Telephone numbers in Hong Kong


Telephone numbers in Hong Kong are mostly eight-digit. Fixed land line numbers start with 2 or 3, mobile phone numbers with 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 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 – Police, Fire Service and Ambulance – is 999 for all telephone lines. These numbers can also be used for mobile and other users:
  • 992 – fax on fixed line, SMS on mobile phones
  • 112 – 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 – 1081, 1083 and 1088
  • Time and temperature information – 18501, 18503 and 18508
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 and then 001. Calls from Hong Kong to Macau and mainland China are international, and include that regions' country code:Macau +853 xxxx xxxxMainland China +86 xxxx xxxx

Present numbering scheme and format

Source:
The present structure and format of telephone numbers in Hong Kong according to the Hong Kong Telecom Service Numbering Scheme, is as follows :001 – International long-distance voice service access code002 – International long-distance fax / data service access code003 to 009 – International gateway access code100xxxx to 107xxxx – Inquiry / hotline / operator-assisted service1081 – Directory Services in English1083 – Directory Services in Cantonese1088 – Directory Services in Mandarin109 – Telephone repair112 – Emergency Calls 115 to 118 – International Routing Network Identification Number12xxxxx – Inquiry / hotline / operator-assisted service133 – Enable the Restricted Caller ID feature1357 – Cancel the "Caller ID Restrictions" feature14 – Network identification number15 to 16 – External telecommunications service access code17xxxxx – Operator-assisted service1801x – PPS 1803x – PPS 18060x – PPS 1808 – International calls search service181 – Helpdesk/Hotline182xxxx – High-traffic telephone line182182 – Employees Retraining Board1823 – Hong Kong SAR Government Efficiency Unit18281 – Tung Wah Group of Hospitals18282 – The Community Chest of Hong Kong18288 – Caritas Family Services183xxxx – High-traffic telephone line184xx – Hong Kong Jockey Club18501 – Time and temperature information service in English18503 – Time and temperature information service in Cantonese 18508 – Time and temperature information service in Mandarin186xxxx – High-traffic telephone lines186000 – Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau of the Government of the Hong Kong SAR186111 – "GovWiFi" help desk186131 – Security Bureau, Government of the Hong Kong SAR186186 – Anti Narcotics Division, Security Bureau, Government of the Hong Kong SAR1868 – Immigration Department of the Government of the Hong Kong SAR 187xxxx – High traffic telephone lines18713xx – Macau phone gambling 1872xxx – Radio station listener calls live program hotline1878xxx – Public service, fundraising, accidental death inquiries1879xxx – Public service, charity hotline1880 – Hong Kong Jockey Club Customer Service1881 to 1889 – Hong Kong Jockey Club phone gambling 189 – Disaster Response / Disaster Recovery19 – Test code / routing code200 – Telephone card access code201xxxxx to 206xxxxx – Fixed-line telephone207, 208, 209 – Telephone card access code21xxxxxx to 29xxxxxx – Fixed-line telephone28088000 to 28088099 – Telephone card access code3000xxx – Number Conversion Equipment3001xxxx to 3049xxxx – Non-external telecommunications services305xxxxx to 309xxxxx – External telecommunications services31xxxxxx – Fixed-line telephone34xxxxxx to 39xxxxxx – Fixed-line telephone4xxxxxxxxxxx – Network number46xxxxxx to 47xxxxxx – Mobile phone number501 to 509 – SMS / Multimedia value-added services51xxxxxx to 57xxxxxx – Mobile phone number58xxxxxx – 'Class 2 Service' such as voice over IP59xxxxxx – Mobile phone number601xxxxx to 699xxxxx – Mobile phone number701xxxxx to 709xxxxx – Mobile phone number71xxxxxx to 73xxxxxx – Pager number800xxxxxx – Toll-free telephone number81xxxxxx to 83xxxxxx – Personal number service84xxxxxx – Mobile phone number900xxxxxxxx – Information service901xxxxx to 989xxxxx – Mobile phone number990 to 998 – Emergency services 999 – Emergency number

Telephone exchanges in Hong Kong

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 Kung5 Hong Kong Island and Outlying Islands12 New Territories
There was no standard trunk prefix like '0' – 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:

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 Kung5 Hong Kong Island and Outlying Islands0 New Territories
Cellular phone numbers are all eight-digit starting with '9'.

Easy Dialling Day

On 30 December 1989, area codes were abolished. Six-digit numbers in the New Territories were changed to replace the initial 8 with 46, followed by five digits; area codes for six-digit numbers in the other areas 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.
  • xxx xxx became 3xx xxxx
  • 7xx xxxx became 7xx xxxx
  • xxx xxx became 5xx xxxx
  • Nxx xxxx became Nxx xxxx
  • 8xx xxx became 46x xxxx
  • Nxx xxxx became Nxx xxxx

1990s

On January 1, 1995, a '2' was prefixed to all fixed 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 Hong Kong Island.
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.
Due to numerous phone scams spoofing local telephone numbers, calls started from outside Hong Kong using a local number now show the Hong Kong prefix +852 before the phone numbers in Caller ID.