What is an example of an Australian phone number?

An Australian landline number looks like 02 1234 5678 (Sydney) or 03 1234 5678 (Melbourne), where 02 and 03 are area codes. An Australian mobile number looks like 0412 345 678. Both formats are 10 digits long including the leading 0. In international format, drop the 0 and add +61, giving +61 2 1234 5678 or +61 412 345 678.

What are the Australian area codes?

Australia has four geographic area codes: 02 covers New South Wales and the ACT (Sydney, Canberra), 03 covers Victoria and Tasmania (Melbourne, Hobart), 07 covers Queensland (Brisbane, Gold Coast), and 08 covers Western Australia, South Australia, and the Northern Territory (Perth, Adelaide, Darwin).

How do I call Australia from another country?

Dial your country's international exit code (usually 00 or +), then Australia's country code 61, then the number without the leading 0. For example, to call a Sydney landline 02 9876 5432, dial +61 2 9876 5432. For a mobile 0412 345 678, dial +61 412 345 678. From the US, you can also dial 011 61 instead of +61.

Australia Phone Number Format — How Australian Numbers Work

Australian phone numbers follow a consistent structure managed by the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA). Landlines use a 2-digit area code plus 8 local digits, while mobile numbers start with 04 and are 10 digits total. This guide covers every number type, area codes, international dialing, and example numbers.

Australian Number Structure

All Australian phone numbers consist of 10 digits when dialed domestically (including the leading 0). The first digit after 0 indicates the number type:

Landline:  0X  XXXX  XXXX
              area   local number
              code   (8 digits)

Mobile:   04XX  XXX  XXX
              mobile    local
              prefix    (6 digits)
        

Australia's country code is +61. When converting to international format, drop the leading 0 and prepend +61.

Area Codes

Australia has four geographic area codes. Each covers one or more states and territories:

Area Code	States / Territories	Major Cities
`02`	New South Wales (NSW), Australian Capital Territory (ACT)	Sydney, Canberra, Newcastle, Wollongong
`03`	Victoria (VIC), Tasmania (TAS)	Melbourne, Geelong, Hobart, Launceston
`07`	Queensland (QLD)	Brisbane, Gold Coast, Cairns, Townsville
`08`	Western Australia (WA), South Australia (SA), Northern Territory (NT)	Perth, Adelaide, Darwin, Alice Springs

Note: Within your own area code zone, you only need to dial the 8-digit local number. When calling from a different zone, you must include the area code. When calling from overseas, always include the area code (without the leading 0).

Mobile Numbers

Australian mobile numbers start with 04 and are 10 digits long. The format is 04XX XXX XXX. Unlike landlines, mobile numbers are not tied to a geographic area — they work nationwide.

Common mobile prefixes include:

Prefix	Network (Original Allocation)	Example
`0400-0409`	Telstra	`0400 123 456`
`0410-0419`	Telstra	`0412 345 678`
`0420-0429`	Optus	`0421 234 567`
`0430-0439`	Vodafone	`0432 109 876`
`0450-0459`	Various MVNOs	`0451 234 567`
`0470-0479`	Newer allocations	`0478 901 234`
`0490-0499`	Newer allocations	`0491 570 006`

ACMA Fictitious Range: The number range 0491 570 006 through 0491 579 999 is reserved by ACMA for use in fictional works and testing. These numbers are guaranteed not to be assigned to real subscribers.

1300 and 1800 Numbers

Australia has two types of non-geographic service numbers:

Prefix	Type	Caller Cost	Format
`1300`	Local rate	Cost of a local call (from landline); may incur charges from mobile	`1300 XXX XXX` (10 digits)
`1800`	Freephone	Free from all Australian phones	`1800 XXX XXX` (10 digits)
`13`	Local rate (short)	Same as 1300	`13 XX XX` (6 digits)

Important: 1300 and 1800 numbers cannot be dialed from outside Australia. International callers must use a direct geographic or mobile number instead.

International Format (+61)

To call an Australian number from overseas:

Drop the leading 0 from the Australian number
Prepend +61 (or your country's international access code + 61)

Type	Domestic Format	International Format
Sydney landline	`02 9876 5432`	`+61 2 9876 5432`
Melbourne landline	`03 9123 4567`	`+61 3 9123 4567`
Brisbane landline	`07 3456 7890`	`+61 7 3456 7890`
Perth landline	`08 9234 5678`	`+61 8 9234 5678`
Mobile	`0412 345 678`	`+61 412 345 678`
Canberra landline	`02 6123 4567`	`+61 2 6123 4567`
Adelaide landline	`08 8234 5678`	`+61 8 8234 5678`
Darwin landline	`08 8912 3456`	`+61 8 8912 3456`

How to Call Australia from Abroad

The process varies slightly by country:

Calling From	Dial	Example (Sydney)
United States / Canada	011 + 61 + number	`011 61 2 9876 5432`
United Kingdom	00 + 61 + number	`00 61 2 9876 5432`
Europe (most countries)	00 + 61 + number	`00 61 2 9876 5432`
Japan	010 + 61 + number	`010 61 2 9876 5432`
Any country (mobile)	+ 61 + number	`+61 2 9876 5432`

Example Numbers by Type

Type	Example	Notes
Sydney landline	`02 9876 5432`	NSW, area code 02
Melbourne landline	`03 9123 4567`	VIC, area code 03
Brisbane landline	`07 3234 5678`	QLD, area code 07
Perth landline	`08 9345 6789`	WA, area code 08
Adelaide landline	`08 8234 5678`	SA, area code 08
Canberra landline	`02 6234 5678`	ACT, area code 02
Hobart landline	`03 6234 5678`	TAS, area code 03
Darwin landline	`08 8912 3456`	NT, area code 08
Mobile	`0412 345 678`	Nationwide
Fictitious mobile	`0491 570 006`	ACMA reserved range
Freephone	`1800 123 456`	Free from all AU phones
Local rate	`1300 654 321`	Business service number

Frequently Asked Questions

A Sydney landline looks like 02 9876 5432 and a mobile looks like 0412 345 678. Both are 10 digits including the leading 0. In international format with Australia's +61 country code, these become +61 2 9876 5432 and +61 412 345 678 respectively.

Australia has four area codes: 02 for NSW and ACT (Sydney, Canberra), 03 for Victoria and Tasmania (Melbourne, Hobart), 07 for Queensland (Brisbane), and 08 for WA, SA, and NT (Perth, Adelaide, Darwin).

Dial your international exit code (00 from most countries, 011 from the US), then 61 (Australia's code), then the number without the leading 0. From a mobile, use +61 directly. For example, Sydney 02 9876 5432 becomes +61 2 9876 5432.