Telephone numbers in Bulgaria

Telephone numbers in Bulgaria are under an open dialing plan, similar to those of Germany and Austria. Area codes should only be dialed when necessary. Area codes are prefixed with a trunk code of 0 when dialled domestically.

Bulgaria telephone numbers
Location
CountryBulgaria
ContinentEurope
NSN length8 (9 for mobile numbers)
Typical format(02) xxx xxxx (Sofia)
(0xx) xx xxxx
(0xxx) xxxxx
(0xxxx) xxxx
08z xxxx xxx (mobiles)
0800 xxxxx (freephone)
Access codes
Country calling code+359
International call prefix00
Trunk prefixN/A

For example, to call a number in Sofia, dial:

  • 02 xxx xxxx from a landline in Sofia
  • 02 xxx xxxx from outside Sofia but in Bulgaria
  • +359 2 xxx xxxx from outside Bulgaria

Fixed-line numbers

Domestic numbers are limited to eight digits in length. Area codes vary in length from one to five digits. Subscriber number lengths vary accordingly, from seven digits down to three digits. Sofia lines on digital switches have seven-digit numbers, those on analog switches had six; in Plovdiv, Varna and Ruse both are six digits; and in most other province capitals lines on digital switches have six-digit numbers and analog had five.

For a very long time, the state-owned Bulgarian Telecommunications Company (BTC) had a monopoly on fixed telephone networks. However, this ended when a special law was adopted. BTC was privatized in 2004 and competing operators appeared.

Larger areas, such as Sofia, Plovdiv, Varna, and Burgas, are subdivided into zones. Although one cannot further reduce the number of dialed digits, the number itself shows which zone it is located in. For example, in Sofia, numbers starting with 2, 82, 92 are located in the Western suburbs, 7, 87, 97 in the Eastern suburbs, and 98 in the central area.

In the recent decade there has been an intensive process of replacing the old analog switches with modern digital ones. In areas where both analog and digital switchers are operating, a subscriber number shows by its first digit if it is connected to an analog or a digital switch. In some areas it is even possible to guess if a subscriber number was changed from analog to digital during its existence or was subscribed as digital initially. For example, in Blagoevgrad a number starting with 88 was subscribed as digital, and a number starting with a single 8 was analog before.

The first digit also shows if a particular subscriber number is operated by BTC or another operator.

The area codes are always cited with the trunk code. However, within the area, or when the Sofia code of (0)2 can be guessed from the context, it is omitted. As of 2012, "old" numbers in Sofia (i.e. ones beginning with an 8 or a 9) could still be dialed from within the capital without the city code; however, "new" numbers (ones beginning with a 4) invariably require the 02 city code.

Mobile numbers

Until 20 July 2003 GSM networks used six-digit subscriber numbers in accordance with the limit of eight digits for the domestic part of a number. With the increase of subscribers (and an international requirement), all (except Vivacom, which started operations in 2006) acquired new access codes. On 20 July 2003, Mobiltel used three codes ((0)87, (0)88, (0)89) and Globul used two ((0)98 and (0)99). When these limits were also to be overwhelmed, seven-digit subscriber numbers and single access codes per operator were introduced, hence M-tel reverted to 088 (+7 digits) only, while Globul took the old M-tel code 089 (+7 digits), and the rest were freed up. (Mobikom had gone through a similar change in the mid-90s – from (0)799 to (0)48).

This change provokes an error in citing mobile numbers, quite similar to that of erroneous UK telephone codes. The first digit of the subscriber number is most often cited as part of the access code, e.g. (0)887 XXX XXX, instead of the correct (0)88 7XXX XXX. This error remains for new subscriber numbers even for Vivacom (which entered the market with the 087 (+7 digits) code and has always remained so). However, unlike the situation in UK, this error has no effect since a mobile number must always be dialled with the access code.

Dialing to a mobile network requires the access code together with the 0. Dialing from a mobile network requires either an area or access code with the trunk or international format ((0)YY YXXX XXX or +359 YY YXXX XXX). The latter becomes a normal practice, since most people use number lists of their handsets, more people use their phones in roaming and all four operators show the caller ID in international format.

The number 088 8888 888 (formerly 088 888 888) was linked to three deaths in the early 2000s, leading M-tel to permanently remove the number from service.

Area codes

As in many countries, an area code is often written with the dialling code 0 prepended as if it were part of the area code itself.

CodeArea or service
17xPaging services (six digits, not active: 177: Link Paging, 178: Varna Page, 179: Mobipage)
2Sofia
30xSmolyan Province codes (301: Smolyan, 309: Pamporovo)
30xx
30xxx
31xPlovdiv Province codes
31xx
31xxx
32Plovdiv
33xPlovdiv Province codes (331: Asenovgrad)
33xx
34Pazardzhik
35xPazardzhik Province codes (350: Peshtera, 359: Velingrad)
35xx
35xxx
36xKardzhali Province codes (361: Kardzhali)
36xx
36xxx
37xHaskovo Province codes (373: Harmanli, 379: Svilengrad)
37xx
37xxx
38Haskovo
39xHaskovo Province codes (391: Dimitrovgrad)
39xx
41xStara Zagora Province codes (416: Chirpan)
41xx
41xxx
42Stara Zagora
430Tetra mobile network
43xStara Zagora Province codes (431: Kazanlak)
43xx
43xxx
44Silven
45xSliven Province codes (453: Kotel, 457: Nova Zagora, 454: Tvarditza)
45xx
46Yambol
47xYambol and Haskovo Provinces codes (470: Topolovgrad, 478: Elhovo)
47xx
47xxx
48NMT mobile network Mobikom (six digits), disused
51xVarna Province codes (518: Provadiya, 519: Devnya)
51xx
51xxx
52Varna
53xShumen Province codes (537: Novi Pazar, 538: Veliki Preslav)
53xx
53xxx
54Shumen
55xBurgas Province codes (550: Sinemorets, 554: Nesebar)
55xx
55xxx
56Burgas
57xDobrich Province codes (570: Kavarna, 579: Balchik)
57xx
57xxx
58Dobrich
59xBurgas Province codes (590: Ahtopol, 596: Pomorie)
59xx
59xxx
60xTargovishte Province codes (601: Targovishte, 608: Popovo)
60xx
60xxx
61xVeliko Tarnovo Province codes (610: Pavlikeni, 618 Gorna Oryahovitza)
61xx
61xxx
62Veliko Tarnovo
63xVeliko Tarnovo and Pleven Provinces codes (631: Svishtov)
63xx
63xxx
64Pleven
65xPleven Province codes (650: Levski, 658: Belene)
65xx
65xxx
66Gabrovo
67xGabrovo and Lovech Provinces codes (670: Troyan, 675: Sevlievo)
67xx
67xxx
68Lovech
69xLovech Province codes (697: Lukovit)
69xx
69xxx
700Local rate numbers (five digits)
70xKyustendil Province codes (701: Dupnitsa, 702: Bobov Dol, 707: Sapareva Banya)
70xx
71xxSofia Province codes (718: Koprivshtitsa, 720: Etropole, 721: Kostinbrod, 722: Samokov, 723: Botevgrad, 726: Svoge, 729: Godech)
71xx
72x
73Blagoevgrad
74xBlagoevgrad Province codes (745: Petrich, 746: Sandanski, 747: Razlog, 749: Bansko)
74xx
75xxx
75xBlagoevgrad and Sofia Provinces codes (750: Borovets, 751: Gotse Delchev)
75xx
75xxx
76Pernik
77xPernik Province codes (777: Radomir)
77xx
77xxx
78Kyustendil
79xxKyustendil Province codes
799NMT mobile network Mobikom, disused, replaced by 048
800Toll free numbers (five digits)
81xRuse Province codes (817: Byala)
81xx
81xxx
82Ruse
84Razgrad
86Silistra
87GSM/UMTS mobile network Vivacom (seven digits) *
88GSM/UMTS mobile network MTel (seven digits)
89GSM/UMTS mobile network Telenor (seven digits) *
90x[1]Value added services (five digits)
91xVratsa Province codes (910: Mezdra, 915: Byala Slatina)
91xx
91xxx
92Vratsa
93xVidin Province codes (936: Belogradchik, 938: Kula)
93xx
93xxx
94Vidin
95xMontana Province codes (953: Berkovitsa)
95xx
95xxx
96Montana
97xVratsa and Montana Province codes (971: Lom, 973: Kozloduy)
97xx
97xxx
98MVNOs on GSM/UMTS mobile network MTel (seven digits) †
999LTE/WiMAX network MAX Telecom[2] †


* Until 2003, the codes 089 and 087 were used by M-Tel
† Until 2003, the codes 098 and 099 were used by Telenor – see above.

Short codes
CodeService
112emergency
120wake up call
121operator for long-distance calls within Bulgaria
123operator for international calls
124operator for international calls
125operator for international calls
130phone lines problems
143emergency road service & road assistance
144telephone information service
146emergency road service & road assistance
147area codes within Bulgaria
148area codes within Bulgaria
149area codes within Bulgaria
152BTC local calls rates
153BTC long-distance within Bulgaria calls rates
154BTC international calls rates
157BTC international calls rates
159cultural events guide
164shipping information (in Bourgas and Varna)
167horoscope
168National Radio schedule
169horoscope
170BTC assistance
171theater schedule (by city)
172currency exchange rates
173tales for kids
174trains time-table (by city)
175weather forecast
176BTC information
177tales for kids
178pharmacy information
179currency exchange rates
180time service
181TV programs
182tramp shipping information (in Bourgas and Varna)
183ocean shipping information (in Bourgas and Varna)
184tanker shipping information (in Bourgas and Varna)
185line shipping information (in Bourgas and Varna)
186BTC digital services information
187send a telegram
188TV programs
190BTC rates guide
191cinema schedule (by city)
192TV programs
193TV programs
194TV programs
195sport news
196sport lottery results
197international dialing codes
198BTC terms of payment
199automatic telephone information guide
gollark: The minifier osmarks.tk uses *does* do the unquoting thing, but the savings are minimal.
gollark: no.
gollark: EmacsOS is definitely TC.
gollark: Why can't programmers work normal jobs with sensible hours?
gollark: These are harmful stereotypes.

References
  1. "Услуги с Добавена Стойност | 0900.bg". 0900.bg. Retrieved 2018-06-08.
  2. "Max to offer voice services over OTT platform?". Telegeography. 4 December 2014. Retrieved 10 January 2015.
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