Area Code 271 – Mérida/Trujillo/Zulia

Overview of Venezuela Area Code 271

Area code 271 is a geographic National Destination Code (NDC) within the Venezuelan national numbering plan, administered under the ITU-T E.164 recommendation. It serves the western region of the country, primarily covering the state of Mérida, as well as parts of Trujillo and Zulia. The code is assigned to fixed-line PSTN services, although some VoIP providers may also route numbers with this prefix.

Geographic Coverage and Administrative Jurisdiction

The main city associated with this code is Mérida, the capital of the state of Mérida, located in the Andes mountains. The code also covers surrounding municipalities within the state, such as Ejido and Tabay. In addition, certain localities in the neighboring states of Trujillo and Zulia are included in the 271 numbering area, particularly those near the borders with Mérida. This allocation is based on the historical administrative boundaries of the national telecommunications operator, CANTV, and has been maintained through subsequent liberalization.

Dialing Formats and Caller Instructions

For local callers within the 271 area, the national significant number is typically seven digits, and local calls are made by dialing the subscriber number directly, without the area code. However, for calls originating from other regions of Venezuela, the full national format must be used: 0-271-XXX-XXXX. The leading '0' is the national trunk prefix, and '271' is the area code. For international callers, the format is +58-271-XXX-XXXX, where +58 is the country code for Venezuela. It is important to note that the trunk prefix '0' is not included when dialing from abroad.

Numbering and Overlay Considerations

Currently, there is no overlay code in the 271 area, and the numbering capacity is sufficient for the region's population. However, as with many fixed-line networks, the number of landlines may be decreasing due to the growth of mobile and VoIP services. Subscribers in the Mérida region may have numbers that are portable, meaning that a number with the 271 prefix could be routed to a mobile or VoIP network, but the geographic association remains for administrative purposes.

Practical Examples

To illustrate, a local call from a landline in Mérida to another landline in the same area would be dialed as XXX-XXXX. A call from Caracas (area code 212) to Mérida would be dialed as 0-271-XXX-XXXX. An international caller from the United States would dial 011-58-271-XXX-XXXX, while a caller from the United Kingdom would dial 00-58-271-XXX-XXXX. Always verify the current number of digits, as the national numbering plan may be subject to change.