Area Code 3 – North-East Region
The phone area code for North-East Region is 3 (international format +33 3). Browse local exchange codes (NXX) and carrier assignments below.
📞 Exchange Codes (NXX) for Area Code 3
Select a central office code to view local carrier data and detailed information
📍 Geographic Location of North-East Region
Geographic Coverage and Administrative Jurisdiction
The French national numbering plan, administered by the Autorité de Régulation des Communications Électroniques et des Postes (ARCEP), assigns geographic area codes that begin with 01 through 05. The prefix 03 is the National Destination Code (NDC) for the North-East region of metropolitan France. This zone encompasses a broad administrative area, including the former regions of Alsace, Champagne-Ardenne, Lorraine, and parts of Burgundy and Franche-Comté. Major cities served by this code include Strasbourg, Reims, Metz, Nancy, Mulhouse, Besançon, and Dijon. The coverage area is bounded by the German, Swiss, and Belgian borders to the east and north, and extends westward to include cities like Troyes and Auxerre.
Dialing Formats and Number Structure
French geographic numbers are ten digits long, always written with a leading 0 when dialed domestically. The structure is: 0 (trunk prefix) + 3 (NDC first digit) + X (second digit of NDC) + XXXXXX (six-digit subscriber number). For example, a number in Strasbourg might be 03 88 XX XX XX. When dialing from abroad, the leading 0 is dropped and replaced by the country calling code +33. Thus, the same number becomes +33 3 88 XX XX XX. It is important to note that the second digit (e.g., 88 for Strasbourg) is part of the subscriber number, not a separate area code. The full NDC for a specific city can be two or three digits (e.g., 388 for Strasbourg, 381 for Besançon).
Caller Instructions
- Local callers (within France): Always dial the full 10-digit number, including the leading 0. For example, to call a fixed line in Reims, dial 03 26 XX XX XX.
- International callers: Dial the international access prefix (e.g., 00 from most countries, or + on mobile phones), then the country code 33, followed by the NDC without the leading zero, and the subscriber number. For instance, to call a number in Dijon from the United States, dial 011 33 3 80 XX XX XX.
Overlay and Number Portability Considerations
France has not implemented overlay codes for geographic areas; instead, number portability allows subscribers to retain their geographic number when moving within the same zone, and in some cases, across zones for business lines. However, the 03 prefix remains associated with the North-East region, and calls to these numbers are typically charged as national calls, regardless of the caller's location within France. VoIP and mobile users may also hold numbers with the 03 prefix, but the geographic significance is retained for routing and emergency services identification.