+255 explained
The Tanzania country code, 255, is what you dial before a Tanzania number when you call from abroad. It is also known as the Tanzania dialing code, Tanzania calling code, or Tanzania phone code. In the Tanzania phone number format, +255 comes first, then the area code, such as 22 for Dar es Salaam, then the local number.
- Country code
- +255
- The 00255 country code is the same number
- ISO country codes
- TZ, TZA
- Use the TZ country code or the TZA country code on forms and passports. To call Tanzania, dial +255
- Used in
- Tanzania
- No other country or territory dials +255
- 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 +255
- Number length
- 9 digits
- After +255
- Time now in Tanzania
- Tanzania mobile number format
- 0621 234 567
- From abroad: +255 621 234 567
- Tanzania landline number format
- 022 234 5678
- From abroad: +255 22 234 5678
+255 area codes of main cities
Each +255 area code below is in the form you dial from abroad: +255, then the city code, then the local number. Inside Tanzania, callers leave out +255 and put 0 in front of the city code. So Dar es Salaam is +255 22 from abroad and 022 at home.
- Dar es Salaam
- +25522
- Mwanza
- +25528
- Arusha
- +25527
- Dodoma
- +25526
- Mbeya
- +25525
- Morogoro
- +25523
- Zanzibar City
- +25524
Tanzania phone number types
The first digits of a Tanzania 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 Tanzania phone number, as dialed inside Tanzania and from abroad.
Good to know before you call Tanzania
“Jambo”
Hello. No source names a greeting used only on the phone, so this is the everyday Swahili greeting
Reply
“Sijambo”
Emergency number
112
Fire and Rescue is 114, Ambulance is 115, and the Health Call Centre is 199. Crime tips go to 111, corruption reports to 113.
Tanzania government portalTanzania's government portal lists a number for each service: 111 for crime tips, 113 for corruption, and 116 for gender and child abuse, next to 112 for police.
Tanzania government portalUntil 1999, Tanzania shared one telephone numbering plan with Kenya and Uganda before adopting its own plan that year.
Wikipedia: Telephone numbers in TanzaniaCallers inside Tanzania can reach Kenya by dialing 005 instead of +254, and Uganda by dialing 006 instead of +256.
Wikipedia: Telephone numbers in Tanzania800 is reserved for national toll-free calls in Tanzania, and 808 is a separate range for international toll-free calls.
Wikipedia: Telephone numbers in Tanzania
What it costs to call Tanzania (using Suparelay)
Landline from $0.61/minMobile from $0.58/min
Only 76 of 220 countries cost more to call than Tanzania.
Enter a numberEach bar counts the countries at that price
Want to call Tanzania?
Call any phone from this tab. Nothing to install on either side, and you pay cents a minute.
Why a call to Tanzania fails
You call from: 🇺🇸 United States
The 0 stays in the number
Tanzania numbers start with 0 for calls inside the country. From abroad, drop it: +255 takes its place.
- Connects
- 011 255 22 234 5678
- Does not connect
- 011 255 022 234 5678
The exit code is wrong for your country
00 works from Tanzania's neighbours and most of the world. From the US and Canada the exit code is 011.
- Connects
- 011 255 22 234 5678
- Does not connect
- 00 255 22 234 5678
The number does not take calls from abroad
Numbers that start with 0800 are toll-free inside Tanzania and often cannot be reached from outside the country.
- Connects
- 011 255 22 234 5678
- Does not connect
- 011 255 800 12 3456
Questions about +255
Which country is +255?
+255, or country code 255, belongs to Tanzania, on the east coast of Africa.
What is +255?
+255 is the part you dial before a Tanzania number when you call from another country. It replaces the first 0, so 022 234 5678 becomes +255 22 234 5678.
What is the difference between +255 and 00255?
The + stands for your exit code. 00 is the exit code in Tanzania, Europe, and most of the world, so 00255 and +255 reach the same number there. From the US and Canada, dial 011 255 instead.
Do I drop the 0 after +255?
Yes. The 0 is the Tanzania trunk prefix and works only inside the country. Dial +255 22 234 5678, not +255 022 234 5678.
Can I text a +255 number?
Yes. Write the number as +255 without its first 0, so 0754 123 456 becomes +255 754 123 456, and your phone sends the text abroad at your carrier's international rate.
How much does it cost to call Tanzania?
A call to a Tanzania 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.
What is the Zanzibar country code?
Zanzibar has no code of its own. It uses +255, the Tanzania country code, with the area code 024 for calls inside the country.
Which digits do Tanzania mobile numbers start with?
Tanzania mobile numbers start with 06 or 07. Vodacom, Airtel, Tigo, Halotel, and TTCL each hold their own block of digits.
Is TZ the tz country code?
Yes. TZ is the ISO code for Tanzania, and the tz country code for phone calls is +255.
The information on this page is accurate as of September 26, 2026.
Wikipedia: Telephone numbers in Tanzania