How to Call Romania from US

Quick Answer

To call Romania from the United States:

• Landline: 011 + 40 + Area Code (2 or 3 digits) + Local Number (6 or 7 digits)
• Mobile: 011 + 40 + Mobile Number (9 digits, typically starting with 7)

Examples:

• For Bucharest landline (Area Code 21): 011 + 40 + 21 + XXX XXXX
• For Cluj-Napoca landline (Area Code 264): 011 + 40 + 264 + XXX XXX
• For Romanian mobile phone (e.g., starting with 72): 011 + 40 + 72X XXX XXX

When it's 12 PM (noon) in New York (EST), it's 7 PM in Romania (7 hours ahead during US Standard Time).

Understanding Romanian Phone Numbers

Romanian phone numbers follow a national numbering plan. For international dialing, the key is to remember the country code +40 and to drop any leading 0 from the domestic area code or mobile prefix.

Landline Numbers

• Format from US: 011 + 40 + Area Code (2-3 digits) + Local Number (6-7 digits)
• Area codes typically start with 2 or 3.
• The total length of the area code + local number is 9 digits.

Mobile Numbers

• Format from US: 011 + 40 + Mobile Prefix & Number (9 digits)
• Mobile numbers in Romania are 9 digits long (after 40) and typically start with 7.
• Locally, they are dialed as 07xx xxx xxx.

Romanian Area Codes (Indicative Teritoriale)

This is an exhaustive list of area codes for landlines in Romania. Remember to dial 011 + 40 before these codes and the local number. The leading '0' is dropped for international calls.

(Note: For non-geographic numbers beginning with '3', the structure can vary. Usually, 31 is for Bucharest services, and other 3xx codes are national. Dial as given, e.g., 011 + 40 + 372 + xxxxxx)

Mobile Phone Networks & Prefixes

Romanian mobile numbers are 9 digits long (after the +40 country code) and primarily start with the digit 7. The leading 0 used for domestic dialing (07xx xxx xxx) is dropped for international calls.

*Number portability is active in Romania, so a number's prefix does not definitively indicate its current network operator.

Time Difference

Romania is in the Eastern European Time Zone (EET), which is UTC+2 during standard time, and Eastern European Summer Time (EEST), which is UTC+3 during daylight saving. Romania observes Daylight Saving Time from the last Sunday in March to the last Sunday in October.

The time difference compared to the United States East Coast (ET):

• During US Standard Time (Nov-Mar) & Romanian Standard Time (late Oct-late Mar): Romania is 7 hours ahead of EST. (e.g., 12 PM EST is 7 PM EET).
• During US Daylight Time (Mar-Nov) & Romanian Summer Time (late Mar-late Oct): Romania is 7 hours ahead of EDT. (e.g., 12 PM EDT is 7 PM EEST).
• During transition periods (when one observes DST and the other doesn't): The difference can be 6 or 8 hours. Always check the current difference.

Generally, Romania is 7 hours ahead of the US East Coast.

Romania's Phone System

Romania has a well-developed telecommunications network.

• Mobile phone penetration is very high, with good 4G/5G coverage in urban and many rural areas.
• Landline infrastructure is extensive, especially in cities, with increasing adoption of fiber optic connections.
• Internet access is widespread and among the fastest in Europe, leading to high usage of VoIP services and apps like WhatsApp for communication.

Best Times to Call

Considering the 7-hour time difference with the US East Coast:

• A good window for business calls from the US is typically early morning ET (e.g., 8 AM - 11 AM ET), which corresponds to mid-afternoon to early evening in Romania (3 PM - 6 PM EET/EEST).
• Romanian business hours are generally Monday to Friday, 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM or 6:00 PM.