Nicaragua Phone Numbers: Format, Area Code & Validation Guide

Nicaragua uses country code +505 with an 8-digit phone number structure for all services. This developer guide covers Nicaragua phone number validation, E.164 format implementation, mobile/landline formatting, carrier lookup with number portability, TELCOR regulatory compliance, and security best practices. Learn to validate Nicaragua numbers, handle international dialing, integrate emergency services, and troubleshoot common validation issues.

Nicaragua Country Code and Regulatory Framework

Nicaragua adheres to the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) E.164 standard for phone numbers, using the country code +505. The Instituto Nicaragüense de Telecomunicaciones y Correos (TELCOR) oversees telecommunications as the national regulatory authority. TELCOR manages the national numbering plan, assigns number blocks to carriers, and enforces telecommunications regulations.

Nicaragua's telecommunications sector operates under the General Telecommunications and Postal Services Law (Law No. 200), which governs licensing, consumer protection, and service quality standards. The regulatory framework aligns with ITU recommendations for numbering, routing, and interconnection. Consult TELCOR's official website for current regulatory updates and numbering plan modifications when you implement Nicaragua phone number handling.

How Many Digits in a Nicaragua Phone Number? Structure & Format

Nicaragua phone numbers use a consistent 8-digit format (changed from 7 digits in 2009), preceded by a service prefix indicating the service type—landline, mobile, toll-free, or premium rate.

graph LR
    A[Country Code (+505)] --> B[Service Prefix (1-2 digits)]
    B --> C[Subscriber Number (6-7 digits)]

Service-Specific Formats

Emergency Services:

• 118 – National Police
• 115 – Fire Department (landlines)
• 911 – Integrated Emergency Services (fire, medical – primarily mobile)
• 128 – Red Cross Ambulance
• 101 – Tourist Police (INTUR – English/Spanish support)

Note on Emergency Numbers: Nicaragua implemented 911 as a unified emergency number for fire and medical services, accessible from mobile networks. Traditional numbers like 115 continue to function on landline networks. Test emergency number integration in your target deployment region.

How to Implement Nicaragua Phone Number Validation

How to Validate Nicaragua Phone Numbers

Ensure data integrity by implementing robust validation that prevents invalid numbers from entering your system. Use regular expressions for efficient and accurate validation.

const patterns = {
  landline: /^2\d{7}$/,
  mobile: /^[578]\d{7}$/,
  tollFree: /^1800\d{4}$/,
  premium: /^900\d{4}$/,  // 7 digits total: 900 + 4 digits
  emergency: /^(118|115|911|128|101)$/,
};

function validateNicaraguanNumber(number, type) {
  const cleaned = number.replace(/\D/g, '');
  return patterns[type].test(cleaned);
}

// Validate any Nicaraguan number (auto-detect type)
function validateAnyNicaraguanNumber(number) {
  const cleaned = number.replace(/\D/g, '');

  // Check each pattern
  for (const [type, pattern] of Object.entries(patterns)) {
    if (pattern.test(cleaned)) {
      return { valid: true, type };
    }
  }

  return { valid: false, type: null };
}

Best Practices:

• Implement progressive validation with real-time feedback as users input numbers
• Display format hints (e.g., "Expected: 8XXX XXXX for mobile") to guide users
• Don't infer carrier from mobile prefix – use carrier lookup APIs if your application requires carrier identification

How to Format Nicaragua Numbers and Handle Errors

Format numbers consistently to follow local conventions and improve readability.

function formatNicaraguanNumber(number) {
  try {
    const cleaned = number.replace(/\D/g, '');

    // Validate length
    if (![3, 7, 8].includes(cleaned.length)) {
      throw new Error('Invalid number length. Nicaragua numbers are 3, 7, or 8 digits.');
    }

    // Emergency numbers (3 digits)
    if (cleaned.length === 3 && /^(118|115|911|128|101)$/.test(cleaned)) {
      return cleaned;
    }

    // Premium rate (7 digits)
    if (cleaned.length === 7 && cleaned.startsWith('900')) {
      return cleaned.replace(/(\d{3})(\d{4})/, '$1 $2'); // Format: 900 1234
    }

    // Standard 8-digit numbers (landline, mobile, toll-free)
    if (cleaned.length === 8) {
      // Validate prefix
      if (!/^(2|5|7|8|1800)/.test(cleaned)) {
        throw new Error('Invalid prefix. Must start with 2, 5, 7, 8, or 1800.');
      }
      return cleaned.replace(/(\d{4})(\d{4})/, '$1 $2'); // Format: 2212 3456 or 8123 4567
    }

    throw new Error('Number does not match any valid format');

  } catch (error) {
    console.error(`Error formatting number: ${error.message}`);
    return null;
  }
}

// Format with country code for international display
function formatInternational(number) {
  const formatted = formatNicaraguanNumber(number);
  if (!formatted) return null;

  // Don't add country code to emergency numbers
  if (formatted.length === 3) return formatted;

  return `+505 ${formatted}`;
}

Best Practices:

• Provide user-friendly error messages that state what went wrong and how to fix it
• Log validation failures for monitoring and debugging
• Store numbers in E.164 format but display them in local format

Nicaragua Mobile Carriers and Number Portability

Major Mobile Network Operators

• Claro Nicaragua (América Móvil): Market leader with extensive 4G LTE coverage and nationwide mobile network. Provides mobile, landline, and internet services with strong urban presence and expanding rural coverage.
• Tigo Nicaragua (Millicom): Major competitor with 4G coverage in urban and suburban areas. Provides mobile and home internet services with competitive data plans and digital services.
• Cootel (Cooperative): Telecommunications cooperative offering mobile and internet services focused on affordable access. Smaller market presence compared to Claro and Tigo.

Number Portability: Nicaragua implemented mobile number portability (MNP), allowing subscribers to change carriers while keeping their phone numbers. You cannot use mobile prefixes (5, 7, 8) to reliably identify the current carrier. Use real-time lookup services or carrier identification APIs if your application requires carrier information.

How to Make International Calls to and from Nicaragua

• Outbound (from Nicaragua): 00 + Country Code + Number (e.g., 00 1 555 123 4567 for US)
• Inbound (to Nicaragua): +505 + Local Number (e.g., +505 8123 4567)
• Alternative International Prefix: Some carriers support + instead of 00 for outbound dialing from mobile devices

Best Practices for Nicaragua Phone Number Handling in Applications

• Normalization: Store numbers in E.164 format (+505XXXXXXXX) for consistency and database portability. Strip all formatting characters before validation and storage. Display numbers in local format for better user experience. See our phone number validation guide for comprehensive number verification strategies.

• Internationalization: Use libraries like libphonenumber-js for comprehensive validation, formatting, and international number handling. This library provides robust support for E.164 formatting, carrier detection (where available), and regional number plan variations across global numbering plans.

// Example using libphonenumber-js
import { parsePhoneNumber } from 'libphonenumber-js';

function parseNicaraguanNumber(input) {
  try {
    const phoneNumber = parsePhoneNumber(input, 'NI');
    return {
      valid: phoneNumber.isValid(),
      e164: phoneNumber.number,
      national: phoneNumber.formatNational(),
      international: phoneNumber.formatInternational(),
      type: phoneNumber.getType(), // 'MOBILE', 'FIXED_LINE', etc.
    };
  } catch (error) {
    return { valid: false, error: error.message };
  }
}

• Security: Implement these security measures when you handle phone numbers:

  • Sanitize input to prevent injection attacks
  • Encrypt phone numbers in transit and at rest
  • Comply with data protection regulations (GDPR for EU users, local privacy laws)
  • Implement rate limiting on validation endpoints to prevent enumeration attacks
  • Never expose unmasked phone numbers in logs or error messages

• Edge Cases to Handle:

  • Leading zeros: Strip them before validation (users may enter 0812 3456 instead of 8123 4567)
  • Country code variations: Accept +505, 505, or no prefix for domestic input
  • Whitespace and separators: Remove spaces, hyphens, parentheses before validation
  • Emergency numbers: Keep them unformatted and unmodified (critical for emergency services routing)

Telecommunications Landscape and Future Trends

Nicaragua's telecommunications sector continues to evolve with ongoing infrastructure investment and regulatory modernization. Key developments:

• Network Expansion: Major carriers expand 4G LTE coverage to rural areas with pilot programs for 5G technology in urban centers.
• Digital Inclusion: Government initiatives and carrier programs increase connectivity in underserved regions.
• Regulatory Updates: TELCOR periodically updates the national numbering plan and interconnection regulations. Monitor the TELCOR official website for regulatory changes that affect number formats or validation requirements.

Implementation Recommendations:

• Subscribe to TELCOR announcements for numbering plan changes
• Implement flexible validation logic that accommodates new prefixes or format changes
• Design systems to handle number format updates without requiring code changes
• Test your implementations with diverse number samples including edge cases and special services

How to Troubleshoot Nicaragua Phone Number Validation

Frequent Issues

Testing Checklist

Verify your implementation handles these scenarios:

• Validate all service types: landline (2), mobile (5, 7, 8), toll-free (1800), premium (900), emergency
• Test with and without country code (+505)
• Test with various separators (spaces, hyphens, dots)
• Verify emergency numbers remain unformatted
• Confirm E.164 storage format
• Test international dial-in and dial-out scenarios
• Validate edge cases: leading zeros, extra digits, invalid prefixes

Frequently Asked Questions About Nicaragua Phone Numbers

What is Nicaragua country code for phone numbers?

Nicaragua uses country code +505 for all phone numbers. When you dial internationally to Nicaragua, dial +505 followed by the 8-digit local number (e.g., +505 8123 4567 for mobile or +505 2212 3456 for landline). When you store Nicaragua numbers in databases, use E.164 format: +505XXXXXXXX.

How to validate Nicaragua mobile numbers?

Nicaragua mobile numbers use 8 digits with prefixes 5, 7, or 8 (e.g., 8123 4567, 5789 1234, 7123 4567). Use the regex pattern /^[578]\d{7}$/ to validate mobile numbers. Important: Due to mobile number portability (MNP), you cannot determine the carrier from the prefix alone – all three prefixes can be used by any carrier (Claro, Tigo, Cootel).

What format should I use to store Nicaragua phone numbers?

Store Nicaragua phone numbers in E.164 format: +505XXXXXXXX (country code +505 followed by 8 digits with no spaces or separators). This international standard ensures consistency, enables database portability, and simplifies integration with telecommunications APIs. Display numbers in local format (XXXX XXXX) for better user experience, but always store in E.164 format.

Can mobile number prefixes identify the carrier in Nicaragua?

No, mobile number prefixes (5, 7, 8) cannot reliably identify carriers in Nicaragua due to mobile number portability (MNP) implementation. Subscribers can switch carriers while keeping their phone numbers, so all three mobile prefixes can be used by Claro, Tigo, or Cootel. If your application requires carrier identification, use real-time carrier lookup APIs rather than prefix-based detection.

What are the emergency numbers in Nicaragua?

Nicaragua emergency numbers include: 118 (National Police), 115 (Fire Department on landlines), 911 (Integrated Emergency Services for fire and medical, primarily mobile), 128 (Red Cross Ambulance), and 101 (Tourist Police with English/Spanish support). Always store emergency numbers unformatted (without spaces or separators) to ensure proper routing. Test emergency number integration in your target deployment region.

How do landline numbers differ from mobile numbers in Nicaragua?

Nicaragua landline numbers start with prefix 2 (e.g., 2212 3456), while mobile numbers start with 5, 7, or 8 (e.g., 8123 4567). Both use 8-digit format. Landlines include geographic indicators in the second digit (e.g., 22 for Managua area). Landlines are fixed-location services for homes and businesses, while mobile numbers provide nationwide coverage and support number portability between carriers.

What is the correct format for Nicaragua toll-free numbers?

Nicaragua toll-free numbers use the format 1800XXXX – an 8-digit structure starting with prefix 1800 followed by 4 additional digits (e.g., 1800 1234). Use the regex pattern /^1800\d{4}$/ for validation. Toll-free numbers allow callers to contact businesses without incurring charges, with costs covered by the recipient organization.

How do you handle Nicaragua premium rate numbers?

Nicaragua premium rate numbers use format 900XXXX – a 7-digit structure (not 8 digits) starting with 900 followed by 4 digits (e.g., 900 1234). Use regex pattern /^900\d{4}$/ for validation. Premium rate numbers charge callers higher fees for specialized services. Format them as 900 XXXX (space after 900) for display.

What security practices should I follow for Nicaragua phone numbers?

Implement these security measures: (1) Sanitize input to prevent injection attacks, (2) Encrypt phone numbers in transit (TLS/SSL) and at rest (database encryption), (3) Comply with GDPR for EU users and local privacy laws, (4) Implement rate limiting on validation endpoints to prevent enumeration attacks, (5) Never expose unmasked phone numbers in logs or error messages, (6) Validate numbers server-side even if client-side validation exists.

How should I handle number portability in my Nicaragua phone application?

Nicaragua's mobile number portability (MNP) allows users to change carriers while keeping their numbers. Don't assume carrier based on mobile prefix (5, 7, 8). If your application needs carrier information for routing or analytics, integrate carrier lookup APIs that query the porting database in real-time. Design your system to gracefully handle carrier changes without requiring user data updates.