Telephone numbers in Uruguay

Uruguay telephone numbers
Location
Country Uruguay
Continent South America
Regulator URSEC
Access codes
Country calling code +598
International call prefix 00

Uruguay's calling code is +598. Since 2010, national long distance calling were eliminated, thus there are no area codes in each city.

Landline telephony

ANTEL (Spanish abbreviation for National Administration of Telecommunications) is Uruguay's state-owned company for telecommunications.

Previously in Uruguay, phone numbers used to have between 4 and 7 digits. To make a local phone call, you only had to dial those digits. To make a call between two cities from different departments, you had to dial zero, plus area code, plus phone number.

As from August 29, 2010, all phone numbers have 8 digits, according to the new National Numbering Plan. Zero prior to area code was eliminated. Therefore, to make a call to any city in the country you have to dial 8 digits. This plan was implemented by URSEC (Spanish abbreviation for Regulator Unit of Services of Communications).

National Numbering Plan

Montevideo and metropolitan area

In the Metropolitan area of Montevideo, all national numbers begin with 2. This 8-digit number consists of the former area code (2), followed by the old 7-digit number.

Examples

Area code Former number Current number
2 204 5199 2204 5199
2 628 8327 2628 8327
2 908 1350 2908 1350

Outside Montevideo

In the rest of the country, all national numbers begin with 4. This 8-digit number consists of the number 4, followed by the former area code, followed by the old phone number

Colonia Example

Area code Former number Current number
52 24999 4522 4999

There is one exception that occurs in the cities from the department of Maldonado that begin with 42, where the new 8-digit number consists of the former area code, followed by the old phone number (no 4 set before).

San Carlos Example

Area code Former number Current number
42 668350 4266 8350

Calling from other countries

For calls from outside the country to any city in Uruguay, you only have to add the country code (598) to the 8-digit national number.

Call to Montevideo Example

Current number Dialed from outside Uruguay
2204 5199 (598) 2204 5199

Call to Colonia Example

Current number Dialed from outside Uruguay
4522 4999 (598) 4522 4999

Call to San Carlos Example

Current number Dialed from outside Uruguay
4266 8350 (598) 4266 8350

Area codes

City Former area code Current number
Canelones, Canelones 33 433x xxxx
Maldonado, Maldonado 42 42xx xxxx
Rocha, Rocha 47 447x xxxx
Treinta y Tres, Treinta y Tres 45 445x xxxx
Melo, Cerro Largo 64 464x xxxx
Rivera, Rivera 62 462x xxxx
Artigas, Artigas 77 477x xxxx
Salto, Salto 73 473x xxxx
Paysandú, Paysandú 72 472x xxxx
Fray Bentos, Río Negro 56 456x xxxx
Mercedes, Soriano 53 453x xxxx
Colonia del Sacramento, Colonia 52 452x xxxx
San José de Mayo, San José 34 434x xxxx
Trinidad, Flores 364 4364 xxxx
Florida, Florida 35 435x xxxx
Minas, Lavalleja 44 444x xxxx
Durazno, Durazno 36 436x xxxx
Tacuarembó, Tacuarembó 63 463x xxxx
Montevideo, Montevideo 2 2xxx xxxx

Mobile telephony

When mobile telephony arrived in Uruguay, the only company set up the country was Movicom BellSouth. Mobile phone numbers would begin with digits 09, followed by a unique number of 6 digits: 09xxxxxx.

In 1994, ANTEL decided to start its own mobile phone service, creating Ancel, which today is unified to Antel, using this brand to both services.. This meant a numbering change for mobile telephony. One number was assigned to each company to identify numbers of each one. This digit would go between 09 and the number. Movicom was assigned number 4, and Ancel number 9. Mobile phones until then (which were Movicom) went to 094xxxxxx, and new Ancel numbers began to be 099xxxxxx.

In 2003, Claro came to Uruguay (formerly as CTI Móvil). Numbers of this company were preceded by 096, like this: 096xxxxxx.

In 2004, Telefónica bought Movicom Bellsouth and changed its name to Movistar.

Since nowadays the numbers of units sold has grown so much, when the companies reached one million users, they had to be assigned with other digits.

URSEC has reserved 084, 089 and 086 for a possible future use.

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