The France country code is +33, or 0033 when you dial from a Belgian phone. To call France from Belgium, dial +33, then the French number without its first 0, so a French mobile number like 06 12 34 56 78 becomes +33 6 12 34 56 78. From a Belgian GSM, a call to France is an international call, not roaming, so it is usually not part of your unlimited calls. EU rules cap the price at €0.19 per minute and €0.06 per text, excluding VAT, which is about €0.23 and €0.07 including 21% VAT. Calls over WhatsApp, FaceTime or Signal cost nothing on wifi. This guide shows how to dial every type of French number, what each Belgian operator charges, and what changes when you call from France itself.
How to dial a French number from Belgium
Replace the first 0 of the French number with the France country code, +33 or 0033. Both work from a Belgian GSM, but +33 also works when you are abroad, so save your French contacts in that format.
French number | What it is | Dial from Belgium |
|---|---|---|
06 or 07 12 34 56 78 | Mobile number | +33 6 or +33 7 12 34 56 78 |
01 23 45 67 89 | Landline in Paris and its region | +33 1 23 45 67 89 |
03 20 12 34 56 | Landline in the northeast, including Lille | +33 3 20 12 34 56 |
04 or 05 numbers | Landlines in the southeast and southwest | +33 4 or +33 5 and the rest of the number |
09 numbers | Internet box or VoIP line | +33 9 and the rest of the number |
08 numbers | Service lines, free or paid | Often not reachable from abroad |
A French number has ten digits at home and nine digits after +33. If you count ten after the country code, you kept the 0. France is in the same time zone as Belgium, so there is no time difference to work out.
What does a call to France cost?
A call to France from Belgium costs about €0.22 to €0.23 per minute on most Belgian mobile plans, because operators bill it at the regulated international EU rate. These are the standard EU rates without an extra option, as listed by CallMePower in October 2026:
Operator | Per minute to the EU | Per text | Option for calls abroad |
|---|---|---|---|
Proximus | €0.23 | €0.07 | 25 minutes and 25 texts for €4.99 a month, or 250 minutes for €9.99 a month |
Orange | €0.2299 | €0.0726 | International calling options from €5.95 a month |
Telenet | €0.22 | €0.07 | 2,000 minutes to 46 countries for €10 a month |
BASE | €0.22 | €0.07 | 60 minutes for €5, 180 for €10 or 600 for €15 |
Mobile Vikings | €0.22 | €0.07 | Flat rate, no option |
Scarlet | €0.2299 | €0.0726 | No option |
hey! | €0.2299 | €0.0763 | No option |
Check your own plan if you call France often, because some plans and options include EU minutes. If you took an option and want the regulated EU rate back, your operator has to switch you back free of charge.
International call or roaming?
The price depends on where you are when you call, not on where the number is from:
Situation | What you pay |
|---|---|
You are in Belgium and call a French number | International rate, up to €0.19 per minute excluding VAT |
You are in France and call a French number | Roaming at Belgian rates, within your bundle |
You are in France and call a Belgian number | Roaming at Belgian rates, within your bundle |
So a call from Brussels to Lille costs more than the same call made from Lille. Inside the EU, roam like at home covers you when you travel, but not when you call abroad from home. Read more about roaming in Europe and the roam like at home rules.
How to call Belgium from France
On holiday in France, dial +32 and the Belgian number without its first 0. A Belgian mobile number like 0470 12 34 56 becomes +32 470 12 34 56. Your Belgian GSM roams on a French network, so the call counts as a call at home and comes out of your bundle. Close to the border, in West Flanders or Hainaut, your phone can also connect to a French network while you are still in Belgium. Inside the EU that costs nothing extra.
How to call France for free
Call over the internet instead of the phone network, and there is no per minute rate. WhatsApp, FaceTime, Signal and Google Meet all work if the other person uses the same app. On wifi the call is free, and on mobile data it uses very little:
Activity | Data used |
|---|---|
WhatsApp voice call | 0.3 to 0.5 MB per minute |
WhatsApp video call | About 5 MB per minute |
WhatsApp message | Under 1 KB |
A 20 minute voice call every day for a week | About 70 MB |
These figures come from Firsty's guide on how much data WhatsApp uses. A campsite, a gîte, a French doctor or a landline still needs a normal call. For that, Firsty's international calling reaches more than 200 countries, with France at about €0.02 per minute and credit from €1 that never expires.
Telecom that works for you
A call to a neighbouring country should not cost ten times more than a call at home. Firsty is building telecom that works for you, not against you: no SIM card to swap, no roaming setting to remember, no zone chart to check and no surprise bill. Firsty's Belgian plans are on their way, from Firsty 15GB and Firsty 100GB for Belgium and the EU to Firsty World for people who travel far, and the waitlist is open. Every connection Firsty sells also connects someone in Belgium who needs it, not as charity, but because that is how the business works. Things are moving, so keep an eye on what Firsty is building and discover more at Firsty.app.
FAQ
What is the country code of France?
The country code of France is +33, or 0033 when you dial from a Belgian phone. Put it in front of the French number and drop the first 0, so 06 12 34 56 78 becomes +33 6 12 34 56 78.
Which country uses +33 or 0033?
+33 and 0033 belong to France. A call from a number starting with +33 6 or +33 7 comes from a French mobile phone, while +33 1 to +33 5 are French landlines.
Is calling France from Belgium free?
No, not with a normal call from a Belgian GSM. A call to France counts as an international call, capped by the EU at €0.19 per minute excluding VAT. Calls through WhatsApp, FaceTime or Signal over wifi are free.
Are calls to France included in my unlimited calls?
Usually not. Unlimited calls in most Belgian plans only cover Belgian numbers, so calls to France are billed per minute unless your plan or option includes EU minutes.
Do I pay roaming when I call from France?
No extra roaming charge applies inside the EU. When you are in France, calls to French and Belgian numbers are billed as in Belgium, within your bundle and its fair use limits.
Why can't I call a French number from Belgium?
Check that you dialled +33 or 0033 and removed the first 0 of the French number. Some French 08 service numbers cannot be reached from abroad, so look for a regular +33 number on the company's website.
