Australian Online Fax Numbers

A fax number is a string of digits used to identify your fax service. Just like a phone number, people who want to reach you via fax can do so by sending a fax to your number. The fax service registered with your number will then save or print the fax.

Australian fax numbers were initially created for the analog telephone network, as each fax number referred to a specific fax line. These days, online faxing has made this system obsolete - but we still use fax numbers to identify fax users.

No matter what country you live in, your fax number will follow a basic format: +(country code)(area code)(local fax number). In Australia, that means your number will start with “+61”. Then, you’ll be given the area code for your city, like “3” for Melbourne. Finally, you’ll have a local number that is unique to you, like “5329 2019”. Put these together, and you’ll get your full fax number: +61353292019. If you’d like to find out what your fax area code would be, you can check here.

The exact number of digits in a fax number will depend on where you live, but fax numbers are generally 12 - 15 digits long.

Globally, all fax numbers follow the same format: +(country code)(area code)(local fax number). That means they start with a country code (like “+61” for Australia), include an area code (like “3” for Hobart) and finish with a local fax number that is unique to you (like “9283 1834”). If you put these codes together, you’ll get your full fax number: +61392831834.

As you can probably guess, the number of digits included in your fax number will depend on how many digits appear in your country and area codes and local fax numbers. For example, while someone in Hobart might have the number “61392831834” (11 digits), someone in Vancouver might have the number “+16040392818421” (14 digits). That’s because Vancouver’s country code is “+1”, their area code is “+604”, and their local numbers have ten digits.

You will need to sign up for a faxing service to get your own fax number. Like phone numbers, fax numbers are useless unless connected via a service provider that can transmit your faxes.

As the old fax landlines are being disconnected with the NBN rollout, two types of service providers still offer faxing services: SIP/ VoIP providers and online fax providers.

SIP/ VoIP providers offer fax services that will work via your old fax machine. To make your machine NBN compatible, however, you will need to connect it to the digital network via a telephone adapter. Although this is a good solution for some people, it can quickly become expensive.

Online faxing providers like eFax, on the other hand, will give you a fax number and access to their online fax service. Unlike traditional faxing, online faxing transmits faxes via the internet: meaning you can fax from your computer, tablet or smartphone.

Before Australia switched to the digital network, your fax number corresponded with a fax landline. As these lines are part of the old analog network, they are being disconnected with the NBN.

However, there are still two ways you can send faxes without a landline: analog faxing (with a twist) and online faxing.

First, you may be able to bring your fax machine onto the NBN using a telephone adapter from an electronics store. Once you have followed the manufacturer’s instructions and configured the device, you’ll need to port your fax number to a telecommunications provider that offers fax services. Then, link your SIP/ VoIP account to your fax number.

Alternatively, you can switch to online faxing (sometimes called 'internet faxing'). Unlike analog faxing, online faxing transmits faxes via the internet - meaning no landlines are required. With online faxing, you would send faxes from your phone, computer or tablet instead of your old fax machine.