How to Call New Zealand from Australia

• If the number begins with 01164, dial it exactly—this contains the Australia exit code and New Zealand's country code.
• If not, you'll need to enter the exit code first, which is 011, followed by the country code, which is 64.
• You'll also need to enter the area code, such as 9 for Auckland or 3 for Christchurch, before dialing the rest of the phone number.

Calling New Zealand from Australia

If the number begins with 001164, dial it exactly. If the number you are trying to call begins with "001164," all the information you need to make the call from Australia is already included, and you can dial exactly as it appears. 0011 is the exit code for Australia. To make any international phone call from Australia, you need to start with these digits. 64 is the country code for New Zealand. Anyone calling from any other country dials this after the exit code to reach New Zealand.

If the number is eight digits or longer, try dialing 001164 followed by the full number. The phone number you were given might include the area code, especially if the phone owner knows you are not local to his area. If the number contains eight digits or more, the area code is probably included. Dial 001164 followed by the full number. The only exception is for some New Zealand cellular phone numbers, which can be up to nine digits long and thus "trick" you into thinking an area code is included. If your call does not go through, hang up and try again with 001164 2 followed by the number. 2 is the area code for all cellular phone in New Zealand.

If the number is only seven digits long, look up the area code. If you are calling a mobile phone, the area code is 2. Otherwise, look up the city or general region of the person or organization you are trying to reach and use the matching area code: Auckland: 9 Wellington: 4 Christchurch: 3 Hastings, Manawatu, Napier, New Plymouth, Palmerston North, Wairarapa, Wanganui: 6 Dunedin, Invercargill, Nelson, Queenstown, The South Island, Timaru: 3 Bay of Plenty, Hamilton, Rotorua, Tauranga: 7 Whangarei: 9

Dial 001164, then the area code, then the number. Once you've found the correct area code, dial the exit code (0011), the country code for New Zealand (64), the area code for a specific region within New Zealand, then the number you are trying to reach.

Troubleshooting

Consider the time zone difference. New Zealand's time zone is GMT+12, or two to four hours ahead of Australia. If you are calling in the late evening, your contact may be asleep. To reach an organization in New Zealand before closing hours, you may need to call in the morning or early afternoon. New Zealand is two hours ahead of Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane (which are on AEST). It is two and a half hours ahead of Adelaide (ACST), and four hours ahead of Perth (AWST). New Zealand observes daylight savings time, but parts of Australia do not. If you are in Queensland, the Northern Territory, or the Australian Capital Territory, and you are calling between October and April, add one additional hour to find New Zealand time.

Check that the number is not toll-free. Because callers are typically still charged when calling toll-free numbers from a different country, some businesses block international calls to avoid causing their customers unexpected fees. In New Zealand, toll-free numbers typically begin with 0508 or 0800. Try to find a regular, non-toll-free number for that organization by searching online, or contact it by email.

Make sure your phone plan allows international calls. Some phone plans block international calls. Try calling a different international number. If it does not go through, contact your phone service provider and ask to change your plan. Note that international calls are often significantly more expensive than local or in-country calls. If you call abroad frequently, ask about a plan with a reduced international rate.