Ireland uses the +353 area code. This area code looks unfamiliar to those in North America, but calling Ireland is not as difficult as it sounds. When you want to use the +353 area code, there is a process that you will have to undergo to reach the number that you are dialing. This process is in adherence to both local and international dialing formats. It can be confusing, but after the first few times that you do it, it will feel like second nature.
The area code +353 is an international dialing code for the country of Ireland. When you want to know which country uses the +353 area code, you also need to know how to use that number properly so that you can reach the party you are trying to contact. This area code is used for international dialing to Ireland and is easier to dial from either a landline or a mobile device.
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The difference between international dialing and international subscribing
The area code +353 is an area code used when dialing internationally. However, there are a number of different systems used for international dialing. One is international direct dialing (IDD) and another is international subscriber dialing (ISD). International subscriber dialing was typically used in Australia and the United Kingdom until international direct dialing was invented.
International subscriber dialing is dialing that is placed by the telephone customer themselves, as opposed to calling an operator and having them dispatch you to the phone number of your choice. Calling to another country generally involves calling the international country code, another designation such as a city code, and then the local number for the individual party.
If you think that international dialing is difficult, remember that it has not been around that long. The very first telephone call that was made internationally occurred in 1957. It was a phone call between Massachusetts in the United States to Dedham, Essex, in England. The phone call was witnessed by both an operator and the teacher of the caller that made the direct phone call. It would not be until 1970 that the United States would institute IDD, the system that is used today.
Overall, the concept of picking up a phone and calling another country yourself has only been in effect for just over 50 years. It was not available during the second World War or the first half of the Vietnam War but was available during the latter half of the Vietnam War.
How to make international calls
The process of making international calls is simpler than it looks. In Ireland, where the +353 code comes from, there is a country code, a city area code, and then the local number that telephone subscribers are given. The country code is the first number that is dialed when you are calling internationally from one country to another country. In most countries, you also then need to dial a city code.
As countries become more populated all over the world, phone numbers and their systems will change. They have to. A larger city is going to run out of phone numbers in their local exchanges to give to subscribers. The only solution is a new area code. It is conceivable that there could be a world that runs out of phone numbers to provide. It is not likely that the country code +353 is going to change, but some ways of calling specific countries have changed over the years.
After the international country code is a country prefix, or an NDD used for National Direct Dialing. That is the number that is used nationally. So, for example, in Canada and the United States, that number is 1. We would use the number 1 before dialing out the rest of the phone number for an individual.
Most of us don’t even think of that when we think of picking up the phone and dialing long distance to an American or Canadian phone number. We pick up the phone and dial one plus the number. Now that you know which country uses the area code +353, you know you can call Ireland the same way. You just need to dial +353 before the phone number you are given.
The plus sign or “+” before this area code is not as confusing as it sounds. It is simply the numeric style of writing these phone numbers as a replacement for the country’s exit code. It is used when dialing out but can be used on a mobile device. On a mobile phone, the “+” is found on the “O” on the numeric keypad. You just need to dial that symbol, the country code, the city, and then your local phone number.
The easiest way to do this is to store the phone number in your phone with the “+” sign. The sign will bypass the system if it needs to, and be entered accurately when it needs to as well. You won’t have to remember this every time you call overseas or use the +353 area code.
The + sign is a replacement for an exit code when dialing internationally. An exit code is like saying you need to exit your current country to dial another country. The format is exit code, country code, city code, local phone number. The “+” symbol is a replacement for the exit code. The exit code for Ireland, for example, is 00.
With the exit code, you would dial 353 00 xx xxxxxxx.
Without the exit code, you would dial +353 xx xxxxxxx.
Every country works the same way. If you want to avoid the exit code, add a + sign in front of the entire phone number.
How to call Ireland
Making a phone call to +353 area code, or calling Ireland, is easier than it sounds. You have to know this country code, the country code of the city you are calling, and the local phone number, which is typically 7 digits long like they are in North America.
You might see hyphens written in phone numbers with and for Ireland, but they function the same way that hyphens function in North American phone numbers. They are there to make it easier to see the phone number. They are not like the + sign that needs to be entered in.
When you want to call Ireland, your format will look like this:
+353 [2-digit City Code]-[7-digit Local Number]. Let’s say the city code is 86, and the local number is 123-4567. You would pick up the phone and dial the following: +353 86 123 4567.
Call area code +353 Today
It’s easy to learn which country uses the +353 area code. When you want to begin making international telephone calls, the process can seem so stressful that you may give up before you begin. You don’t need to do that. You just need to know what the codes are, and why they exist.
Knowing what the + sign actually means will help you to remember to use it when you want to dial the country that has that phone number. It’s an exit symbol. Use the + to exit the telephone circuits of your own country, and enter the land of 353. Then, dial the number you were given. You’ll never be intimidated by making international calls again.
