To call abroad from a UK phone, dial 00, then the country code, then the local number without its leading zero. On a mobile you can press and hold 0 to get a plus sign and dial + instead of 00; both work the same.
So a Spanish mobile written 612 345 678 becomes 00 34 612 345 678, and a Lagos number written 01 234 5678 becomes 00 234 1 234 5678.
How an international number is built
Every international number has three parts:
- The exit code. From the UK this is 00. It tells your network the next digits are a country code, not a UK number.
- The country code. One to three digits: 1 for the USA and Canada, 33 for France, 91 for India, 234 for Nigeria. Look any country up on our international dialling codes page.
- The national number. The area code and local number, or the mobile number, as it is written in that country but without the leading zero people dial locally.
The leading zero, and the exceptions
Most countries use a leading 0 for calls within the country, as the UK does, and you drop it when calling from abroad. A few do not work that way:
- Italy: landline numbers keep their 0. Rome is 00 39 06 and the number.
- USA and Canada: there is no leading zero to drop. Dial 00 1 and all ten digits. Our guide to calling the USA from the UK has the details.
- Numbers already written with +: replace the + with 00 and dial the rest exactly as written, with no zero added.
If a number is written with a zero in brackets, such as +44 (0)20, leave the bracketed zero out.
Calling mobiles abroad
In most countries mobiles have their own prefixes and cost more to call than landlines, so check the mobile rate on the country page before a long call. The USA and Canada are the main exceptions: mobiles and landlines look the same and cost the same.
Calling a ship or satellite phone
Satellite phones and ships at sea use special international codes rather than a country code, and calls to them are charged at very high rates by every provider. They are usually outside cheap calling services altogether. If you need to reach someone at sea, check the rate before you dial.
Calling abroad is not the same as roaming
An international call is a call from the UK to a number overseas. Roaming is using your UK phone while you are abroad. They are charged completely differently, and services like ours only work for calls made from a UK phone. Dialling a UK access number while you are overseas is charged at your network’s roaming rate.
Mind the time difference
Before you dial, check the time where you are calling. Much of Europe is an hour ahead of the UK, the UAE three or four hours depending on the season, India four and a half or five and a half, and the US East Coast five hours behind. Countries change their clocks on different dates, or not at all, so the gap shifts during the year.
Cheaper ways to make the call
Dialled straight from a UK phone, most international calls are charged at your network’s standard international rate. Dial a Planet Numbers access number first and the same call costs pennies a minute, or nothing if your plan includes 0845 calls. See how to make cheap international calls.
If the call does not connect
Count the digits after 00 and check you dropped the leading zero (except for Italian landlines). Check the number is written correctly for the country: our dialling codes page shows how long numbers usually are. If you are using our service and it still fails, send us the number and the time of the call through the support form, or call 0333 370 7333.