Basic international calling info: what to dial, what digits to drop
What do I dial when placing an international call?
The basic international dialing sequence: International prefix - Country code - National subscriber number. For quick dialing instructions use our top navigation for the country you want to dial to.
International prefix
Also known as Exit code or IDD (international direct dialing) code. It is the code used to dial/text internationally from a particular country. There are several IDD codes in use, with 00 and 011 being the most common.
Note that the international prefix and the plus sign can be used interchangeably: +44 20 ???? ???? and 011 44 20 ???? ???? are exactly the same call to a London landline from the US. Moreover, when using the plus sign the call will work no matter what country you are in. Read more on the plus sign.
Country code
To dial/text to any country you must include its telephone country code in your dialing sequence. Country codes are, in most cases, unique to each country. One exception: country code 1, shared by the US, Canada and a number of smaller countries and US territories.
National subscriber number
It's the actual phone number of the person we are calling, including area code (where used). For each country we provide the number of digits in a National subscriber number plus we highlight the differences between landlines and mobile phones.
Do I drop any digits?
Sometimes a foreign telephone number includes one or more extra digits you should leave out. This code, often digit 0, is also known as a national dialing code or trunk prefix. It is used to dial national calls within a particular country.
An example: you are in the US and your friend in Romania gives you this cell number: 07xx xxx xxx. The initial zero is, in this case, the trunk prefix used to dial calls within Romania and must be left out when dialing to this country from abroad. The US exit code is 011 and Romania's country code is 40, so you would dial: 011 40 7?? ??? ???.
➤ List of country codes, international and national trunk prefixes