Area Code 56 – South Khorasan

Overview of Area Code +98 56

Area code 56 is the National Destination Code (NDC) for the province of South Khorasan in Iran. When dialing internationally, the full country calling code for Iran is +98, followed by the area code (without the leading trunk prefix '0') and the subscriber number. Thus, a typical international number in this region appears as +98 56 XXXX XXXX.

Geographic Coverage and Administrative Jurisdiction

South Khorasan Province is located in eastern Iran, bordering Afghanistan. The code covers the entire province, including the capital city Birjand and other major towns such as Ferdows, Qaen, Tabas, and Nehbandan. The province is divided into several counties, and the same area code is used for all fixed-line telephone services within the province, regardless of the specific city or village.

Dialing Formats

For callers within Iran, the trunk prefix 0 is used before the area code. Therefore, to call a fixed line in South Khorasan from another province, you would dial: 0 56 XXXX XXXX. For international callers, the trunk prefix is omitted, and the country code is used: +98 56 XXXX XXXX. It is important to note that the subscriber number length is typically 8 digits, but the total number of digits after the country code (including the area code) is 10. Always verify the exact number with the recipient, as local numbers may vary in length.

Overlay and Numbering Considerations

As of the latest ITU-T E.164 national numbering plan updates, there is no overlay code for South Khorasan; the 56 code is exclusively assigned to this province. However, with the growth of telecommunications services, the government has implemented number conservation measures, and some numbers may have been reassigned or ported. For fixed-line services, number portability is not widely available, but for mobile services, porting is possible, which means a number with this prefix could theoretically be assigned to a mobile user if ported, though this is rare.

Caller Instructions

For local callers within South Khorasan, it is common to dial only the 8-digit subscriber number without the area code for local calls. However, for clarity and to avoid misdialing, it is recommended to always use the full national format, especially when calling from mobile phones. For international callers, ensure you have the correct country code (+98) and drop the leading '0' of the area code. If you are using a VoIP service, you may need to enter the number in international format, including the '+' sign.