Area Code 27 – Port Vila, Shefa

Geographic Significance and Coverage

The area code 27 is a geographic National Destination Code (NDC) assigned to the capital city of Port Vila, located on the island of Efate in the Shefa Province of Vanuatu. This code is used for fixed-line telephone services within the urban and suburban areas of Port Vila, including administrative, commercial, and residential districts. The Shefa Province is the most populous in the country, and Port Vila serves as the primary economic and governmental hub, hosting the national parliament, international businesses, and diplomatic missions.

Dialing Formats and Procedures

When calling a fixed-line number in Port Vila from abroad, the international format is +678 27X XXXX, where +678 is the country calling code for Vanuatu, 27 is the NDC, and the remaining digits constitute the subscriber number. The total number length after the country code is 7 digits, meaning the subscriber number is 5 digits long (starting with the digit following the NDC). For example, a typical number might be +678 27 12345.

Domestically, callers within Vanuatu must dial the full national significant number, which includes the NDC and the subscriber number, even when calling from a different island or from a mobile phone. The local dialing format is 27 12345 when calling from within the same NDC area, but it is advisable to always use the full national number to avoid misdialing.

Overlay and Numbering Considerations

Vanuatu's numbering plan is administered by the Telecommunications Radiocommunications and Broadcasting Regulator (TRBR). As of the latest updates, there is no overlay code for Port Vila; the 27 prefix is exclusively used for fixed-line services in this region. However, with the ongoing migration to VoIP and the introduction of new services, the regulator has implemented number portability, allowing subscribers to retain their numbers when changing operators. This means that a number starting with 27 may occasionally be routed to a VoIP or mobile network, but the geographic association remains for administrative and billing purposes.

Caller Instructions

For international callers, always replace the leading zero (if any) with the +678 country code. For example, if a local number is listed as 2712345, dial +678 2712345. For domestic callers outside the Shefa Province, dial 2712345 as well, as Vanuatu uses a closed numbering plan. Emergency services and directory assistance may have separate short codes, so always verify the correct number for the service you need.