Area Code 3 – Alexandria

Overview of Egypt's +20 3 Geographic Area Code

The country calling code +20 is assigned to Egypt under the ITU-T E.164 international numbering plan. The national destination code (NDC) 3 is a geographic area code that routes calls to the Alexandria Governorate, a major metropolitan region on the Mediterranean coast. This code covers the city of Alexandria itself, as well as surrounding districts and towns within the governorate, including Borg El Arab, Amreya, and King Mariout. Alexandria is Egypt's second-largest city and a primary economic hub, hosting the country's main seaport and numerous industrial zones.

Dialing Formats and Procedures

When calling a landline in Alexandria from abroad, the international format is +20 3 XXXX XXX (or +203XXXXXXX). The national significant number (NSN) for Alexandria fixed-line subscribers is 9 digits, comprising the NDC '3' followed by an 8-digit subscriber number. For example, a typical Alexandria landline number might be +20 3 4567 8901.

Domestic callers within Egypt must dial 03 XXXX XXX (including the trunk prefix '0') when calling from outside the Alexandria area. However, local calls within Alexandria can often be made using just the 8-digit subscriber number, depending on the operator's dialing plan. It is always recommended to use the full national format (03 + subscriber number) for clarity and to avoid dialing errors.

Geographic Coverage and Administrative Significance

The +20 3 code is exclusively assigned to the Alexandria Governorate, which is one of Egypt's most densely populated and economically vital regions. The area is served by the state-owned Telecom Egypt, which provides PSTN and VoIP services, as well as several private operators offering fixed wireless and fiber-to-the-home connections. The code is not portable across geographic regions; it is tied to the physical location of the line.

Caller Instructions

• International callers: Dial your country's exit code (e.g., 00 or 011), then Egypt's country code 20, then the area code 3 (without the leading zero), followed by the 8-digit subscriber number.
• Domestic callers outside Alexandria: Dial 0 (trunk prefix), then 3, then the 8-digit subscriber number.
• Local callers within Alexandria: Dial the 8-digit subscriber number directly, if supported by your operator.

Always verify the subscriber number length, as some older lines may have fewer digits. For business or government numbers, additional extensions may be required after the main number.