Quick answer
+39 is Italy. Italian mobiles start with 3 (so +39 3…). Italian landlines keep the leading 0 after +39 - Rome is +39 06, Milan +39 02, Naples +39 081. That extra 0 is correct, not a typing error. Plenty of +39 calls are genuine. A one-ring missed call is bait: do not ring it back.
What a +39 number looks like
Italy is the numbering plan that breaks the "drop the zero" rule you use for the UK, Ireland, France and Germany.
| Domestic Italian number | What you see | Type |
|---|---|---|
| 3xx mobiles (320, 330, 340, 347, 348, 349, 360, 380…) | +39 3… | Mobile |
| 06 | +39 06 | Rome landline (0 stays) |
| 02 | +39 02 | Milan |
| 011 | +39 011 | Turin |
| 081 | +39 081 | Naples |
| 055 | +39 055 | Florence |
| 041 | +39 041 | Venice |
AGCOM, Italy's communications regulator, publishes the plan. The kept zero on landlines is the bit people screenshot as "this number looks fake". It is not fake. It is Italian.
0039 is the same code from a UK landline.
A UK 03 number (0330, 0333) is not Italian. +39 3… is an Italian mobile. 0333… is a UK-wide landline-rate number.
Our free phone number checker is built for UK numbers. For +39, use the table.
On an iPhone or Android the same Italian number may show as `+39 06 1234 5678`, `0039 0612345678` or `39 06…` with the plus stripped. They are all Rome landline format. Do not "fix" it by deleting the 0 and treating it as a UK 06 number - the UK does not have an 06 range.
Who genuinely calls from an Italian number
Italy is a staple UK holiday destination, and ONS country-of-birth figures show a well-established Italian-born population in the UK (London in particular). Genuine +39 calls include:
- Family and friends in Italy, or a UK resident calling from an Italian mobile while they are over there.
- Hotels, agriturismi, airlines and rail confirming a booking.
- Italian manufacturers, fashion houses, food exporters calling a UK customer or supplier.
- Universities and language schools.
If that does not sound like your week, treat the call as unknown.
An Italian mobile roaming in the UK still shows +39 3…. Calling it back is an international call. British people with a second Italian SIM (common for a long stay or a house in Italy) will also show +39 when they ring you. Both are genuine reasons to see the code; neither is a reason to return a one-ring missed call from a number you do not know.
Scam patterns tied to +39
The one-ring / Wangiri pattern is the main risk. Italian consumer associations have warned about "chiamate a un squillo" for years - the same product as Ofcom's international missed-call scam, just in Italian.
A "UK bank / HMRC / delivery" script on a +39 number is a hang-up. Genuine UK organisations do not call from Italy. Use 159 for a UK bank.
Because Italian landlines keep the 0, scammers sometimes count on you thinking "+39 06 looks malformed" and calling back "to see". The format is correct. The callback is still optional, and a one-ring call still should not be returned.
Italian mobiles are written without that extra 0: a domestic 347 123 4567 becomes +39 347 123 4567, not +39 0347. If you see a 0 after +39, you are looking at a landline (or a number someone formatted badly). Search the full string before you dial either.
What ringing back a +39 number costs
A callback to Italy is international and almost never in your UK minutes.
EE's Call Abroad pages, checked 8 September 2026, list 25p a minute as the standard rate to France and Ireland. Confirm the live Italy figure on EE's country page and on O2, Vodafone and Three. A one-ring scam that connects you to a premium or unusual international route can cost more than the standard Italy rate.
WhatsApp calls from a +39 number
WhatsApp from +39 is an account registered to an Italian number - how a lot of people in Italy actually call the UK. Silence unknown callers so a stranger's "wrong number" chat cannot ring you. Never send money or codes because a +39 WhatsApp call asked.
How to handle a +39 call
- Were you expecting anyone in Italy? Trip, family, Italian company?
- Don't "correct" the 0 on a landline. +39 06 is Rome, not a mistake.
- Don't call back a one-ring missed call.
- Never share PINs, passwords, one-time codes or bank details on an inbound call.
- Block and report - 7726, Action Fraud. On iPhone: Recents → Info → Block this Caller. On Android: Recents → Block. Repeat one-ring +39 calls are a reason to ask your network for international-call barring, not a reason to start ringing the numbers back.
The bottom line
A +39 call is Italian. The landline zero stays, the mobiles start with 3, and many calls into the UK are genuine. The expensive mistake is returning a one-ring missed call or trusting a UK-sounding script on an Italian number. For other codes see who called me from an international number.
Frequently asked questions
Who called me from a +39 number?
Someone presenting an Italian number - a person or business in Italy, an Italian mobile, or a scam using Italian caller ID.
Why does the Italian number still have a 0 after +39?
Because Italian landlines keep the 0. +39 06 is Rome. Most other countries drop that zero; Italy does not.
Is +39 3 a mobile?
Yes. Italian mobiles start with 3.
Should I call back a missed +39 call?
Not if it rang once and stopped. Only return a call you can see a reason for.
How much does it cost to call +39 from the UK?
Treat it as international. Check your network's Italy rate; neighbouring EU standard rates on EE were 25p a minute on 8 September 2026.
Is +39 06 a fake number?
No. +39 06 is Rome. Italian landlines keep the 0 after the country code. That is the opposite of the UK / Irish / French / German rule, and it is the official Italian format, not a glitch.