Telephone numbers in Hong Kong are mostly eight-digit. Fixed land line numbers start with 2 or 3, Mobile (cellular) phone numbers with 5, 6 or 9, pager numbers with 7 and forwarding service with 8. Since the end of 1989, there have been no area codes within Hong Kong.
The telephone number for emergency services â€" Police, Fire Service and Ambulance â€" is 999 for all telephone lines. These numbers can also be used for mobile and other users:
- 992 â€" fax on fixed line, SMS on mobile phones (for subscribers with disabilities)
- 112 â€" mobile phones
Some special numbers are three- to five-digit. Some premium rate services, for example for games and adult contents, are 11-digit. Numbers beginning with '1' are usually reserved for carrier/operator services. These services are provided by the individual telephone carrier. In general, these numbers can be used across all carriers:
- Directory services can be reached at 1081 (English), 1083 (Cantonese) and 1088 (Mandarin)
- Time and temperature information can be reached at 18501 (English), 18503 (Cantonese) and 18508 (Mandarin)
The International Call Prefix varies depending on IDD provider, however 001 works on all phone lines and uses the IDD service provided by the same carrier as the telephone line that 001 call is dialed from. During the years of telephone monopoly, the International call prefix was 106 (through 1980s) and then 001. Calls to Macau and the Mainland China are international, as are calls to Taiwan. Format to dial from Hong Kong to:
- Macau +853 xxxx xxxx
- Mainland China +86 (Area Code) xxxx xxxx
- Taiwan +886 (Area Code) xxx xxxx
Present numbering scheme and format
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The present structure and format of telephone numbers in Hong Kong according to the Hong Kong Telecom Service Numbering Scheme, is as follows (the first digits of the telephone number is used as follows):
- 001 - International long-distance voice service access code
- 002 - International long-distance fax / data service access code
- 003 to 009 - International gateway access code
- 100xxxx to 107xxxx - Inquiry / hotline / operator-assisted service
- 1081 - Directory Services in English
- 1083 - Directory Services in Cantonese
- 1088 - Directory Services in Mandarin
- 109 - Telephone repair
- 112 - Emergency Calls (Mobile Phones only)
- 115 to 118 - International Routing Network Identification Number
- 12xxxxx - Inquiry / hotline / operator-assisted service
- 133 - Enable the Restricted Caller ID feature
- 1357 - Cancel the "Caller ID Restrictions" feature
- 14 - Network identification number
- 15 to 16 - External telecommunications service access code
- 17xxxxx - Operator-assisted service
- 1801x - PPS (Payment by Phone Service)
- 1803x - PPS (Payment by Phone Service)
- 18060x - PPS (Payment by Phone Service)
- 1808 - International calls search service
- 181 - Helpdesk/Hotline
- 182xxxx - High-traffic telephone line
- 182182 - Employees Retraining Board
- 1823 - Hong Kong SAR Government Efficiency Unit
- 18281 - Tung Wah Group of Hospitals
- 18282 - The Community Chest of Hong Kong
- 18288 - Caritas Family Services
- 183xxxx - High-traffic telephone line
- 184xx - Hong Kong Jockey Club
- 18501 - Time and temperature information service in English
- 18503 - Time and temperature information service in Cantonese
- 18508 - Time and temperature information service in Mandarin
- 186xxxx - High-traffic telephone lines
- 186000 - Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau of the Government of the Hong Kong SAR
- 186111 - "GovWiFi" help desk
- 186131 - Security Bureau, Government of the Hong Kong SAR
- 186186 - Anti Narcotics Division, Security Bureau, Government of the Hong Kong SAR
- 1868 - Immigration Department of the Government of the Hong Kong SAR (assistance to Hong Kong residents in distress)
- 187xxxx - High traffic telephone lines
- 18713xx - Macau phone gambling (Telebet)
- 1872xxx - Radio station listener calls live program hotline
- 1878xxx - Public service, fundraising, accidental death inquiries
- 1879xxx - Public service, charity hotline
- 1880 - Hong Kong Jockey Club Customer Service
- 1881 to 1889 - Hong Kong Jockey Club phone gambling (Telebet)
- 189 - Disaster Response / Disaster Recovery
- 19 - Test code / routing code
- 200 - Telephone card access code
- 201xxxxx to 206xxxxx - Fixed-line telephone
- 207, 208, 209 - Telephone card access code
- 21xxxxxx to 29xxxxxx - Fixed-line telephone
- 28088000 to 28088099 - Telephone card access code
- 3000xxx - Number Conversion Equipment
- 301xxxxx to 304xxxxx - Non-external telecommunications services
- 305xxxxx to 309xxxxx - External telecommunications services
- 31xxxxxx - Fixed-line telephone
- 34xxxxxx to 36xxxxxx - Fixed-line telephone
- 370xxxxx to 372xxxxx - Fixed-line telephone
- 374xxxxx to 376xxxxx - Fixed-line telephone
- 379xxxxx - Fixed-line telephone
- 384xxxxx to 387xxxxx - Fixed-line telephone
- 389xxxxx - Fixed-line telephone
- 39xxxxxx - Fixed-line telephone
- 4xxxxxxxxxxx - Network number
- 504, 505, 507, 508, 509 - SMS / Multimedia value-added services
- 51xxxxxx to 57xxxxxx - Mobile phone number
- 58xxxxxx - 'Class 2 Service' such as voice over IP
- 59xxxxxx - Mobile phone number
- 6xxxxxxx - Mobile phone number
- 7xxxxxxx - Pager number
- 800xxxxxx - Toll-free telephone number
- 81xxxxxx to 83xxxxxx - Personal number service
- 900xxxxxxxx - Information service
- 901xxxxx to 989xxxxx - Mobile phone number
- 990 to 998 - Emergency services (routing)
- 999 - Emergency number (Police, Fire service and Ambulance)
Telephone exchanges in Hong Kong
- Aberdeen - 6 Wong Chuk Hang Road
- Chai Wan - 13-15 Cheung Lee Street near Kut Shing Street
- Fanling - 21 Lok Yip Road
- Hung Hom - 140 Gillies Avenue North
- Kennedy Town - 14 Smithfield Road, Sai Wan
- Kwai Chung - Kwok Shui Road near Fu Uk Road
- Kwun Tong - 408 Kwun Tong Road
- Ma On Shan - 20 On Shing Street
- Sai Kung - 66 Man Nin Street
- Sha Tin - 14-16 Man Lai Road, Tai Wai
- Shau Kei Wan - 17 Sun Sing Street
- Sheung Shui - 88-98 Jockey Club Road
- Tai Kok Tsui - 663 Shanghai Street, Mong Kok
- Tsing Yi (Kwai Shing) - 298 Kwai Shing Circuit, Kwai Chung
- Tuen Mun - 1 Hing On Lane
- Wan Chai - 44-46 Wood Road
- Yau Ma Tei - 524A Nathan Road
- Yau Tong - 6 Tseung Kwan O Road, Lam Tin
Historical numbering scheme and area codes
1970s
In the 1970s, area codes were assigned with the following pattern:
- 3 Kowloon, New Kowloon, Ha Kwai Chung and Sai Kung
- 5 Hong Kong Island and Outlying Islands
- 12 New Territories
There was no standard trunk prefix like '0' â€" only the area code and phone number were dialed when calling from one area code to another. Thus the Kowloon number xxx-xxx would have been dialed as follows:
- xxx-xxx â€" from within Kowloon
- 3 xxx-xxx â€" from Hong Kong Island or New Territories
- +852 3 xxx-xxx â€" from the rest of the world
1980s
In the mid-1980s, 6-digit numbers starting with '0' became 7-digit numbers starting with '71', making way for subsequent change of the New Territories prefix from '12' to '0'.
- 0xxxxx became 71xxxxx
Fixed-line phone numbers were either six- or seven-digit in the 1980s. Area codes were assigned with the following patterns.
- 3 Kowloon, New Kowloon, Ha Kwai Chung and Sai Kung
- 5 Hong Kong Island and Outlying Islands
- 0 New Territories
Cellular phone numbers are all eight-digit starting with '9'.
Easy Dialling Day
On 30 December 1989, area codes were abolished. Area codes for six-digit numbers became part of subscriber's numbers. Area codes for seven-digit numbers were simply removed. Some six-digit numbers had the first digit changed to two digits to make a seven-digit number.
- (3) xxx xxx became 3xx xxxx
- (3) 7xx xxxx became 7xx xxxx
- (5) xxx xxx became 5xx xxxx
- (5) Nxx xxxx became Nxx xxxx (N = 8 or 9)
- (0) 8xx xxx became 46x xxxx
- (0) Nxx xxxx became Nxx xxxx (N = 4 or 6)
1990s
In the mid-1990s, a '2' was prefixed to all fixed line (land line) numbers which are now eight-digit. A '7' was prefixed to existing pager service numbers.
- xxx xxxx became 2xxx xxxx
- 11xx xxx became 711xx xxx
- 11xx xxxxx became 7xx xxxxx
- 9xxx xxxx remain unchanged
Since 2000s
Before the introduction of portable fixed line numbers, numbers were assigned in a pattern akin to districts. For example, in addition to the existing 3, 5 and 0 prefixes, a 4 prefix was used for Tuen Mun and Yuen Long, 6 for Tai Po and Sha Tin, and 8 for Island East.
Numbers starting with '3' were introduced when '2' for fixed lines started running out. Cell phone numbers remain eight-digit. The number '6' started to be used when numbers started with '9' were running out. In May 2008, cellular phone numbers with '5' as the beginning were also introduced.
Because of numerous phone scams cheating money, calls outside Hong Kong pretending to be calling from Hong Kong would now showing the Hong Kong prefix 852 before the phone numbers.
See also
- Communications in Hong Kong
- Telephone numbers in Macau
- Telephone numbering plan
References
- ITU allocation list
- "The Numbering Plan for Telecommunications Services in Hong Kong". Office of the Communications Authority, Hong Kong. Retrieved 21 October 2015.Â
