Area Code 5574 – Bregenz

Geographic Overview

The Austrian area code +43 5574 is a geographic National Destination Code (NDC) assigned to the westernmost state of Vorarlberg, specifically serving the district capital Bregenz and its surrounding municipalities. This includes the lakeside communities along the eastern shore of Lake Constance (Bodensee), such as Hard, Lauterach, Wolfurt, Kennelbach, and Lochau, as well as the Bregenzerwald foothills. As a geographic code, it is tied to the PSTN infrastructure of the region, although calls may be routed over IP-based networks by the terminating carrier.

Dialing Formats

For callers within Austria, the national trunk prefix 0 must be dialed before the area code, followed by the subscriber number. The complete national format is:

• 0 5574 [subscriber number] (e.g., 0 5574 12345)

For international callers, the Austrian country code +43 replaces the leading zero. The international format is:

• +43 5574 [subscriber number] (e.g., +43 5574 12345)

When dialing from a mobile phone, the plus sign (+) is typically used to denote the international access code, but the same international format applies. Subscriber numbers in the Bregenz area vary in length, typically ranging from 4 to 7 digits, depending on the historical allocation and the operator's numbering plan.

Geographic Allocation and Numbering

The code 5574 is part of the Austrian numbering plan administered by the Rundfunk und Telekom Regulierungs-GmbH (RTR). It is a geographic code, meaning that the tariff for calls to this number is generally based on the destination's geographic location, although many Austrian fixed-line and VoIP providers offer flat-rate calling plans that include national calls. The code is not portable to mobile networks; however, number portability within the fixed-line service is possible, so a number with this prefix may be served by a different operator than the historical incumbent.

Caller Instructions

Local callers within Austria should always use the full national format, including the leading 0, even when calling from a nearby location. International callers must omit the leading 0 and use the +43 country code. For example, a caller from Germany would dial 0043 5574 12345 or +43 5574 12345.

Businesses and residents in the Bregenz area often list their numbers in international format on websites and directories to facilitate global communication. As with all Austrian geographic codes, the maximum number length for a complete international number is 15 digits as per ITU-T E.164.