Area Code 4 – Haifa and North Regions

Geographic Coverage and Administrative Jurisdiction

Area code 4 is one of Israel's geographic National Destination Codes (NDCs), allocated under the national numbering plan administered by the Ministry of Communications. It serves the Haifa and Northern districts, encompassing the coastal plain from Hadera northward to the Lebanese border, and inland to the Galilee and Golan Heights. Key cities within this code include Haifa (the third-largest city in Israel), Nazareth, Acre (Akko), Tiberias, Karmiel, Nahariya, and Afula. The code also covers numerous smaller towns, kibbutzim, and moshavim in the Jezreel Valley, Western Galilee, and Upper Galilee regions.

Dialing Formats and Number Structure

Israeli geographic numbers are nine digits long, including the leading 0 when dialed domestically. The structure is: 0 (NDC) (Subscriber Number). For area code 4, subscriber numbers are seven digits long, giving the format 0-4-XXX-XXXX within Israel. When dialing from abroad, the leading zero is omitted, and the country code +972 is used, resulting in the international format +972-4-XXX-XXXX. For example, a local Haifa number might be 04-123-4567; from the United States, you would dial 011-972-4-123-4567 (or +972 4 123 4567 on a mobile phone).

Caller Instructions

Local callers within Israel must always dial the full national number, including the trunk prefix 0 and the area code, even when calling from a phone within the same area code. This is because Israel uses a closed dialing plan. International callers should replace the trunk prefix 0 with the country code +972 and omit the leading 0 of the area code. For instance, to call a number in Haifa from the UK, you would dial 00-972-4-XXX-XXXX.

Overlays and Numbering Plan Considerations

As of 2024, there is no overlay code for area 4; the code remains exclusive to the northern region. However, the Israeli numbering plan allows for number portability, meaning a subscriber may retain their geographic number even if they move to a different region or switch to a VoIP provider. This can occasionally lead to a number with area code 4 being answered from a different physical location. Nevertheless, for routing purposes, the code still identifies the original geographic area.

Practical Examples

• Calling a business in Haifa from abroad: +972 4 854 1234
• Calling a friend in Nazareth from Tel Aviv (domestic): 04-655-4321
• Dialing from a mobile phone in Israel to a landline in Acre: 04-995-6789