Ethiopia country code, +251 explained.
Everything you need to call Ethiopia with Twiching — full dialing format, step-by-step guide, and Tier-1 CLI routes that land every call.
Ethiopia
Addis Ababa · Africa
· COUNTRY INFO · VERIFIED
- ISO Alpha-2
- ET
- Capital
- Addis Ababa
- Region
- Africa
- Timezone
- UTC+3
· DIALING GUIDE · VERIFIED
FULL DIAL FORMAT
011 · +251 · XX · XXXXXXX
How Ethiopia numbers break down
A complete number to Ethiopia follows this pattern. Twiching adds the exit and country codes automatically when you dial from the app.
EXIT CODE
Dial from the US/Canada to leave the country.
COUNTRY CODE
Routes the call directly into Ethiopia.
AREA / MOBILE
Regional or mobile prefix — drop the leading 0.
LOCAL NUMBER
The subscriber's local number.
COMPLETE NUMBER FORMAT
011 · +251 · XX · XXXXXXX
Ethiopia on the map
Addis Ababa · Africa
ROUTE
Tier-1 Direct
CLI
Verified
ASR
60%+ min
How to call Ethiopia
Click any step — watch the full dial string build piece by piece.
FULL NUMBER FORMAT
011 · +251 · XX · XXXXXXX
Twiching automatically adds the exit and country codes — just enter the local number.
Ethiopia —
connected across every carrier.
191
Countries in directory
ETHIOPIA INCLUDED
99.97%
Call delivery rate
STIR/SHAKEN
500+
Carrier interconnects
TIER-1 DIRECT
60%+
Guaranteed ASR
REAL-TIME ROUTING
Ethiopia
Africa · ET
Ethiopia numbering plan & how to dial
Ethiopia uses an open numbering plan under country code +251. After the country code, a 2-digit area or mobile prefix is followed by a 7-digit subscriber number, giving a 9-digit national number. Domestic numbers are often written with a leading trunk "0" that is omitted when dialing Ethiopia from abroad.
Ethiopia has 24% internet penetration and is served by 2 major mobile networks (Ethio Telecom, Safaricom Ethiopia). VoIP is restricted and ECA (Ethiopian Communications Authority) licenses only approved operators. The local currency is ETB and the primary language is Amharic, which shape IVR prompts, SMS content, and business-hours handling.
Across African markets, mobile-first numbering dominates and Tier-1 interconnects are the key to consistent call delivery and CLI presentation.
Skipping the exit code
From the US you must dial 011 before the +251 country code to reach Ethiopia.
Keeping the national trunk "0"
If a Ethiopia number is written with a leading 0 for domestic use, omit that 0 after the +251 country code when calling from abroad.
Ignoring the time difference
Ethiopia runs on UTC+3. Check local hours before dialing so calls don't land outside business time.
Using non-compliant routes
VoIP into Ethiopia is restricted by ECA (Ethiopian Communications Authority); grey routes are blocked or dropped, so licensed termination is required for reliable delivery.
Restricted — ECA licensed only
Regulated by ECA (Ethiopian Communications Authority)
- ECA regulates all telecommunications and VoIP under the Communications Service Proclamation.
- The telecom market is partially liberalized; operators require an ECA concession license.
- VoIP traffic must comply with lawful interception obligations under Ethiopian law.
US → Ethiopia
$0.020/min
per minute
Ethiopia → US
$0.017/min
per minute
More in Africa
Business calling to Ethiopia
Local ET caller ID
Present a Ethiopia +251 number so prospects in Addis Ababa and nationwide recognise the call and are more likely to answer.
Africa outbound & support
Run sales and support lines into Ethiopia over Tier-1 routes that interconnect with networks like Ethio Telecom.
Follow-the-sun coverage
Staff Ethiopia hours (UTC+3) with routing that sends calls to the right team at the right local time.
FAQ
Calling Ethiopia — frequently asked questions
The country code for Ethiopia is +251. To call Ethiopia from the United States, dial 011, then 251, then the local number.
A full national Ethiopia number is 9 digits after the +251 country code — a 2-digit area or mobile prefix plus a 7-digit subscriber number.
VoIP in Ethiopia is restricted — ECA (Ethiopian Communications Authority) licenses only approved operators. Twiching terminates calls over compliant, licensed routes.
Dial 011 (US exit code), then 251 (the Ethiopia country code), then the area or mobile prefix and subscriber number. Drop any leading domestic trunk 0.
The major networks in Ethiopia are Ethio Telecom, Safaricom Ethiopia. Twiching interconnects with Tier-1 carriers for direct delivery to these networks.
Twiching rates to Ethiopia start at $0.020/min per minute (and $0.017/min per minute from Ethiopia to the US), billed per second on Tier-1 routes.
Yes. Twiching provisions Ethiopia virtual numbers with local +251 caller ID for calls and, where supported, SMS — useful for sales, support, and building local market presence.
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