Area Code 0161 – Vercelli

Geographic Coverage and Administrative Jurisdiction

The Italian national destination code (NDC) 0161 is a geographic area code assigned to the province of Vercelli, located in the Piedmont (Piemonte) region of northwestern Italy. The numbering area encompasses the city of Vercelli itself, the provincial capital, as well as the surrounding municipalities and rural districts that fall within the provincial boundaries. This includes towns such as Borgosesia, Varallo, Gattinara, and Cigliano, among others. The area is served by both fixed-line PSTN and VoIP services, with the code administered under the national numbering plan supervised by the Italian Communications Regulatory Authority (AGCOM).

Dialing Formats and Instructions

When calling a subscriber within the Vercelli area, the number format is the full national significant number (NSN), which includes the trunk prefix 0 followed by the area code 161 and the subscriber number (typically 6 to 7 digits). For example, a local landline number might appear as 0161 123456.

• Domestic calls (within Italy): Dial the full NSN: 0161 123456. The leading 0 is an integral part of the number and must always be dialed, even for calls made from within the same area code. This is a distinctive feature of the Italian numbering plan.
• International calls (from abroad): Dial the Italian country code +39, then the area code 0161 (including the leading zero) followed by the subscriber number. For example, from the United States or the United Kingdom, you would dial +39 0161 123456. Note that the leading zero is retained when calling from abroad, unlike many other countries where it is dropped.

Overlay and Numbering Considerations

As of the latest AGCOM updates, the 0161 area code does not have an overlay. The province of Vercelli is served exclusively by this code, and no other geographic codes are assigned to the same area. However, due to number portability, a subscriber may have a number with the 0161 prefix but be physically located elsewhere in Italy, or a subscriber in Vercelli might retain a number from a different area code. This does not affect the dialing procedure, as calls are routed based on the dialed number, not the physical location.

For callers within Italy, it is important to note that the 0 in the area code is not a trunk prefix in the traditional sense; it is part of the geographic routing number. Therefore, when storing Italian numbers in international format, the plus sign and country code replace the initial zero only for calls originating outside Italy. For any domestic call, the zero must always be included.