Area Code 248 – Criuleni

Overview of Area Code +373 248 (Criuleni, Moldova)

Area code 248 is a geographic National Destination Code (NDC) assigned to the Criuleni District in the Republic of Moldova. It is part of the national numbering plan under the ITU-T E.164 recommendation, with the full international dialing prefix +373 248. This code serves the administrative center of Criuleni and its surrounding localities, including villages such as Bălăbănești, Bălțata, and Boșcana. The district is located in the central-eastern part of Moldova, approximately 45 kilometers northeast of the capital, Chișinău.

Dialing Formats

When calling a fixed-line subscriber in the Criuleni area, the number structure is:

• International format: +373 248 XXX XX (from abroad)
• National format (within Moldova): 0 248 XXX XX (from other regions)
• Local format (within Criuleni): 248 XXX XX (if local 7-digit dialing is supported)

For example, a local number might be +373 248 12345. To call this from the United States, you would dial 011 373 248 12345. From a Moldovan mobile phone outside the area, you would dial 0 248 12345.

Geographic Coverage and Administration

Criuleni District is one of Moldova's administrative units, bordered by the Dniester River to the east. The area code 248 is allocated exclusively to fixed-line services (PSTN) within this district. The primary town, Criuleni, serves as the administrative hub, with a population of approximately 7,500 residents. The district's economy is largely agricultural, with some light industry. The code is managed by the National Regulatory Agency for Electronic Communications and Postal Services (ANRCETI) of Moldova.

Overlay and Numbering Considerations

Currently, there is no overlay code for the Criuleni area; the 248 code is unique to this district. However, as Moldova's telecommunications infrastructure evolves, number portability is available for fixed-line services, allowing subscribers to retain their numbers when switching providers within the same geographic area. For international callers, it is essential to note that Moldova's country code is +373, and the leading '0' used in national dialing is dropped when dialing from abroad.

Caller Instructions

For local callers within Criuleni, dialing the 7-digit subscriber number directly may work if the local network supports it. However, to avoid confusion, it is recommended to use the full national format (0 248 XXX XX) for all calls outside the immediate local exchange. For foreign callers, always replace the trunk prefix '0' with the international access code (e.g., 011 from North America, 00 from most European countries) followed by the country code 373 and the area code 248, omitting the initial '0'.