WhatsApp number format for France

Country code +33. How to turn a French phone number into a working WhatsApp link.

At a glance

A French mobile written locally as 06 12 34 56 78 becomes 33612345678 in a WhatsApp link, giving https://wa.me/33612345678. 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 French 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 France06 12 34 56 78
International+33 6 12 34 56 78
In a wa.me link33612345678

The rule for France

French mobile numbers start 06 or 07 domestically. Drop the leading 0 and prefix 33.

  1. Start with the local number. 06 12 34 56 78
  2. Apply the French rule. Remove the domestic dialling prefix shown above.
  3. Add the country code. Put 33 in front, giving 33612345678.
  4. 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 French 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.

How do I write a French number for WhatsApp?

Write 33 followed by the subscriber number, digits only, with no plus sign, spaces or dashes. A French mobile written locally as 06 12 34 56 78 becomes 33612345678, giving the link https://wa.me/33612345678.

What is the WhatsApp country code for France?

France uses country code +33. In a wa.me link the plus sign is dropped, so the link starts https://wa.me/33.

Do I remove the leading zero from a French number?

Yes. The leading digit used for dialling inside France is not part of the international number and must be removed before the country code is added. 06 12 34 56 78 becomes 33612345678, not 330612345678.

Can I message a French 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 French 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 33612345678 first: the most common cause here is keeping the leading zero.