Area Code 2 – Montevideo

Overview of Uruguay's Area Code 2

Area code 2 is the National Destination Code (NDC) for the capital city of Montevideo, the largest urban center and administrative capital of Uruguay. As a geographic code, it is assigned to fixed-line telephone services within the Montevideo Department, which includes the city proper and its surrounding metropolitan area. The code is administered under the national numbering plan of Uruguay, which follows the ITU-T E.164 standard. The international dialing format for a Montevideo number is +598 2 XXXX XXXX, where the subscriber number is eight digits long. When dialing domestically from other regions in Uruguay, callers must prefix the area code with the trunk prefix 0, resulting in the format 02 XXXX XXXX.

Geographic Coverage and Administrative Jurisdiction

Area code 2 covers the entire Montevideo Department, which is the smallest but most populous department in Uruguay, hosting approximately 1.3 million inhabitants. The code serves the city of Montevideo, the country's primary port, financial hub, and seat of the national government. Key districts and neighborhoods such as Ciudad Vieja, Centro, Pocitos, Cordón, and Tres Cruces fall under this code. The geographic scope also includes the metropolitan area that extends into adjacent departments like Canelones, but only for numbers that are physically located within the Montevideo exchange boundaries. The code is exclusively for fixed-line services; mobile numbers in Uruguay use distinct non-geographic prefixes (e.g., 9X) and are not associated with area code 2.

Dialing Procedures and Number Formats

For local calls within Montevideo, callers can dial the eight-digit subscriber number directly without the area code. However, for calls originating from other fixed or mobile lines outside the Montevideo area, the full national format 02 XXXX XXXX must be used. International callers should dial +598 2 XXXX XXXX (or the international access code of their country, followed by 598 2 XXXX XXXX). It is important to note that Uruguay does not use an overlay code for Montevideo; the area code 2 is the sole geographic code for the capital. As of recent years, there are no plans to introduce an overlay, and the numbering capacity is sufficient due to the eight-digit subscriber numbering.

Regulatory and Technical Considerations

The Uruguayan telecommunications regulator, Unidad Reguladora de Servicios de Comunicaciones (URSEC), oversees the allocation and management of numbering resources. The state-owned incumbent, Antel, is the primary fixed-line operator in Montevideo, but other licensed operators also provide services using this code. Number portability is available for fixed-line services, allowing subscribers to retain their numbers when switching providers within the same geographic area. For VoIP services that use geographic numbers, the caller's physical location may not correspond to the area code, but the number remains associated with Montevideo for routing and billing purposes.