How to get a French phone number from abroad

How French mobile numbers work

France's country code is +33 and its trunk prefix is 0. Every French number has 10 digits when dialed inside France and nine after +33. Mobile numbers start with 06 or 07, landlines with 01 to 05 depending on the region (01 for Paris and the Île-de-France), and 09 is used for internet-based lines. The regulator, Arcep, manages this plan.

French numbers are traditionally written in pairs: 06 12 34 56 78. Written internationally, the leading 0 goes and the number becomes +33 6 12 34 56 78. The 07 range was opened for mobiles after 06 filled up, so a +33 7 number is just as much a mobile as a +33 6 number. The overseas departments are a separate story: Réunion (+262), Guadeloupe (+590), French Guiana (+594) and Martinique (+596) have their own country codes.

Country code

+33 (mainland France and Corsica)

Trunk prefix

0

Mobile prefixes (domestic)

06 and 07

Mobile format (domestic)

06 12 34 56 78, 10 digits

Mobile format (international)

+33 6 12 34 56 78, 9 digits after +33

Landlines

01–05 by region; 09 for internet-based lines

Common mistake

+33 06… or +33 (0)6… typed into a form

Why French services want a 06 or 07 number

Many French forms validate the number as a mobile before they send anything. A landline starting 01 to 05 fails because it can't receive SMS, and some forms only accept +33 in the first place. Services that confirm logins or payments by SMS naturally prefer a number they can reach reliably.

Reachability matters too. Delivery drivers call or text 06 and 07 numbers, landlords and agencies expect a French mobile on an application, and French clients can call one at domestic rates. With your own +33 mobile, you can handle all of that from abroad.

Your options, compared

Roaming your home SIM

No setup and, for many EU SIMs, cheap under EU roaming rules. But it isn't a French number, so +33-only forms reject it.

French prepaid SIM

A genuine 06 or 07 number, easiest to buy and activate while in France. Check the operator's activation requirements; the SIM must stay in a phone and be used or topped up.

eSIM data plan

Good for data on a trip to France. Most travel eSIMs are data-only and come without a French number.

VoIP app number

Instant, but internet-based numbers are often rejected by verification systems, and some aren't in the mobile range at all.

Real mobile number online

A real +33 mobile number managed in a web dashboard. No SIM, no French address, and SMS and calls reach you abroad.

Prepaid SIMs and forfaits from abroad

French operators sell both prepaid cards (cartes prépayées) and low-cost monthly plans (forfaits) that can be cancelled at any time. Either gives you a real French mobile number, and both are good value if you live in France. From abroad, the difficulty is the setup: operators set their own activation and identification requirements, and monthly plans are usually paid by direct debit from a bank account in your name.

Once you have the SIM, it has to stay in a phone to receive codes. Prepaid lines that go unused or aren't recharged for a long period can be deactivated by the operator, and the number can eventually be reassigned. If you're only in France occasionally, keeping a SIM alive can be more work than it's worth.

How to get a French number with SMSCreation

1. 01Open the France number list. Each number is a real French mobile number in +33 format; the first two and last two digits appear as XX and are filled in at activation.
2. 02Choose a number and a term. The yearly plan is $1.80 a month ($21.60 billed yearly); prices for other terms appear at checkout.
3. 03Pay with USDT or USDC on Tron, Polygon, BNB Smart Chain, Base or Solana, or from your wallet balance. No bank account, French address or ID is involved.
4. 04Your number is activated and shows in the dashboard, with every incoming SMS and call arriving there as it happens.
5. 05Enter it as +33 followed by nine digits. If a form has a France country selector, type the nine digits without the 0.

Where a French number is useful

• Accounts with French online services, marketplaces and booking platforms that expect a 06 or 07 number.
• Applications for flats, jobs and internships before you arrive in France.
• Delivery notifications and driver calls for orders shipped within France.
• Verifying WhatsApp, Telegram, Google and other accounts on a French number.
• A local contact number for a business with French customers.
• Keeping a French number after you leave, so the accounts attached to it stay reachable.

When an online number isn't the right tool

A French number doesn't replace identity checks. Banks, public services and some rental platforms verify your identity or address separately, and some banks confirm payments in their own app rather than by SMS. An online number can receive text messages, but it can't satisfy requirements that are about you rather than your phone.

If you live in France and want data as well as calls and texts, a French forfait on a SIM is usually the better long-term deal. An online number is at its best while you're abroad, before a move, after you leave, or as a second French number kept separate from your personal line.

Tips for French number formats

• Drop the 0 after +33: 06 12 34 56 78 becomes +33 6 12 34 56 78, and 07… becomes +33 7….
• Ignore the (0) in +33 (0)6… that appears on French websites and business cards. Typing it makes the number one digit too long.
• Count nine digits after +33. The spaces between pairs are only for readability; forms usually want the digits alone.
• Pick France, not Réunion, Guadeloupe or another overseas department, in country pickers: they use different codes.
• Mind the clock: mainland France uses CET (UTC+1) and CEST (UTC+2) in summer.
• If a code doesn't arrive, wait a couple of minutes before resending, and choose a voice call if one is offered.

Why it works with WhatsApp, Facebook, Telegram & Google

Apps check more than the digits: they look up the line type, the country format and whether the number can actually receive their code. Every SMSCreation number is a real mobile number in its country's official format — not a VoIP line — so it passes those checks the same way a SIM in your pocket does.

And we stand behind it with a 7-day replacement guarantee: if your number doesn't work with WhatsApp, Facebook, Telegram, Google or any app you need, we replace it free with a new number in the same country — or refund 100% if you prefer.

• Non-VoIP, real mobile line type — line-type checks see an ordinary SIM number, not a VoIP line
• Official country format with the right country code, prefix and digit count
• Unlimited incoming SMS and calls — codes arrive by text or through the “call me” option
• Private to you — never listed on public SMS sites, so it isn't flagged or rate-limited
• Yours for as long as you want — re-verification and account recovery keep working

Price, keeping the number and the 7-day guarantee

French numbers cost the same as every other country: from $1.80 a month on the yearly plan ($21.60 billed yearly), including unlimited incoming SMS and calls, 500 outgoing SMS and 1,000 outgoing call minutes a month.

The number stays yours while it is renewed. If it doesn't work with WhatsApp, Google or another app within 7 days of activation, you get a free replacement French number or a full refund, and if you haven't used it for any call or SMS, you can get a full refund within 7 days.