Twilio setup · 2026
Twilio “phone number requires an address” (21631, 21615): buying a number for cold calling
Last updated September 4, 2026
You went to buy a second number for a UK or Irish campaign, or a local number in a city you sell into, and the purchase stopped with 21631 or 21615. The number exists and is available; the country's regulator wants to know who holds it. This page explains the four address requirements Twilio applies, where the address goes, what a regulatory bundle is and how long it takes, why the US number was easy and this one is not, and what to buy instead when a local number wants an address you cannot provide.
The short answer
Add a qualifying address under Phone Numbers → Regulatory Compliance → Addresses, create a bundle if the country wants documents, then buy again selecting it. 21631 wants any address the number type accepts; 21615 wants one inside the number's own region, and a PO box or virtual office will not do. If you have no local address, the country's national or mobile range usually accepts one from anywhere. US locals do not sit behind a bundle, which is why that one took two minutes.
The four address requirements
| Requirement | What it means | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| None | No address needed to buy | Most US local and toll-free numbers, per the current guidelines |
| Any | An address anywhere in the world on the account | UK national and mobile; Australian mobile (business) |
| Local | An address in the number's country, and often inside the prefix's region | German and Irish geographic locals; many EU locals; 21615 when missing |
| Foreign | An address outside the number's country | A few special number types |
Categories per Twilio's address-requirement and regulatory documentation, read September 2026. The per-country guideline page is the source of truth and Twilio updates it; check the number's listing before you rely on any row above.
The fix, in order
- Read the requirement on the number. Console → Phone Numbers → Buy a number: the listing shows whether an address or a bundle is needed before you click Buy.
- Add the address. Phone Numbers → Regulatory Compliance → Addresses → Add. A real business or home address; PO boxes and virtual offices are refused where a local address is required.
- Create the bundle if the country wants documents. Regulatory Compliance → Bundles → new bundle for the country and number type; upload the documents named; submit. Up to three business days, longer in some regions.
- Buy the number selecting the address or bundle. Repeat the purchase and pick the address or approved bundle when prompted.
- Skip the emergency address on an outbound line. The E911 prompt on a US number is optional for a sales line that never dials 911 and adds a small monthly charge.
Why the US number was easy
Twilio does not require a regulatory bundle for US local or toll-free numbers the way it does for German, French, Irish or Australian ones, so an upgraded account buys a US local in a few clicks for ~$1.15/month. What gates US calling instead is the account: an approved Customer Profile for +1 calls, and since 8 October 2025 a Business profile if the account was created outside the US or Canada. The address prompts you may meet on a US number are the optional emergency (E911) address, which routes 911 and is not needed on an outbound sales line, and an account address on first purchase. Neither is a regulatory bundle.
No local address? Change the number type
A geographic local number that wants an address inside its region is the strictest case. The same country's national or mobile range often accepts an address from anywhere: UK 03 national and 07 mobile numbers do, Australian mobile numbers do for a business. A UK prospect sees a national number as a normal business line. Per-country detail, including which countries now block cross-border local presence outright, is in cold calling several countries at once and the country guides for the UK, Ireland and Australia.
Do not fake the address. Bundles are reviewed against documents, and a number allocated on a false address can be reclaimed with the campaign mid-flight. If the only honest route is a national number, take it.
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Start dialingQuestions people actually ask
What does Twilio error 21631 "Phone Number Requires an Address" mean?
The number type you are buying is regulated in its country in a way that requires an address on file before Twilio can allocate it, and the purchase did not include one. Twilio's documentation notes purchases through the API must now supply an address explicitly rather than falling back to whatever is on the account. The fix is to add an address that meets the number's requirement under Phone Numbers, Regulatory Compliance, Addresses in the Console, then buy again selecting it. Which addresses qualify depends on the country and number type.
What is the difference between 21631 and 21615?
21631 wants an address; 21615 wants a local one. Twilio's regulatory guidelines describe four address requirements: none, any address, a local address (in the same country, and for many geographic local numbers within the region the prefix covers), and a foreign address (outside the number's country, used for a few number types). 21615 is the local case: a Munich number wants a Munich address, an Irish local wants an address in that county with its Eircode. A PO box or virtual office is not accepted as proof of a local address.
Does a US phone number on Twilio require an address?
Twilio does not put US local or toll-free numbers behind the regulatory bundles it requires for German, French, Irish or Australian numbers; in practice a US local number is bought in a few clicks on an upgraded account, which is why a US number is the one cold callers can have in two minutes. If you see an address prompt on a US number it is usually the optional emergency (E911) address for the number, which is for 911 routing and not required for outbound sales calls, or an account-level address Twilio asks for on first purchase. Check the requirement Twilio shows on the number before buying; the regulatory guidelines are the source of truth and change.
What is a Twilio regulatory bundle and how long does it take?
A regulatory bundle groups the end-user details, the address and any supporting documents a country requires for a number type, so Twilio can review them once and attach them to numbers. You create it under Phone Numbers, Regulatory Compliance, Bundles, upload what the country wants (a company register extract in Germany, a K-bis extract in France, an ASIC extract in Australia), and submit. Twilio says review generally takes up to three business days and in some regions several weeks; once approved you can buy the number or assign the bundle to numbers you already hold.
I do not have a local address. Can I still get a number in that country?
Often, by choosing a different number type. Where a geographic local number wants a local address, the national or mobile ranges frequently accept an address anywhere in the world: UK national and mobile numbers do, and Australian mobile numbers do for a business. Twilio's own FAQ says the same: if a number type does not fit your situation, another type in the same country usually does. Check the per-country guideline page for the type that says "any" or "foreign" address.
Is the emergency address the same as the regulatory address?
No. The emergency address is attached to a US number for 911 routing and carries a small monthly charge (Twilio lists E911 at about $0.75 a month per number); it is for phones that might dial 911 from that number, and an outbound-only sales line does not need it. The regulatory address is proof of who holds the number for the country's regulator and is what 21631 and 21615 are asking for. They live in different parts of the Console.