Plan requirement
| Subscription | Any plan |
088, 0800 and 090x numbers are bought from the regulator rather than from a provider. Here is the route, the lead times and what we need from you.
Why these numbers work differently
An ordinary Dutch number is issued to your provider, who assigns it to you. These three are issued to you, by the ACM, the Dutch telecoms regulator. You own them, they move with you between providers, and no provider can order one on your behalf.
| Type | What it is | Issued | Lead time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 088 | A company number block, not tied to a city | In blocks of 100 | 10 working days |
| 0800 | Freephone, the caller pays nothing | Per number | 7 days |
| 090x | An information number, the caller pays a tariff | Per number | 7 days |
The 088 block size is the part that surprises people: you cannot buy a single 088 number, only a hundred at a time.
Getting one
- Apply on the ACM website. They have separate pages for 088 company number blocks and for information numbers, both in Dutch only.
- Wait for acceptance. You receive a certificate of ownership, and that document is what proves the number is yours.
- Send us the certificate together with the number details and ask us to activate it.
- Activation normally takes seven days from that point.
Your company profile has to be approved with us before a number can go live, which is the same legitimacy check that applies to any number. We will say so if anything is missing.
Expect to be approached, and ignore it. The register of newly issued numbers is public and companies scan it. Someone will contact you soon after your application, sounding official and already knowing your number, offering to activate it for you. Your number is activated by whoever provides your telephony, and that is us.
What you cannot do with a 090x number
A 090x number cannot be presented as your outgoing caller ID in the Netherlands, and neither can an 18xy number. That catches people who buy an information number expecting to call out with it. See Configure caller ID for what you may present instead.
Moving one you already own
Because the number is yours rather than your provider's, bringing it to us is a port like any other, and the certificate travels with it. Never cancel your contract with the current provider before the port completes: cancelling releases the number and it may be gone for good. See Order a new number or port an existing one.
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