Area Code 296 – An Giang province

Geographic Overview

The area code 296 is the National Destination Code (NDC) assigned to the province of An Giang in the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. An Giang is located in the Mekong Delta region, bordering Cambodia to the northwest. The province is known for its agricultural production, particularly rice, and its bustling border trade. Key administrative and commercial centers within this code include the provincial capital Long Xuyên, as well as the cities of Châu Đốc, Tân An, and Chợ Mới.

Dialing Formats

When calling a fixed-line subscriber in An Giang from within Vietnam, you must use the trunk prefix 0 followed by the area code and the subscriber's 7-digit local number. The national format is: 0 296 XXX XXXX. For example, a local number in Long Xuyên might be dialed as 0296 385 1234.

For international callers, the country code for Vietnam is +84. The leading 0 is dropped, and the number is dialed as: +84 296 XXX XXXX. Thus, the same Long Xuyên number would be dialed from abroad as +84 296 385 1234.

Geographic Allocation and Numbering

According to the ITU-T E.164 recommendation and the national numbering plan administered by the Vietnam Telecommunications Authority (VNTA), area code 296 is classified as a geographic code. This means that the code is tied to a specific physical region, and the subscriber numbers are allocated to fixed-line services (PSTN) within that area. The subscriber number length is 7 digits, resulting in a total national significant number length of 10 digits (including the area code but excluding the trunk prefix).

It is important to note that the code 296 is not used for mobile services; mobile numbers in Vietnam begin with different prefixes (e.g., 03x, 05x, 07x, 08x, 09x) and are non-geographic.

Overlays and Number Portability

As of the latest updates, there is no overlay code for An Giang; the 296 code is the sole geographic code for the province. However, Vietnam has implemented mobile number portability (MNP) since 2018, but this applies only to mobile numbers, not geographic fixed-line numbers. Fixed-line numbers are generally tied to the geographic location and are not portable across different area codes.

Caller Instructions

• Local callers within An Giang: For calls within the same area code, you may dial the 7-digit subscriber number directly without the area code (depending on the operator's local dialing rules). However, for clarity and consistency, it is recommended to always use the full national format.
• Callers from other provinces in Vietnam: Dial 0 296 followed by the subscriber number.
• International callers: Dial your country's exit code (e.g., 00 from most countries), then 84, then 296, and the subscriber number. Do not include the leading 0.

When dialing from a mobile phone in Vietnam, you can use the national format with the trunk prefix 0 or the international format with +84, both are valid.