Area Code 226 – Hyderabad

Geographic Coverage and Administrative Jurisdiction

The area code 226 is the National Destination Code (NDC) for the Hyderabad region in Pakistan, as designated under the ITU-T E.164 numbering plan. Hyderabad, the second-largest city in Sindh province, serves as the administrative headquarters of the Hyderabad Division. The geographic coverage of this code extends to the city proper and its surrounding suburban and rural areas, including notable localities such as Latifabad, Qasimabad, and the Hyderabad Cantonment. The jurisdiction falls under the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), which oversees the allocation and management of all geographic numbering resources in the country.

Dialing Formats and Caller Instructions

For callers within Pakistan, the local dialing format for Hyderabad numbers is 0226 XXXXXX (or 0226-XXXXXX when written). The trunk prefix 0 is used to access the national PSTN network, followed by the area code 226 and the six-digit subscriber number. For example, to call a landline in Hyderabad from Karachi or Lahore, you would dial 0226 123456.

For international callers, the format changes to +92 226 XXXXXX, where +92 is the country calling code for Pakistan, and the leading 0 of the trunk prefix is omitted. Thus, a caller from the United States or the United Kingdom would dial +92 226 123456 to reach the same subscriber.

Overlay and Numbering Considerations

As of the latest PTA updates, there is no overlay code for the Hyderabad area; the 226 code remains the sole geographic NDC for this region. Subscriber numbers within this code are typically six digits long, resulting in a total national significant number (NSN) length of nine digits (excluding the trunk prefix). It is important to note that while mobile numbers in Pakistan also begin with 03XX, they are non-geographic and assigned to mobile operators, so they are not affected by this area code.

Caller Instructions for Local and Foreign Callers

For local callers within Hyderabad, it is possible to dial the subscriber number directly without the area code in some cases, but this depends on the specific telecom operator's local dialing plan. To ensure successful routing, it is recommended to always use the full national format 0226-XXXXXX. For foreign callers, always use the international format +92 226 XXXXXX and be mindful of time zone differences (Pakistan Standard Time, UTC+5).