Phone numbers in New Zealand

If your team works from New Zealand, this is the reference for how Cradle handles your numbers.

Country code and formats

New Zealand's country code is +64. When you write a NZ number in international form, drop the leading 0 from the local format.

Type	Local format	International form
Auckland landline	`09 555 0101`	`+64 9 555 0101`
Wellington landline	`04 555 0202`	`+64 4 555 0202`
Christchurch landline	`03 555 0303`	`+64 3 555 0303`
Mobile	`021 555 1234`	`+64 21 555 1234`

Cradle stores and displays numbers in international (E.164) format. When you type a number into the dial pad, you can use either the local format or the international form, and Cradle will route it the same way.

Leading digits

Mobile: starts with 02 (so 021, 022, 027, 029).
Landlines: 03 (South Island), 04 (Wellington), 06 (lower North Island), 07 (Bay of Plenty / Waikato), 09 (Auckland and Northland).
0800 / 0508: national toll-free numbers.

Porting your NZ number to Cradle

NZ number porting is governed by the Number Administration Deed (NAD), the agreement between NZ telcos that defines how numbers move. Your losing carrier and Cradle's carrier coordinate the cutover.

How long it takes: typically 2 weeks, can be as quick as 3 business days or as long as 6 weeks, depending on your losing carrier, the complexity of the port, and getting the documents right at the start.

Full process and forms: How can I port my current number to Cradle?

Emergency calling

Cradle has no emergency-calling capability. Calls to 111 will not connect through Cradle.

If you need to reach emergency services from New Zealand, call 111 from a mobile phone or a fixed line. Cradle is not a substitute for either.

If you'd like the wider context (including what to do if you only have a satellite or VoIP option), see Emergency calling.

Messaging in New Zealand

SMS isn't available on Cradle's New Zealand numbers today. AU and UK Cradle numbers can send and receive SMS on the desktop app, but NZ can't yet.

The path for NZ messaging is WhatsApp Business, which is in private beta now and on track for general availability later in 2026. WhatsApp works across regions, so an NZ team can message NZ customers (and customers anywhere else) once it's live.

Until then, the options for reaching an NZ customer by text are limited: you can use an AU or UK Cradle SMS number where it makes sense, or fall back to a call or email.

More detail: SMS availability today and WhatsApp availability today.

Calling NZ from another country

If you have an AU or UK Cradle number and want to dial NZ, prefix +64 and drop the leading 0. For example, an Auckland landline 09 555 0101 becomes +64 9 555 0101. Most international call destinations are gated on your account, see I can't make international calls.