Expanding into a new country? A phone number checklist

By DIDNumbers Team · 3 min read

Opening a new market used to mean a local office and a phone line. Now a local number, routed to your existing team, gets you most of the benefit on day one. Use this checklist to do it properly.

1. Decide the number type

  • Local number in the city where most customers are. For example, Paris for France or Madrid for Spain.
  • Toll-free if customers expect free support lines in that market.
  • National if you want one number for the whole country without favouring a city.

See which number type you need.

2. Check the requirements

Each country has its own rules. Some geographic numbers need a local address; others only need company details. Check before you print anything. See KYC and address requirements.

3. Get the format right

Learn how the number is written locally and internationally, including trunk prefixes and spacing. A French number is written in pairs; a German one isn’t. See trunk prefixes and international dialling.

4. Plan who answers

  • Language: route the number to staff who speak the local language, or use an IVR language choice.
  • Hours: set business hours in the market’s time zone, not yours.
  • Overflow: decide what happens when nobody’s available: voicemail, callback or another team.

5. Connect it

Route the number to your PBX, Microsoft Teams or mobiles, and test from a local mobile if you can. See routing DIDs to your SIP trunk or PBX.

6. Publish it everywhere

Website footer and contact page, Google Business Profile, local directories, email signatures and local-language marketing. Consistency helps both customers and search engines.

7. Measure

Track calls per market and per campaign. If a market grows, add a toll-free line, direct numbers for local account managers or a second city.

Frequently asked questions

How quickly can I be live in a new country?

Numbers without document requirements can be active the same day. Verified ranges go live once documents are approved.

Do I need a local company?

Not always. Many ranges accept foreign companies; some geographic numbers need a local address.

Find numbers in your next market

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