How to make a phone call to and from Mexico

by admin · Published November 17, 2019 · Updated September 20, 2023

If you’re dreaming of an exciting trip to Mexico, there are a few practicalities you’ll want to know before you embark on your adventure. One of the essential things to keep in mind is how to make phone calls while you’re there.

Whether you need to book a hotel room in advance, gather information about exciting tours and activities, or simply stay connected with your loved ones back home, knowing the correct dialing procedures can be incredibly useful.

To call to and from Mexico, you’ll need to be familiar with the country code, area codes, and the format for dialing local and mobile phone numbers. The country code for Mexico is 52, and area codes can have two or three digits.

When calling a Mexican phone number from the U.S. or Canada, you should dial 52 + the area code + the phone number.

In Mexico’s three largest cities – Mexico City, Guadalajara, and Monterrey – the area code consists of 2 digits, and phone numbers are 8 digits long. In other parts of the country, area codes are 3 digits long, and phone numbers are 7 digits.

Calling cell phones in Mexico follows a similar pattern but with an additional step. If you want to call a Mexican cell phone from outside the country, you would dial the country code (52), then the area code, and finally, the phone number.

It’s worth noting that Mexican cell phone numbers usually start with the digit 6.

How to dial to and from Mexico?

Once you’re in Mexico, you might like to call home to connect with your loved ones, or deal with any issues that come up that may need your attention. Or maybe you want to contact family or friends who live in Mexico?

Mexico Country Code

The country code for Mexico is 52.

You also need the area code. In Mexico, the area codes can have a length of 2 or 3 digits.

When calling a Mexican phone number from the U.S. or Canada, you should dial 52 + area code + phone number.

Area codes in Mexico

In the three largest cities of Mexico (Mexico City, Guadalajara, and Monterrey), the area code is 2 digits and phone numbers are 8 digits, whereas, in the rest of the country, area codes are 3 digits and phone numbers are 7 digits.

These are the area codes for Mexico’s three largest cities:

• Acapulco (744)
• Cancun (998)
• Celaya (461)
• Chihuahua (614)
• Ciudad Juarez (656)
• Cozumel (987)
• Culiacan (671)
• Guadalajara (33)
• Hermosillo (622)
• La Paz (682)
• Mazatlan (669)
• Merida (999)
• Mexicali (686)
• Mexico City (55)
• Miquelon (508)
• Monterrey (81)
• Puebla (222)
• Puerto Vallarta (322)
• San Luis Potosi (444)
• Tampico (833)
• Tecate (665)
• Tijuana (664)
• Torreon (871)
• Veracruz (229)

The local phone numbers can be 7 or 8 digits.

How to dial a cell phone in Mexico?

If you are going to call a cell phone, you must add one (1) between the country code and the area code. So to call from Argentina or Spain to a cell phone in Mexico, you must dial: 00-52-1- (area code) – (cell phone number).

If you are going to call a Mexican mobile or cell phone number, that number will usually start with a 6.

Dial the complete international number.

Suppose you want to call a friend who lives in Lagunas, Mexico and you live in Spain. In that case, you will have to mark:

• Your exit code is 00
• Then the country code of Mexico is 52
• Then the area code of Lagoons is 972

Then the phone number that you have been given (may be seven or eight digits).

Calling cell phones

If you’re within the area code of the Mexican cell phone number you wish to call, you should dial the area code, then the phone number.

Outside of the area code that you’re dialing (but still within Mexico), you would also dial the area code, then the phone number.

To call a Mexican cell phone from outside the country you would dial the country code (52) then the area code and phone number.

More information about using a cell phone in Mexico

Pay Phones and Phone Cards

Although payphones are becoming less common in Mexico, as in most places, you should still be able to find them around if you look carefully, and they offer an inexpensive way to contact home (or make a call when your cell phone battery is dead).

Many payphones are located on busy street corners, making it difficult to hear. You can also look in large stores like Sanborns—they’ll often have a payphone near the public restrooms—and they tend to be much quieter.

Phone cards (“tarjetas telefonicas”) for use in pay phones can be bought at newsstands and in pharmacies in denominations of 30, 50, and 100 pesos. Public telephones in Mexico do not accept coins.

When buying a phone card for pay phone use, specify that you would like a “tarjeta LADA” or “tarjeta TELMEX” because pre-paid cell phone cards (“TELCEL”) are also sold in the same establishments.

Calling from a payphone is the most economical way to call, though long-distance phone calls tend to be more expensive from Mexico than from most other countries.

Other options include calling from a “caseta telefonica,” a business that has telephone and fax service, or from your hotel.

Hotels often add a surcharge for these calls, so they’re not the best option if you’re traveling on a budget.

Emergency and Useful Phone Numbers

Keep these phone numbers close at hand for any emergencies that might occur. You do not need a phone card to call 3-digit emergency numbers from a pay phone.

The emergency number used to be 066 but Mexico has switched to 911 so that they are using the same system as the United States and Canada, so for any emergency assistance you can dial 911 to get an emergency operator who will transfer you to the appropriate service.

Also, see what to do in an emergency in Mexico.

Tourist protection and information 01-800-903-9200 or 01-800-987-8224
From the U.S. and Canada 1-800-482-9232 or 1-800-401-3880