International phone numbers

Contents

Introduction

How do you purchase an international phone number for a customer? We are a Dutch operator, which means that international numbers work differently than you're used to. There are different rules that the customer must comply with, and regulations can also vary by country. In this guide, we briefly explain what you can do with an international number, what limitations or considerations there are, and what the customer minimally needs to activate an international phone number.

Proof of establishment

Obtaining an international phone number is a service that is only available to customers who also operate abroad. For each country, the customer must provide proof of establishment when applying for an international phone number. If the customer cannot provide this proof of establishment, it is not possible to activate an international phone number. The documents that need to be submitted as proof of establishment differ per country. Contact one of the partner managers so you know in advance which documents are necessary. An extract from the national Chamber of Commerce or a registration in the municipality is usually sufficient.

Incoming telephony

An international phone number is primarily intended for incoming telephony. If your customer has an establishment abroad, a local number can be useful. This allows customers in the respective country to call the international phone number at a local and national rate. The international phone number is also visible in the portal, as you're used to. So you can also create a dial plan for an international phone number.

Outgoing telephony

We are a Dutch operator, and therefore calling abroad is billed as an international call. Even if the customer calls out from their foreign establishment with the international phone number, this is considered an international call, with corresponding call rates. Since international phone numbers are primarily intended for incoming calls, we advise against making outgoing calls with the phone number. Also for the following reasons:

Limitations by local regulations

In more and more countries, it is not possible to set the international phone number as an outgoing number. These countries are increasingly rejecting incoming calls with an outgoing CLI (the international phone number) that calls from the Netherlands to the respective country. This limitation already applies in the countries listed below. We expect that over time more countries will implement this restriction through local regulations. Global telecommunications regulations are constantly changing, and we cannot guarantee that calling out with the international phone number will always work. Outbound calling may work during the activation of an international phone number, but this capability may change over time. If the country no longer accepts calls, no call will be established. An exception to this is when the VoIP account has a Dutch CLI or is suppressed. Countries that do not accept incoming calls with outgoing CLI (the international phone number): - England - France - Austria - Belgium - Ireland - Finland - Luxembourg - Norway - Romania - Spain - Sweden

Service numbers

Calling foreign service numbers is also not possible when you have an international number.

Emergency center

Because we are a Dutch operator, calling the 112 emergency center belonging to the respective country does not work abroad. Calls to 112 end up in the Dutch emergency center. This is obviously undesirable.

Area codes

In all countries, a phone number is assigned with a regional or area code where the customer is established. If no area code is available in that region, the customer can choose a national phone number for the respective country.

New phone number or porting

Besides activating a new international phone number, it is also possible to port an existing international phone number. In addition to the regular proofs, a LOA (Letter of Authorization) and a final invoice from the current provider where the international phone number is hosted are also necessary for porting an international phone number. A LOA is a form that must be filled out by the applicant and submitted together with the proof of establishment documents at the time of porting. The content of the LOA can also differ per country. LOAs can be requested via the partner managers for the respective country.

Number blocks

Besides requesting individual international phone numbers, it is possible in some countries to request a 10-number block or 100-number block. Ask one of our partner managers about the possibilities and prices for the desired country.

Documentation

As a partner, you are responsible for the proper archiving of documents, as described above. The documents must be retrievable at all times, for internal checks or changed local regulations.

Prices

The prices for the most chosen countries can be found in our price list. If you want to inquire about the price of a country that is not on the price list, you can do so through the partner managers.

Disclaimer

An international phone number can be very convenient for a customer if the customer is active internationally. The regulations per country change continuously, and the customer may need to provide different proof in the future. If a change becomes active and the customer cannot comply with it, we unfortunately cannot help in this matter.