29 Aug 2025
Wrong format is the #1 reason calls fail or OTPs never arrive. Here’s the fix, upfront and simple: Sweden uses country code +46. From abroad, dial your international exit code → +46 → area or mobile code (drop Sweden’s leading 0) → number. This single rule keeps calls and verification texts for money transfer services smooth and reliable. Remember: “+46, no 0, then code and number.”
Follow four quick steps:
Examples
Sweden’s country code is 46, assigned in 1954 under the ITU/CCIF framework; Sweden’s regulator PTS manages the plan.
Use the table below for popular cities. Dial +46 from abroad and drop the 0. Examples are illustrative.
| City | County/Region | Area code | Domestic example | International example |
Stockholm | Stockholm | 8 | 08 123 45 67 | +46 8 123 45 67 |
Gothenburg | Västra Götaland | 31 | 031 123 456 | +46 31 123 456 |
Malmö | Skåne | 40 | 040 123 456 | +46 40 123 456 |
Uppsala | Uppsala | 18 | 018 123 456 | +46 18 123 456 |
Västerås | Västmanland | 21 | 021 123 456 | +46 21 123 456 |
Örebro | Örebro | 19 | 019 123 456 | +46 19 123 456 |
Linköping | Östergötland | 13 | 013 123 456 | +46 13 123 456 |
Helsingborg | Skåne | 42 | 042 123 456 | +46 42 123 456 |
Jönköping | Jönköping | 36 | 036 123 456 | +46 36 123 456 |
Norrköping | Östergötland | 11 | 011 123 456 | +46 11 123 456 |
Lund | Skåne | 46 | 046 123 456 | +46 46 123 456 |
Umeå | Västerbotten | 90 | 090 123 45 | +46 90 123 45 |
Luleå | Norrbotten | 920 | 0920 123 45 | +46 920 123 45 |
Gävle | Gävleborg | 26 | 026 123 456 | +46 26 123 456 |
Borås | Västra Götaland | 33 | 033 123 456 | +46 33 123 456 |
Halmstad | Halland | 35 | 035 123 456 | +46 35 123 456 |
Eskilstuna | Södermanland | 16 | 016 123 456 | +46 16 123 456 |
Kalmar | Kalmar | 480 | 0480 123 45 | +46 480 123 45 |
Karlstad | Värmland | 54 | 054 123 456 | +46 54 123 456 |
Växjö | Kronoberg | 470 | 0470 123 45 | +46 470 123 45 |
Sundsvall | Västernorrland | 60 | 060 123 456 | +46 60 123 456 |
Östersund | Jämtland | 63 | 063 123 456 | +46 63 123 456 |
Kristianstad | Skåne | 44 | 044 123 456 | +46 44 123 456 |
Nyköping | Södermanland | 155 | 0155 123 45 | +46 155 123 45 |
Kiruna | Norrbotten | 980 | 0980 123 45 | +46 980 123 45 |
Pro tip: Include the city in contact names (e.g., “Elin – Malmö (+46 40…)”) so you recognize time zones and local rates at a glance.
112 is Sweden’s emergency number and is available 24/7, per the national emergency operator SOS Alarm (updated Jan 28, 2025).
From a Swedish phone, dial 00 + [country code] + number (or tap + on mobiles). Example to the UK: 00 44 …. The same rule applies with the Sweden Country Code in reverse when friends call you.
Yes. Use +46 for all numbers. Add the city code (e.g., 8 for Stockholm, 31 for Gothenburg) or the 07x mobile prefix.
No. Drop the 0. It’s only a domestic trunk prefix in Sweden. When you add +46, remove that 0 and keep the rest of the area/mobile code.
Correct examples
Malmö: 040 123 456 → +46 40 123 456 (not +46 040…)
Stockholm: 08 123 45 67 → +46 8 123 45 67
Gothenburg: 031 123 456 → +46 31 123 456
Mobiles (07x): 070/072/073/076/079 … → +46 70/72/73/76/79 … (not +46 070…)
020 is designed for domestic callers; companies often publish 0771 versions for callers abroad (not free).
A non-geographic national range widely used by companies and authorities.
112 for emergencies; 114 14 for non-urgent police; both are published by the authorities.
If you ever forget the Country Code for Sweden, remember +46. Store contacts as +46 with no leading 0, then area/mobile code and number; it’s the same simple rule that powers smooth calls and reliable verification for remittances, and it’s the rule to remember in the middle of any busy day.
