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Reference

How to call any country

Every guide gives you the same three things: the exit code you dial, the country code that follows it, and the digit you have to drop from the local number. Plus the time difference, so the call is actually answered.

Reviewed by Sujan ThapaliyaLast updated

How do you make an international call?

Dial your country’s international exit code, then the destination country code, then the local number with its leading trunk digit removed. From the US and Canada the exit code is 011; across most of Europe and Asia it is 00; from Australia it is 0011. On any mobile, dial + instead; it works from every country.
How every international call is composed: exit code, then country code, then the national number with any leading trunk zero dropped. The diagram shows the leading-zero rule that causes most failed international calls, and the plus-sign shortcut that avoids needing the exit code at all.
Every guide in this directory is the same three blocks with different values.

Exit codes

What to dial before the country code

The exit code depends on where you are calling from, not where you are calling to. This is the part most guides get wrong.

Calling fromExit code
United States, Canada011
Most of Europe, Asia, Africa, South America00
Australia0011
Japan010
Taiwan002
Hong Kong, Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, South Korea001 (varies by carrier)
Russia8 then 10
Nigeria009
Kenya000
Any mobile, anywhere+ (press and hold 0)

Frequently asked questions

What is the general format for an international call?
Exit code + country code + local number, with the local number's leading trunk digit removed. From the US that is 011 + country code + number. From a mobile you can replace the exit code with a + symbol, which works from any country.
Why does my international call not connect?
Four causes cover almost all of them: you kept the leading 0 on the local number, you used the wrong exit code for the country you are calling from, your carrier has international dialing barred on the line, or the destination requires a mobile-specific prefix; Argentina's 9 after +54 is the classic example.
Is it cheaper to call over the internet?
Almost always. Carrier international rates are typically many times VoIP per-minute rates. Calling from an owned number in the destination country is cheaper still, and it means the person you called can ring you back.
Can I call any country from a browser?
Yes. A softphone in the browser places calls over the internet to any destination, and bills per second from a prepaid wallet rather than through a mobile carrier's international tariff.

Sources

  1. ITU-T Recommendation E.164 — The international public telecommunication numbering planInternational Telecommunication UnionThe international number format, the 15-digit maximum, and how country codes and national numbers compose.
  2. ITU-T International Numbering ResourcesInternational Telecommunication UnionThe assignment of country calling codes and the published national numbering plans they belong to.

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