Area Code 42 – San Martín

Overview of Peru Area Code 42

Area code 42 is a geographic National Destination Code (NDC) assigned to the department of San Martín in northeastern Peru. It covers the regional capital Moyobamba and other key cities such as Tarapoto, Juanjuí, and Tocache. This code is used for fixed-line PSTN services within the region, following the ITU-T E.164 numbering plan.

Geographic Coverage and Administration

San Martín is one of the 24 departments of Peru, bordered by the Amazonas, Loreto, Huánuco, and La Libertad regions. The area code 42 is administered by the Peruvian Ministry of Transport and Communications (MTC) and is allocated exclusively to fixed-line services. Mobile numbers in Peru use the national prefix 9 followed by a 8-digit subscriber number, independent of geographic area codes.

Dialing Formats

For local calls within the same area code, subscribers dial only the 6-digit subscriber number. For calls from other regions in Peru, the format is 0 42 XXX XXX. International callers must dial +51 42 XXX XXX. For example, a fixed line in Tarapoto might be +51 42 52 1234. When dialing from a mobile phone in Peru, the leading 0 is often omitted, so you would dial 42 52 1234.

Overlay and Numbering Changes

As of 2023, there is no overlay code for San Martín; the area code 42 remains the sole NDC for the region. However, the MTC periodically reviews numbering resources to ensure sufficient capacity. Subscribers should be aware that number portability is available for fixed lines within Peru, allowing users to retain their numbers when changing operators, but the geographic NDC remains tied to the location.

Caller Instructions

For local callers within San Martín: dial the 6-digit subscriber number directly. For national long-distance callers: dial 0 42 followed by the subscriber number. For international callers: dial +51 42 followed by the subscriber number. When calling from a VoIP service, ensure you use the international format +51 42 to avoid routing errors.