Quick answer: +61 is Australia. Every Australian number has 9 digits after +61. Mobiles start with 4 (written 04 inside Australia). If the number you were given starts with 0, drop the 0. Example:
+61 412 345 678.
How to dial Australia
| Calling from | Dial |
|---|---|
| Any mobile phone | +61 + 9 digits |
| US or Canada landline | 011 61 + 9 digits |
| UK, New Zealand or India landline | 00 61 + 9 digits |
Australians write numbers with a leading 0, like 0412 345 678 or (02) 9876 5432. That 0 is only for calls inside Australia. From abroad, leave it out: 02 9876 5432 becomes +61 2 9876 5432.
Mobile and landline numbers
Mobiles are 04 plus 8 digits inside Australia, so +61 4xx xxx xxx from abroad. They have no area code.
Landlines are a 1-digit area code plus an 8-digit local number. Each area code covers a large region, often several states.
| City | Area code in Australia | From abroad |
|---|---|---|
| Sydney | 02 | +61 2 xxxx xxxx |
| Canberra | 02 | +61 2 xxxx xxxx |
| Melbourne | 03 | +61 3 xxxx xxxx |
| Hobart | 03 | +61 3 xxxx xxxx |
| Brisbane | 07 | +61 7 xxxx xxxx |
| Adelaide | 08 | +61 8 xxxx xxxx |
| Perth | 08 | +61 8 xxxx xxxx |
| Darwin | 08 | +61 8 xxxx xxxx |
Because 08 covers Western Australia, South Australia and the Northern Territory, it won't tell you the time zone: Perth and Adelaide are 1h 30m apart in the Australian winter and 2h 30m apart in summer.
Codes that get mixed up with +61
+64 is New Zealand and +62 is Indonesia. Austria, often confused with Australia by name, is +43.
Time difference
Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra and Hobart are on UTC+10 and move to UTC+11 from the first Sunday in October to the first Sunday in April. Brisbane stays on UTC+10 all year. Adelaide is on UTC+9:30 with daylight saving, Darwin on UTC+9:30 without it, and Perth on UTC+8 without it. The table shows Sydney.
| Where you are | Your clocks on summer time | Your clocks on standard time |
|---|---|---|
| US East Coast | Sydney is 14h ahead | Sydney is 16h ahead |
| US West Coast | Sydney is 17h ahead | Sydney is 19h ahead |
| UK | Sydney is 9h ahead | Sydney is 11h ahead |
For a few weeks in October and again from March to early April, both sides are on summer time and the gap falls in between: 15 hours from New York, 10 hours from London. A 7 PM call from New York reaches Sydney at 9 AM the next day in the US summer and at 11 AM in the US winter.
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FAQ
Can I call an Australian 1300, 13 or 1800 number from abroad?
Only if the business has set it up to take overseas calls, and many haven't. If it works, keep the 1 and dial +61 1300 xxx xxx; if not, look for a regular +61 number on the company's website.
Do Christmas Island and Norfolk Island use +61?
Christmas Island and the Cocos (Keeling) Islands do: their numbers are +61 8 9164 xxxx and +61 8 9162 xxxx. Norfolk Island has its own code, +672, followed by 3 and five digits.