will be in French. English is not widely spoken - if you don't speak French, you may need a translator for phone calls to businesses.
Network quality
Call quality in Cayenne, Kourou, and the coastal towns is on par with mainland France. The fixed-line network is well-maintained, and 4G mobile service works well in urban areas. The interior is a different situation - coverage is spotty along the rivers and nonexistent in the deep forest. International calls route through submarine cable to the Caribbean and then to their destination, so quality is generally good.
Who calls French Guiana?
Family in mainland France
The biggest source of calls is mainland France. Many French Guianans study or work in the métropole (mainland) and call family back home. The reverse is also true - metropolitan French workers posted to Guiana (teachers, military, civil servants, space centre staff) call home to France regularly. Since it's a domestic French territory, some phone plans include French Guiana calls for free or at reduced rates.
The space industry
The Guiana Space Centre (Centre Spatial Guyanais) near Kourou is where Arianespace and ESA launch rockets. It brings a steady stream of European engineers, technicians, and contractors who need to coordinate with offices in Paris, Toulouse, and across Europe. Launch campaigns generate concentrated bursts of international calling. The space centre is the largest employer in the territory.
Neighbouring countries
There's regular cross-border traffic with Suriname (via the Maroni River ferry) and Brazil (via the Oyapock River bridge, opened in 2017). Workers, traders, and families on both sides of these borders make cross-border calls daily. Brazilian gold miners working (often illegally) in French Guiana's interior also generate calls back to Brazil.
Dialing examples
Calling a Cayenne landline from the US
The local number is 0594 30 12 34. Drop the leading 0 and dial: +594 594 30 12 34. From a US landline: 011 594 594 30 12 34. Yes, 594 appears twice - that's correct.
Calling a French Guiana mobile from Paris
Your contact's mobile is 0694 12 34 56. Even though French Guiana is part of France, you can't dial it as a domestic call from Paris. Drop the 0 and use: +594 694 12 34 56. Or from a French landline: 00 594 694 12 34 56. Some French mobile plans include this as a "national" call - check your plan.
Calling from Suriname
To reach a French Guiana number from Suriname, dial: 00 594 followed by the 9-digit number (without the leading 0). For example, to reach 0594 30 12 34 in Cayenne: 00 594 594 30 12 34.
Calling the Guiana Space Centre
The CSG main number uses the +594 594 prefix like any Kourou landline. From anywhere with a mobile: +594 594 followed by the 6-digit extension. The same dialling rules apply.
Common mistakes to avoid
Dialling +33 instead of +594
French Guiana is France, but it doesn't use France's +33 code for international calls. If you dial +33 0594 30 12 34, you'll reach a number in metropolitan France (or get an error), not Cayenne. Always use +594 when calling from abroad.
Forgetting to drop the 0
French numbers use 0 as a trunk prefix for domestic calls. When calling internationally, drop it. Dialling +594 0594 30 12 34 (with the extra 0) won't connect. The correct format is +594 594 30 12 34.
Confusing French Guiana with Guyana
French Guiana (+594) and Guyana (+592) are neighbours with similar names but completely different countries. French Guiana is a French department; Guyana is an independent English-speaking nation. If you dial +592 for a French Guiana number, you'll reach Guyana instead.
Assuming it's a cheap "France" call
Some callers expect French Guiana to be billed at French domestic rates because it's legally France. For most international calling plans, French Guiana is billed separately. Check whether your plan treats +594 as "France" or as a separate destination - the rates can be very different.
Prefer calling over WiFi? See our guide to the best apps for WiFi calling.
Frequently asked questions (FAQ)
What country uses the +594 code?
French Guiana, a French overseas department in South America. It's not an independent country - it's part of France, uses the euro, and sends representatives to the French parliament. But for international phone calls, it has its own +594 code rather than sharing France's +33.
Can I dial French Guiana using France's +33 code?
No. Despite being part of France, French Guiana uses +594 for international calls. Dialling +33 followed by a French Guiana number will not connect you to French Guiana.
Why does 594 appear twice in some numbers?
The country code is +594, and French Guiana landlines also start with the local prefix 594 (after dropping the trunk 0). So the full international format for a Cayenne landline is +594 594 XX XX XX. It looks strange but is correct.
How much does it cost to call French Guiana?
With CallSky, Economy calls cost $0.04/min for landlines and $0.21/min for mobiles. Premium costs $0.06/min for landlines and $0.27/min for mobiles. Landline rates are low because the infrastructure is well-connected through submarine cable.
Is there mobile coverage in French Guiana's interior?
Very limited. Coverage is concentrated along the coast (Cayenne, Kourou, Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni) and some river towns. The vast Amazonian interior has no mobile signal. Remote communities use satellite phones or HF radio.
For more South American dialing guides, see Guyana (+592), Brazil (+55), or browse the full country code directory.