Quick answer: +972 is Israel. Landlines have 8 digits after +972 and mobiles have 9. Mobiles start with 5 (05x in Israeli format). Israeli numbers are written with a leading 0: drop it when you call from abroad. Example:
+972 54 123 4567.
How to dial Israel
| Calling from | Dial |
|---|---|
| Any mobile phone | +972 + 8 or 9 digits |
| US or Canada landline | 011 972 + 8 or 9 digits |
| UK or France landline | 00 972 + 8 or 9 digits |
| Australia landline | 0011 972 + 8 or 9 digits |
Israelis write numbers with a leading 0, like 03-123-4567 or 054-123-4567. That 0 is only for calls within Israel. From abroad, leave it out: 054-123-4567 becomes +972 54 123 4567.
Mobile and landline numbers
Mobiles start with 050 to 055 or 058 in Israeli format and have 9 digits after +972. People keep their number when they change network, so the prefix doesn't tell you the carrier.
Landlines have a 1-digit area code and a 7-digit local number, 8 digits after +972.
| City | Area code in Israel | From abroad |
|---|---|---|
| Jerusalem | 02 | +972 2 xxx xxxx |
| Tel Aviv and central Israel | 03 | +972 3 xxx xxxx |
| Haifa and the north | 04 | +972 4 xxx xxxx |
| Beersheba and the south | 08 | +972 8 xxx xxxx |
| Netanya and the Sharon | 09 | +972 9 xxx xxxx |
Numbers starting with 07, such as 072 or 077, are not mobiles. They are landline and internet-phone numbers that aren't tied to a region, and they have 9 digits after +972, the same as a mobile.
Codes that get mixed up with +972
+970 is the Palestinian Territories, +971 is the UAE and +973 is Bahrain.
Time difference
Israel is on UTC+2 in winter and UTC+3 in summer. Summer time starts on the Friday before the last Sunday in March, two days before Europe's, and ends on the last Sunday in October, the same day as Europe's.
| Where you are | Late March to late October | Late October to late March |
|---|---|---|
| US East Coast | Israel is 7h ahead | Israel is 7h ahead |
| US West Coast | Israel is 10h ahead | Israel is 10h ahead |
| UK | Israel is 2h ahead all year | |
| France or Germany | Israel is 1h ahead all year | |
| Moscow | Same time | Israel is 1h behind |
The US changes its clocks two to three weeks before Israel in March and one week after it in autumn. During those weeks the gap is one hour smaller, so a 9 AM call from New York reaches Tel Aviv at 3 PM instead of 4 PM.
Prefer calling over WiFi? See our guide to the best apps for WiFi calling.
FAQ
Can I call an Israeli star number or 1-800 number from abroad?
Star numbers like *2345 only work from phones inside Israel. 1-800 and 1-700 numbers don't connect from most other countries either. Ask for the company's regular number with an area code.
Do West Bank and Gaza numbers use +972 or +970?
It depends on the network. Palestinian networks run largely on Israeli infrastructure, so many Palestinian numbers, including Jawwal (059) and Ooredoo (056) mobiles, work with +972. +970 is used mainly from countries that block calls to +972.