Area Code 964 – Castellón

Geographic Coverage and Administrative Jurisdiction

The +34 964 area code is a geographic National Destination Code (NDC) assigned to the province of Castellón, located in the Valencian Community, eastern Spain. This code covers the entire province, including its capital city, Castellón de la Plana, and other significant municipalities such as Villarreal, Burriana, Vinaròs, Benicarló, and La Vall d'Uixó. The region is known for its Mediterranean coastline, the Desert de les Palmes mountain range, and a strong ceramics industry. As a geographic code, 964 is used for fixed-line telephone services, and its allocation follows the ITU-T E.164 international numbering plan, ensuring unambiguous global dialing.

Dialing Formats and Caller Instructions

For local callers within Spain, the number is dialed as a single national significant number (NSN) comprising the trunk prefix '9' and the subscriber number. For example, a typical fixed-line number in Castellón would be dialed as 964 12 34 56 (without any additional trunk prefix, as the '9' is already included). International callers must dial the Spanish country code +34 followed by the full NSN, omitting the initial '0' (which is not used in Spanish dialing). Thus, the same number would be dialed as +34 964 12 34 56 from abroad.

It is important to note that Spain does not use a trunk prefix '0' for domestic calls; the NSN always starts with '9' for geographic numbers. Therefore, when calling from a mobile phone within Spain, you simply dial the 9-digit number (e.g., 964 12 34 56). No area code changes are required when calling from other provinces, as the Spanish numbering plan is closed and does not require a '0' before the area code.

Overlay and Numbering Plan Considerations

As of the latest ITU-T recommendations, the 964 area code does not have an overlay code; the province of Castellón is exclusively served by this single geographic NDC. This means that all fixed-line numbers in the province begin with 964, and there is no need for 10-digit dialing within the region. However, with the migration toward IP-based telephony and number portability, some numbers may be routed to VoIP providers, but the geographic identity remains tied to the original allocation. Callers should always verify the number's validity, as number portability allows users to retain their 964 number even if they move to a different service provider, but the geographic association remains for billing and emergency services purposes.

For emergency services, dialing 112 (European emergency number) or 091 (national police) is always free and does not require an area code. For directory assistance, callers can use 118xx services, but these may incur charges.