Phone Number Formatting

AfriRoute requires all destination numbers in E.164 format: a leading +, the country code, and the national subscriber number with no spaces, dashes, or parentheses. Correct formatting is the single biggest factor in delivery success and avoids wasted credits on undeliverable numbers.

E.164 in One Line

+[country code][national number]   →   +254712345678

Element	Example	Rule
+ prefix	+	Always present, exactly once
Country code	254	1–3 digits, no leading zero
National number	712345678	National trunk prefix (0) removed

A common mistake is sending the national format with the leading zero (0712345678). When converting, drop the leading 0 and prepend the country code.

Country Code Reference

Country	Code	Example Input (local)	E.164 Output
🇳🇬 Nigeria	+234	0801 234 5678	+2348012345678
🇰🇪 Kenya	+254	0712 345 678	+254712345678
🇿🇦 South Africa	+27	082 123 4567	+27821234567
🇪🇹 Ethiopia	+251	0911 234 567	+251911234567
🇬🇭 Ghana	+233	024 123 4567	+233241234567
🇹🇿 Tanzania	+255	0754 123 456	+255754123456
🇺🇬 Uganda	+256	0772 123 456	+256772123456
🇷🇼 Rwanda	+250	0788 123 456	+250788123456

Validate and Normalize

Always normalize numbers before sending. The example below strips formatting, removes the national trunk prefix, and prepends the country code:

import re

def to_e164(raw: str, country_code: str) -> str:
    """Normalize a local number to E.164. country_code without '+', e.g. '254'."""
    digits = re.sub(r'\D', '', raw)            # strip everything but digits
    if digits.startswith('00'):
        digits = digits[2:]                    # international 00 prefix
    if digits.startswith(country_code):
        return '+' + digits
    digits = digits.lstrip('0')                # drop national trunk zero
    return '+' + country_code + digits

print(to_e164('0712 345 678', '254'))          # +254712345678
print(to_e164('+234 801 234 5678', '234'))      # +2348012345678

function toE164(raw, countryCode) {
  let digits = raw.replace(/\D/g, '');
  if (digits.startsWith('00')) digits = digits.slice(2);
  if (digits.startsWith(countryCode)) return '+' + digits;
  return '+' + countryCode + digits.replace(/^0+/, '');
}

toE164('0712 345 678', '254'); // +254712345678

Server-Side Validation

You can have AfriRoute validate a number (and detect its carrier and line type) before sending:

curl -X POST https://api.afriroute.ai/api/v1/lookup/number \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $AFRIROUTE_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{ "number": "+254712345678" }'

{
  "number": "+254712345678",
  "valid": true,
  "country": "KE",
  "carrier": "Safaricom",
  "line_type": "mobile",
  "format": "E.164"
}

Common Errors

Error code	Cause	Fix
INVALID_PHONE	Missing + or country code	Normalize to E.164
UNSUPPORTED_COUNTRY	Number outside coverage	Check coverage
LANDLINE_NOT_SUPPORTED	Fixed-line number for SMS	Use a mobile number

Related

• Country-Specific Requirements
• SMS API

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Last Updated: May 2026