WhatsApp number format for Egypt
Country code +20. How to turn an Egyptian phone number into a working WhatsApp link.
At a glance
An Egyptian mobile written locally as 010 01234567 becomes 201001234567 in a WhatsApp link, giving https://wa.me/201001234567. The digit used for dialling inside the country is removed and the country code goes in its place.
The three ways to write the same number
These are the same Egyptian mobile in each format. The example is a reserved test number from Google’s libphonenumber metadata, so it is structurally correct without belonging to anyone.
| Inside Egypt | 010 01234567 |
|---|---|
| International | +20 10 01234567 |
| In a wa.me link | 201001234567 |
The rule for Egypt
Egyptian mobile numbers begin 010, 011, 012 or 015. Drop only the first 0 and keep the rest, including the second zero where there is one. Removing both zeros is the usual mistake.
How to build an Egyptian WhatsApp link
- Start with the local number. 010 01234567
- Apply the Egyptian rule. Remove the domestic dialling prefix shown above.
- Add the country code. Put 20 in front, giving 201001234567.
- Build the link. Append the digits to https://wa.me/ with nothing between them, or use the generator and let it handle the formatting.
Does a valid number mean the person is on WhatsApp?
No. Everything above concerns format, which is a separate question from whether an account exists. A correctly formatted Egyptian number can belong to a landline, to a newly issued SIM, or to someone who has deleted their WhatsApp account, and in each case the link will open and report that the number is not on WhatsApp.
To find out, open a chat link for the number and see whether WhatsApp starts a conversation.
Egyptian WhatsApp link questions
How do I write an Egyptian number for WhatsApp?
Write 20 followed by the subscriber number, digits only, with no plus sign, spaces or dashes. An Egyptian mobile written locally as 010 01234567 becomes 201001234567, giving the link https://wa.me/201001234567.
What is the WhatsApp country code for Egypt?
Egypt uses country code +20. In a wa.me link the plus sign is dropped, so the link starts https://wa.me/20.
Do I remove the leading zero from an Egyptian number?
Yes. The leading digit used for dialling inside Egypt is not part of the international number and must be removed before the country code is added. 010 01234567 becomes 201001234567, not 2001001234567.
Can I message an Egyptian number without saving it?
Yes. Open https://wa.me/ followed by the number in international format and WhatsApp starts the conversation without adding a contact. Recent versions of WhatsApp can also do this by typing the number into the new-chat search.
Why does my Egyptian WhatsApp link say the number is invalid?
Either the number is formatted wrongly or it has no WhatsApp account, since WhatsApp shows the same message for both. Check the digits against 201001234567 first: the most common cause here is keeping the leading zero.