> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://mintfax.com/docs/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Send faxes to any country

> E.164 formatting, country-specific dial rules, and destination support

## Outcome

After reading this page you can format international fax numbers for the mintfax API and handle country-specific dial rules.

## Prerequisites

* A mintfax environment with a sandbox or live API key
* A fax-capable document (PDF or TIFF) ready to send

## Step 1: Format numbers in E.164

Every fax number in the mintfax API uses [E.164](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E.164) format: a leading `+`, the country code, and the subscriber number with no spaces, hyphens, or parentheses.

| Country        | Country code | Local number     | E.164 result    |
| -------------- | ------------ | ---------------- | --------------- |
| United States  | `1`          | `(201) 555-0100` | `+12015550100`  |
| Canada         | `1`          | `(416) 555-0100` | `+14165550100`  |
| United Kingdom | `44`         | `020 7555 0199`  | `+442075550199` |
| Australia      | `61`         | `(02) 5555 0150` | `+61255550150`  |

Drop the leading zero from the local number before prepending the country code. The UK number `020 7555 0199` becomes `2075550199` after you strip the trunk prefix `0`, then `+442075550199` with the country code.

```bash theme={null}
curl -X POST https://api.mintfax.com/v1/faxes \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer mfx_test_abc123def456" \
  -H "Idempotency-Key: $(uuidgen)" \
  -F "to=+442075550199" \
  -F "file=@invoice.pdf"
```

**Verify:** The response returns HTTP 201 with an `id`. If `to` is malformed, the API returns HTTP 422 with an error code. See the [error catalog](/docs/errors) for the full list of validation errors.

## Step 2: Handle country-specific dial rules

A few country-specific rules are worth knowing before you send.

### United States and Canada

US and Canada share country code `1`. The number must be 11 digits total: `+1` followed by a 10-digit number (area code + subscriber). Toll-free prefixes like `800`, `888`, and `877` work for fax, but some toll-free numbers are voice-only and will reject the fax handshake.

### United Kingdom

UK geographic numbers start with `01` or `02` in local format. Strip the leading `0` before adding `+44`. Mobile numbers (`07`) are not fax-capable. Sending to a mobile number produces a `fax.failed` event. See the [error catalog](/docs/errors) for the specific failure reason.

### Australia

Australian geographic numbers have the format `0X XXXX XXXX` locally, where `X` is the area code digit. Strip the leading `0` to get a 9-digit subscriber number, then prepend `+61`. The result is 12 digits total: `+61` plus 9 digits.

## Step 3: Check destination support

Most landline numbers in North America, Europe, and Asia-Pacific accept faxes. Numbers that ring to voicemail, mobile handsets, or VoIP endpoints without fax support produce a `fax.failed` event.

To test whether a destination accepts faxes, send a single-page document from the sandbox first. The sandbox simulates the carrier handshake and returns a realistic result.

## Verify

Send a fax to an international number using E.164 format and confirm you receive a `fax.delivered` event on your webhook endpoint.

## What to do next

* [Error catalog](/docs/errors) for international-specific error codes
* [Glossary](/docs/glossary) for definitions of E.164, T.30, ECM, and other fax terms
* Try sending to the sandbox magic numbers before switching to live