+243 is the country code for the DR Congo
+243 explained
The DR Congo country code, 243, is what you dial before a DRC number when you call from abroad. It is also known as the DRC dialing code, DRC calling code, or DRC phone code. In the DRC phone number format, +243 comes first, then the area code, such as 1 for Kinshasa, then the local number.
- Country code
- +243
- The 00243 country code is the same number
- ISO country codes
- CD, COD
- Use the CD country code or the COD country code on forms and passports. To call the DR Congo, dial +243
- Used in
- DR Congo
- No other country or territory dials +243
- Exit code
- 00
- From most countries. Also 011 from United States and Canada, 0011 from Australia, and + from any mobile
- Trunk prefix
- 0
- Drop it after +243
- Number length
- 7, 8, 9, or 10 digits
- After +243
- Time now in the DR Congo
- DRC mobile number format
- 0991 234 567
- From abroad: +243 991 234 567
- DRC landline number format
- 012 34567
- From abroad: +243 12 34567
+243 area codes of main cities
Each +243 area code below is in the form you dial from abroad: +243, then the city code, then the local number. Inside the DR Congo, callers leave out +243 and put 0 in front of the city code. So Kinshasa is +243 1 from abroad and 01 at home.
- Kinshasa
- +2431
- Katanga
- +2432
- Bas-Congo/Bandundu
- +2433
- Kasai-Oriental/Kasai-Occidental
- +2434
- Oriental Province (Kisanga/Mbandaka)
- +2435
- North Kivu/South Kivu/Maniema
- +2436
DRC phone number types
The first digits of a DRC number tell you what kind of number it is: a landline, a mobile, a free number, or one that costs more to call. Here is a sample of each type of DRC phone number, as dialed inside the DR Congo and from abroad.
Good to know before you call the DR Congo
“Allô ?”
Hello, used only to answer the phone in French, not as a greeting in person
Reply
“Allô ?”
OCPT expanded DR Congo's mobile numbering ranges on 1 November 2006, setting their minimum length at seven digits after the country code.
ITU, national numbering plan notification for DR CongoKinshasa's phone numbers grew from five digits to nine in 2012, when SCPT modernized the plan.
ITU, national numbering plan notification for DR CongoIn 2010, ARPTC gave Vodacom Congo the 081 and 082 mobile prefixes, and Celtel Congo the 097, 098, and 099 prefixes.
ITU, national numbering plan notification for DR CongoDR Congo spans two time zones. Kinshasa and the west use West Africa Time, while Lubumbashi and the east use Central Africa Time.
IANA time zone database
What it costs to call the DR Congo (using Suparelay)
Landline from $0.88/minMobile from $0.83/min
Only 35 of 220 countries cost more to call than the DR Congo.
Enter a numberEach bar counts the countries at that price
Want to call the DR Congo?
Call any phone from this tab. Nothing to install on either side, and you pay cents a minute.
Why a call to the DR Congo fails
You call from: 🇺🇸 United States
The 0 is still in the number
The 0 at the start of a DR Congo number is for calls inside the country. From abroad, leave it out: +243 takes its place.
- Connects
- 011 243 12 34567
- Does not connect
- 011 243 012 34567
The exit code is wrong for your country
00 works from DR Congo, Europe, and most of Africa. From the US and Canada the exit code is 011.
- Connects
- 011 243 12 34567
- Does not connect
- 00 243 12 34567
Questions about +243
Which country is +243?
+243, or country code 243, belongs to DR Congo, also called Congo-Kinshasa. Its capital, Kinshasa, dials at home with the area code 01.
What is +243?
+243 is the part you dial before a DR Congo number when you call from another country. It replaces the 0 at the start of the number.
What is the difference between +243 and 00243?
The + stands for your exit code. 00 is the exit code in DR Congo, most of Africa, and Europe, so 00243 and +243 reach the same number there. From the US and Canada, dial 011 243 instead.
Do I drop the 0 after +243?
Yes. The 0 is DR Congo's trunk prefix and works only inside the country. Dial +243 1 234567, not +243 01 234567.
Can I text a +243 number?
Yes. Write the number as +243 without the leading 0, and your phone sends the text abroad at your carrier's international rate.
How much does it cost to call the DR Congo?
A call to a DR Congo mobile costs more than a call to a landline. The dialer on this page shows the exact price of the number you enter before you call.
Is the CD country code the same as +243?
No. CD is DR Congo's ISO code and COD is its three-letter version, used in forms and addresses, not for dialing. People also search for the CD country code, the COD country code, and the DRC country code; all three mean +243, the number you dial.
Is DR Congo the same as the Republic of the Congo?
No. The Republic of the Congo, or Congo-Brazzaville, dials with +242. DR Congo, or Congo-Kinshasa, dials with +243.
The information on this page is accurate as of September 26, 2026.
ITU, national numbering plan notification for DR Congo