The information about the area codes in Russia contained here is intended mainly for the international callers.  Area codes and phone numbers might be somewhat confusing for the callers in the United States, Canada, and Europe, as the Russian dialing rules do not always follow the same pattern as in the West.

What a Russian phone number might look like

Depending on the source of the information the phone number you might need to dial might look very different from what you are used to.  It might also contain confusing characters and numbers that are not to be used when calling internationally.

The following are some possible examples of a Russian phone number:
(812) 555-12-34
(495) 555-1234
+ 7 (922) 555-1234
8-499-555-1234
(35222) 55-512
8-800-555-1234

The Plus (+) sign in the Russian phone numbers

You might see that a phone number in Russia contains a plus (+) sign.  A similar pattern is found in the European phone numbers as well.  When dialing internationally simply ignore the plus.  For your information, a plus can actually be used when dialing a phone number in Russia, namely when using a cell phone.

The Eight digit (8) before the area code

If you see an eight (8) before the area code simply drop it when calling internationally.  The eight is used for making calls inside of Russia.

Ignore the plus (+) and the 8 (eight) if they appear before the area code in a Russian phone number.

Toll free 800 numbers in Russia

Just like in the United States, Canada, and many other countries, it allows callers inside the country to place a toll free call.

Long area codes: Russian area codes range from three to five digits

In the US and Canada we are used to a simple rule of thumb: a phone number will have a three-digit area code followed by a seven-digit phone number.  This rule is applicable in Russia only in the case of Moscow and St. Petersburg land-line numbers (refer to a separate article on calling a cell phone number in Russia).  All the other cities and towns in Russia have either a four-digit or a five-digit area code.

Calling Moscow and St. Petersburg

A land-line number in St. Petersburg should look like this 812-555-12-34 (it is customary in Russia to put a dash between the last two pairs of digits). When you call a Moscow phone number use the same format with a different area code (495 or 499 for the land lines), for example 495-555-12-34.

To call Moscow or St. Petersburg from overseas (USA and Canada and other countries)

Follow these simple directions:

• Buy a phone card to call Moscow or St. Petersburg
• Follow the phone card instructions
• When prompted to enter the number you wish to call enter 011-7-812-XXX-XX-XX for St. Petersburg or 011-7-495-XXX-XX-XX or 011-7-499-XXX-XX-XX (011 - international access code; 7 - Russia country code; 812 - St. Petersburg area code; 495 or 499 - Moscow area code).  More about international phone calls to Moscow.

When calling internationally, a Russian phone number will always be a ten-digit number (combination of area code and local number)

Calling any Russian city or town from overseas

The majority of Russian cities have a four or five digit area code and a shorter local phone number.  A simple rule of thumb: the longer the area code, the shorter the local number.  If the area code contains five digits it will have a five-digit local number; if the area code has four digits, it will have a six digit local number.  Notice the pattern: you will always end up with a ten-digit phone number when making an international call.

Making an overseas call to a Russian mobile number

Dialing a mobile number in Russia from USA or any other country is basically the same as calling a regular landline number.  For more detailed information refer to Calling a cell phone number in Russia from overseas. 

To call any city or town in Russia

Follow the easy instructions:

• Buy a phone card to call Russia
• Follow the phone card instructions
• When prompted to dial the number you wish to call enter 011-7-Area Code-Phone Number

Dialing a Russian phone number when calling internationally

To summarize, you should alway end up with a ten-digit phone number.  It might have a longer area code and a shorter local number, but the total will be ten digits.

• (495) 555-12-34 (Moscow)
• (922) 555-12-34 (Cell phone)
• (81622) 55-1-23 (Novgorod)

Area codes in Russia