How are French phone numbers structured?

Every French phone number in national format is exactly 10 digits starting with 0. The second digit (1 through 9) defines the service class. Digits 1-5 are geographic fixed lines (01 Paris, 02 North-West, 03 North-East, 04 South-East, 05 South-West). Digits 6 and 7 are mobile numbers. Digit 8 covers special-rate services (freephone 0800, shared-cost 081x, premium 082-089). Digit 9 covers VoIP and internet telephony. In international (E.164) format the leading 0 is dropped and +33 is prepended, giving 12 characters total.

What is the difference between 06 and 07 mobile numbers?

Both 06 and 07 prefixes are standard French mobile numbers allocated by ARCEP. The 06 range was the original mobile prefix, and 07 was added later (from around 2010) when demand grew. From a caller's perspective there is no practical difference in cost or behaviour — both are charged at standard mobile rates under French plans.

Are 08 numbers free to call?

It depends on the specific sub-prefix. Numbers starting 0800 and 0805 are fully freephone (numéro vert) — free from any French landline or mobile. Numbers starting 081 are shared-cost (you pay the local call rate). Numbers starting 082, 083, 084 and 089 are surcharged premium-rate numbers where the cost per minute can be significant. The validator tells you the charging category for each 08 number so you know before you call.

What does 09 mean for a French number?

The 09 range is reserved for non-geographic fixed-line services, most commonly used by internet-service providers offering VoIP telephone service over a broadband connection (for example, numbers provided with a Freebox, Livebox or SFR box subscription). They are charged at local fixed-line rates and cannot be ported to a mobile. A 09 number is perfectly valid and very commonly used in France.

What is the E.164 format for a French number?

E.164 is the international standard telephone format used in APIs, databases and dialler systems. For France (country code +33) you remove the leading 0 from the national format and add +33. For example, the national number 06 12 34 56 78 becomes +33 6 12 34 56 78 in E.164. The tool produces this automatically via the Copy E.164 button.

Does this validator check if the number is currently active?

No. The validator checks that the number has a valid structure according to the ARCEP plan — correct length, valid prefix, and recognised service class. It cannot check whether the number is actually allocated to a subscriber or currently in service. Only the French network operator (via a live number portability look-up) can confirm that.

France Phone Number Validator

French phone numbers follow a compact, well-defined national plan regulated by ARCEP (Autorité de Régulation des Communications Électroniques, des Postes et de la Distribution de la Presse). Every subscriber number is exactly 10 digits long in national format, always starting with a zero. The single digit after the leading zero tells you almost everything you need to know about the line: whether it is a geographic fixed line (and which of France’s five calling zones it sits in), a mobile, a freephone service, a premium-rate number, or a VoIP line provided through a broadband subscription.

This validator implements the full ARCEP plan. Paste or type a number in any common format — with spaces, dashes, the French national prefix or the international +33 prefix — and get an instant structured breakdown: service class, geographic region (for 01–05 fixed numbers), surcharge warning (for 08 premium ranges), plus both the canonical national format and the E.164 format ready to copy.

How it works

Step 1 — Normalise. The input is cleaned by removing spaces, dashes, dots, and parentheses. If the number starts with +33 or 0033, the international prefix is replaced with a leading 0, converting it to the 10-digit national form.

Step 2 — Length check. French numbers in national form are always exactly 10 digits. Anything shorter (e.g. a partial entry) or longer (e.g. an accidentally merged country code) is rejected with a clear message.

Step 3 — Prefix lookup. The second digit of the national number is matched against the ARCEP service-class table. The lookup uses longest-prefix matching so that a number like 0800 xxx xxx is identified as “Numéro Vert (freephone)” rather than the more general 08 — special services. Each match returns a service label, a description, the geographic region (for 01–05), and whether the call may incur a surcharge.

Step 4 — Format output. Valid numbers are displayed in the canonical French grouping 0x xx xx xx xx (five groups of two digits) and in E.164 +33x xx xx xx xx for use in international contexts, APIs, or contact databases. Both can be copied with a single click.

Worked example

Imagine you receive the number +33 6 12 34 56 78 on a business card. Paste it in:

Normalised national: 0612345678
Length: 10 digits — correct
Prefix 06 matches: Mobile (06)
No surcharge risk
National format: 06 12 34 56 78
E.164: +33 6 12 34 56 78

Now try 0 800 100 200 (the freephone number for Direction générale des Finances publiques):

Normalised: 0800100200
Prefix 0800 matches: Numéro Vert (freephone)
Free from any French landline or mobile
E.164: +33 800100200

And try 0 899 23 13 13 (a premium Audiotel line):

Prefix 089 matches: Premium rate (0 89x)
Surcharge warning shown — substantial per-minute charge applies

Number	Type	Cost
01 xx xx xx xx	Geographic — Paris	Standard
06 / 07 xx xx xx xx	Mobile	Standard
0800 / 0805	Freephone	Free
081x	Shared-cost	Local rate
089x	Premium (Audiotel)	High per-minute charge
09 xx xx xx xx	VoIP / internet box	Standard

Everything runs locally in your browser — no number you type is ever sent to a server.