Area Code 97 – Belmullet
The phone area code for Belmullet is 97 (international format +35397). Browse local exchange codes (NXX) and carrier assignments below.
📞 Exchange Codes (NXX) for Area Code 97
Select a central office code to view local carrier data and detailed information
📍 Geographic Location of Belmullet
Geographic Coverage and Administrative Jurisdiction
The +353 97 country-code prefix is a geographic National Destination Code (NDC) assigned to the Belmullet telephone exchange area in County Mayo, Ireland. Belmullet (Irish: Béal an Mhuirthead) is the principal town of the Erris Peninsula, a remote and scenic region in the northwest of the Republic of Ireland. The exchange serves the town itself and the surrounding hinterland, including villages such as Bangor Erris, Ballycroy, and the Mullet Peninsula communities. Administratively, this area falls under the jurisdiction of Mayo County Council and is part of the Western Region of Ireland.
Dialing Formats and Number Structure
When calling a Belmullet landline from within Ireland, subscribers dial the national prefix 0, followed by the area code 97 and the subscriber's local number, which is typically 5 to 6 digits in length. The complete national number thus comprises 9 or 10 digits, including the leading trunk prefix. For example, a local number might be dialed as 097 12345 or 097 123456.
From abroad, callers must use the international access prefix of their country (e.g., 00 from most European countries, 011 from North America), followed by Ireland's country code 353, then the area code 97 (without the leading zero), and finally the local number. An international call to Belmullet would therefore be formatted as +353 97 12345 or +353 97 123456.
Overlay and Numbering Considerations
As of the latest ITU-T E.164 national numbering plan for Ireland, there is no overlay code for the Belmullet area. The 097 NDC remains a dedicated geographic code for this specific exchange area. However, subscribers in Ireland have benefited from number portability, which allows them to retain their geographic number even if they move to a different physical location within the country, provided the service provider supports it. This means that a number with the 097 prefix may not always be physically located in Belmullet, but it remains associated with the original geographic tariff zone.
Caller Instructions
For local callers within the Belmullet area, it is possible to dial the local number without the area code if the call is within the same exchange area, but this practice is becoming less common as Ireland moves toward mandatory full national dialing. To avoid confusion, it is recommended to always use the full national format: 097 followed by the local number.
For international callers, always replace the leading zero with the country code +353. Thus, the correct international format is +353 97 followed by the local number. This ensures proper routing through the international PSTN.
In summary, the +353 97 prefix is a classic example of Ireland's geographic numbering system, serving the remote but vibrant community of Belmullet and its environs, and adhering to the standard E.164 dialing conventions.