Phones

To dial abroad, dial 00, the country code, the area code, the subscriber’s number and away you go. For calls in Bucharest you need to dial both the correct city code (021 for Romtelecom numbers, 031 for private phone companies; see 021 vs. 031, below) and the subscriber’s number.

To call a mobile, you must dial the prefix (07XX), and when calling from a mobile you must dial the city code (again, either 021 or 031). All public phones require a Romtelecom phone card, which you can buy at most newsstands. None accept coins.

021 vs. 031

No, not a fixture in the telephone codes’ Premier League, instead growing confusion regarding what is and what is not the correct city telephone code for Bucharest. Competition is a wonderful thing, and Romtelecom, for decades the sole fix-line telephone operator in the country, now has plenty of it. Cable television companies, mobile phone operators and even ISPs are getting in on the act. As a result, there has been a need to increase the amount of fix-line telephone numbers available. The local authorities have done this by assigning a new city code, 031, to the private operators. Romtelecom numbers retain the old 021 code, which, like 031, has to be dialled. If you do not, you will hear a recorded message (in Romanian of course) telling you off.

We have included all necessary codes in of our listings throughout our listings: the number you see here is the number you dial.