A Mexican phone number is +52 followed by ten digits: a two- or three-digit area code and the local number. Since 3 August 2019 that applies to mobiles and landlines alike, and the old prefixes 044, 045 and 01 are no longer dialled. The one place that still causes trouble is the extra 1 after +52.
How a Mexican number is built (+52, ten digits)
- Country code
- +52 (from abroad)
- National number
- Ten digits for every number, mobile or landline
- Big cities
- Two-digit area code and eight digits: 55 Mexico City, 33 Guadalajara, 81 Monterrey
- Rest of the country
- Three-digit area code and seven digits, for example 999 Mérida or 722 Toluca
- Gone since 2019
- 044 and 045 before mobiles, 01 before long-distance numbers
| How it looks | |
|---|---|
| Inside Mexico | 55 XXXX XXXX |
| From abroad or in apps | +52 55 XXXX XXXX |
| Old style, no longer used | 044 55 XXXX XXXX |
X stands for any digit. Length is not a clue: a mobile and a landline both have ten digits.
Writing +52 correctly in WhatsApp
- Pick Mexico in the list When WhatsApp asks for your number, select Mexico so +52 is filled in for you.
- Type the ten digits Area code and number, without 044, 045, 01 or a leading zero.
- Save contacts the same way Store Mexican contacts as +52 and ten digits so WhatsApp can match them.
- If WhatsApp calls a number invalid Try the form with a 1 after +52. WhatsApp's help page still asks for it, although the US regulator says Mexican mobiles no longer need it.
Getting a Mexican number from abroad
| Right for | Keep in mind | |
|---|---|---|
| A SIM or eSIM from a Mexican carrier | Living in or moving to Mexico | A number you keep, for every account |
| Your home number with roaming | Short trips | Apps keep your home number; nothing Mexican about it |
| A one-time Mexican number | One verification code for one app | Gone after the code; not for accounts you must log back into |
A Mexican number for one verification code
Some apps only accept a number from the country you sign up in. For that one confirmation, the app gives you a Mexican number that receives the SMS and closes again.
- Choose the service, then Mexico, and compare the success rate shown.
- Enter the number exactly as displayed: +52 and ten digits.
- Request the code by SMS. The number receives texts only, no calls.
- If nothing arrives within about two minutes, take another number at no extra charge.
Country pages: numbers from Mexico, Telegram with a Mexican number, WhatsApp and Mexico. How the plus and country code work elsewhere: entering a number with country code.
Common questions
How many digits does a Mexican phone number have?
Ten, plus the country code +52 when written internationally. Since August 2019 that is true for every number in Mexico.
Do I still need 044 or 045 for a Mexican mobile?
No. Mexico's regulator dropped both prefixes in 2019, together with the 01 for long-distance calls.
Is it +52 1 or +52 for WhatsApp?
Officially +52 and ten digits. WhatsApp's own help still mentions a 1 after +52, so if one form is rejected, try the other.
Can I tell a Mexican mobile from a landline?
Not by length: both have ten digits and start with an area code.