Calling To and From Mexico

mexico.com

We all wish our smart phones were, well, smart. But until someone invents a phone that can automatically decipher a phone number and determine what country it is and how to dial it, you are going to have to rely on your noggin. So we've created some handy tips to help you puzzle through making a phone call from the United States to Mexico and from Mexico to the United States.

How to call Mexico from the United States

1. Dial, 011 the exit code, must be dialed first for all international calls.
2. Dial 52, the country code for Mexico.
3. Dial the area code for the city you want to call, they are three-digit area codes, except for the three largest metro areas. Mexico City, Guadalajara and Monterrey have only two digits these are; Mexico City 55, Guadalajara 33, Monterrey 81.
4. Dial the seven digit local number.

Note 1: If you are calling a mobile number in Mexico, the process changes after Step 3. Add 1 after the country code and before the city code (e.g. 52-1-81) if you are calling a mobile number.

Note 2: There are three official Time Zones in Mexico which correspond to what we know in the U.S. as the Pacific, Mountain and Central Times.

• Acapulco, Cancun, Cozumel, Puerto Vallarta and the Riviera Maya are on Central Time
• Los Cabos is on Pacific Time

Note 3: From any other country the exit code will vary.

How to call from Mexico to the United States

1. Dial 00 the exit code, must be dialed first for the United States.
2. Dial 1, the country code for the United States.
3. Dial the three digit area code for the city you want to call.
4. Dial the seven digit local number.

Note: If you take your U.S.-based mobile phone, you are able to make calls with the carrier's applicable roaming charges.

How to read/write an address in Mexico

For those having trouble deciphering Mexico street addresses, here are a couple of handy tips using this address as an example:

Crucero Princesa
Paseo de las Garzas 100 - B
Zona Hotelera Norte
CP 48333 Puerto Vallarta Jalisco
Mexico

1. Name of the person or business.
2. Street name for the business or residence and street number after the name. (This is the opposite of how addresses are written in the US/Canada)
3. Name of the district. It might refer to the Colonia (neighborhood) or Fraccionamiento (housing estate)
4. The five digit postal code (codigo postal), it can be preceded by the abbreviation C.P.
5. Name of the city and state
6. Country name, Mexico