Caribbean Area Codes: The Islands of NANPA
Nineteen Caribbean nations and territories are part of the North American Numbering Plan. Calls to Jamaica, Barbados, and the Cayman Islands use +1 — but they're not domestic.
The +1 That Isn't American
One of the most commonly misunderstood facts about North American phone numbers is that the +1 country code does not mean "United States." It means "North American Numbering Plan" — and the NANP includes 19 Caribbean nations and territories alongside the US and Canada.
This means that calls to Jamaica, Barbados, Trinidad, and the Cayman Islands look and feel like domestic US calls on many phone plans. But they are international calls and can incur significant charges if your phone plan doesn't include international coverage.
The NANP Caribbean Countries
The Caribbean NANP countries each have their own dedicated area codes:
- 876 — Jamaica
- 246 — Barbados
- 868 — Trinidad and Tobago
- 345 — Cayman Islands
- 809, 829, 849 — Dominican Republic
- 787 and 939 — Puerto Rico (US territory)
- 340 — US Virgin Islands (US territory)
- 264 — Anguilla
- 268 — Antigua and Barbuda
The 809 Scam
The Caribbean NANP codes have been exploited in a well-known scam: victims receive a missed call or urgent voicemail from an 809, 876, or similar number and are urged to call back. The return call connects to a premium-rate service in the Caribbean country, generating large per-minute charges. Since the number looks like a US domestic number, victims don't realize they're making an international call.
The lesson: treat any unfamiliar number from a Caribbean area code with the same caution you'd apply to an international call.
US Territories vs. Independent Nations
Puerto Rico (787/939) and the US Virgin Islands (340) are US territories, meaning calls to them are treated as domestic by most US phone plans. The independent Caribbean nations — Jamaica, Barbados, Trinidad, etc. — are international calls despite sharing the +1 country code.
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