02 at a glance
- Type
- Geographic (landline area code)
- Region
- New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory
- Country
- Australia (+61)
- Number format
- 02 XXXX XXXX (area code + 8-digit local number); +61 2 XXXX XXXX from overseas
- From abroad
- +61 2
- Cost to call
- Charged as a standard national call. Most mobile and home phone plans include calls to 02 numbers.
The 02 area code covers New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory, including Sydney, Newcastle, Wollongong and Canberra. It is one of four geographic codes in Australia, and every landline number in the region uses the 02 prefix followed by eight digits. The boundaries follow the network, not the state border exactly: Broken Hill in far-west NSW uses 08, and a few towns near the Victorian and Queensland borders use 03 or 07. An 02 number usually belongs to a home or business landline, but VoIP providers also issue 02 numbers, so the caller may not be in NSW. The ACMA manages the numbering plan that allocates these numbers to providers.
Scammers often display local-looking 02 numbers to seem familiar. Caller ID can be spoofed, so a Sydney or Canberra number on screen does not prove who is calling. Report scam calls to Scamwatch.
Who called me from 02?
The prefix tells you where the line was originally registered (New South Wales & ACT), but not who is behind it. Numbers can be ported between networks and caller ID can be spoofed, so a familiar code is no guarantee. Search the full number to see its current carrier, line type and whether other people have reported it. Read our Australian phone number guide for mobile prefixes, networks and the scams currently doing the rounds.