Quick answer: +7 is Russia. Kazakhstan shares the code; its numbers start with +7 6 or +7 7. Every Russian number has 10 digits after +7. Mobiles start with 9. Russians write numbers with a leading 8: drop it and use +7. Example:
+7 916 123 45 67.
How to dial Russia
| Calling from | Dial |
|---|---|
| Any mobile phone | +7 + 10 digits |
| US or Canada landline | 011 7 + 10 digits |
| UK or Germany landline | 00 7 + 10 digits |
| Australia landline | 0011 7 + 10 digits |
Inside Russia, numbers are dialed and written with an 8 in front, like 8 (495) 123-45-67 or 8 916 123-45-67. That 8 is only for calls within Russia. From abroad, replace it with +7: 8 495 123-45-67 becomes +7 495 123 45 67.
Mobile and landline numbers
Mobiles are 10 digits starting with 9, like 916 123 45 67. They have no area code.
Landlines start with 3, 4 or 8: a 3-digit regional code plus a 7-digit number. In smaller towns the first digits of those seven are a local code, so the total is always 10.
| City | Area code in Russia | From abroad |
|---|---|---|
| Moscow | 8 495, 8 499 | +7 495 xxx xx xx |
| Saint Petersburg | 8 812 | +7 812 xxx xx xx |
| Novosibirsk | 8 383 | +7 383 xxx xx xx |
| Yekaterinburg | 8 343 | +7 343 xxx xx xx |
| Kazan | 8 843 | +7 843 xxx xx xx |
| Nizhny Novgorod | 8 831 | +7 831 xxx xx xx |
| Rostov-on-Don | 8 863 | +7 863 xxx xx xx |
| Krasnodar | 8 861 | +7 861 xxx xx xx |
| Vladivostok | 8 423 | +7 423 xxx xx xx |
Codes that get mixed up with +7
Numbers starting +7 6 or +7 7 are in Kazakhstan, not Russia. Kazakhstan had +997 reserved for it in 2021 but never used it. A 2025 agreement with Russia keeps Kazakhstan on +7, and the ITU released +997 in June 2026. Belarus (+375), Ukraine (+380) and the other former Soviet states have their own codes and can't be reached through +7.
Time difference
Moscow and Saint Petersburg are on UTC+3 all year. Russia has not used daylight saving time since 2014. The country has 11 zones: Kaliningrad is UTC+2, Yekaterinburg UTC+5, Novosibirsk UTC+7 and Vladivostok UTC+10. The table shows Moscow.
| Where you are | Your clocks on summer time | Your clocks on standard time |
|---|---|---|
| US East Coast | Moscow is 7h ahead | Moscow is 8h ahead |
| US West Coast | Moscow is 10h ahead | Moscow is 11h ahead |
| UK | Moscow is 2h ahead | Moscow is 3h ahead |
| Germany | Moscow is 1h ahead | Moscow is 2h ahead |
| Kazakhstan | Moscow is 2h behind all year | |
A 10 AM call from New York reaches Moscow at 5 PM in the US summer and 6 PM in the US winter.
Prefer calling over WiFi? See our guide to the best apps for WiFi calling.
FAQ
Can I call a Russian 8 800 number from abroad?
Usually not. 8 800 numbers are freephone lines for callers inside Russia, and from another country the call often won't connect. Ask for a regular number with a city code, such as one starting 495.
Why won't my call to +7 go through?
Check three things: you dropped the leading 8 instead of dialing +7 8, you have exactly 10 digits after +7, and the person is not in Belarus, Ukraine or another country with its own code.