How to Dial an International Number from the US
Dialing an international number from the US takes four parts in order: the exit code (011 or +), the country code, the area or city code with any leading zero removed, and the local number. The same format works from a landline, a cell phone, or a VoIP app.
Step 1: Dial the exit code
Dial 011 to tell the US network the call is leaving the country; on a cell phone, press and hold 0 to enter a + sign, which does the same job in any country.
011 is the exit code for every country in the North American Numbering Plan (the US, Canada, and most of the Caribbean). The + sign is the international standard that your phone converts to the correct exit code wherever you are, which is why numbers saved in your contacts with + work at home and abroad. Landlines and older desk phones don't accept +, so use 011 there.
Step 2: Dial the country code
Enter the one-, two-, or three-digit code for the country you're calling, such as 44 for the UK, 91 for India, or 52 for Mexico.
Country codes never start with 0. The codes for the countries Americans call most are in the table below.
Step 3: Dial the area or city code, dropping the leading 0
Enter the area, city, or mobile code, but leave off the 0 that locals dial in front of it, because that 0 is the country's own "trunk prefix" and is replaced by the country code when calling from abroad.
A London number written locally as 020 7946 0018 becomes +44 20 7946 0018. A Mumbai mobile written 098765 43210 becomes +91 98765 43210. A Berlin number 030 1234567 becomes +49 30 1234567. Italy is the well-known exception: the leading 0 is part of the number, so Rome's 06 becomes +39 06. Russia and Kazakhstan use 8 as the trunk prefix, which is likewise dropped.
Step 4: Dial the local number and call
Enter the remaining digits and press call; the full sequence is 011 (or +), country code, area code, local number, and the number after the exit code can be up to 15 digits.
Save international contacts in the + format so they dial correctly from any phone and any country. If the call fails, the most common causes are a leading 0 you didn't remove, a missing 011, or a carrier that has blocked international dialing on your line by default.
Dialing Codes for the Countries Americans Call Most
The 16 countries Americans call most often, with their country codes, whether to drop the leading zero, and a worked example, are below. Numbers in bold are the digits you dial after 011 or +.
Country | Country code | Drop the leading 0? | Example (local number → dial from the US) |
| Mexico | 52 | No trunk prefix; dial all 10 digits | 55 1234 5678 → 011 52 55 1234 5678 |
| India | 91 | Yes | 098765 43210 → 011 91 98765 43210 |
| United Kingdom | 44 | Yes | 020 7946 0018 → 011 44 20 7946 0018 |
| Canada | 1 | No 011 needed | 416 555 0123 → 1 416 555 0123 |
| Philippines | 63 | Yes | 0917 123 4567 → 011 63 917 123 4567 |
| China | 86 | Yes | 010 1234 5678 → 011 86 10 1234 5678 |
| Germany | 49 | Yes | 030 1234567 → 011 49 30 1234567 |
| Nigeria | 234 | Yes | 0803 123 4567 → 011 234 803 123 4567 |
| Pakistan | 92 | Yes | 0300 1234567 → 011 92 300 1234567 |
| Vietnam | 84 | Yes | 091 234 5678 → 011 84 91 234 5678 |
| France | 33 | Yes | 01 23 45 67 89 → 011 33 1 23 45 67 89 |
| Brazil | 55 | Yes (drop the 0 if written) | (11) 91234-5678 → 011 55 11 91234 5678 |
| Japan | 81 | Yes | 03 1234 5678 → 011 81 3 1234 5678 |
| Australia | 61 | Yes | 02 9876 5432 → 011 61 2 9876 5432 |
| Dominican Republic | 1 (809, 829, 849) | No 011 needed | 809 555 0123 → 1 809 555 0123 |
| South Korea | 82 | Yes | 02 123 4567 → 011 82 2 123 4567 |
Two rules cover almost every other country: drop a leading 0 from the area code, and never drop digits from a code that doesn't start with 0. The exceptions worth memorising are Italy (keep the 0) and the North American countries below (no 011 at all).
Calling Canada, Mexico, and the Caribbean from the US
Canada and most Caribbean countries share the US country code (1), so you call them like a domestic long-distance call: 1, the area code, and the number, with no 011. Mexico has its own code, 52, followed by the full ten-digit number with no extra 1.
Canada Dial 1 + area code + number. Most US unlimited plans include calling to Canada at no extra charge; check yours, because some prepaid and legacy plans still bill it.
Mexico Dial 011 52 (or +52) then all ten digits. The old rule of adding 1 before a mobile number was dropped in August 2019; if a guide still tells you to, it's out of date. Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile include Mexico on most unlimited plans.
Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands US territories with US area codes (787 and 939; 340). Dial 1 + area code + number, billed as domestic on nearly every plan.
Dominican Republic, Jamaica, and other Caribbean countries Part of the North American Numbering Plan, so you dial 1 + area code + number (Dominican Republic 809, 829, 849; Jamaica 876, 658; Bahamas 242; Trinidad and Tobago 868; Barbados 246). They look domestic but are billed as international by most carriers, often at high rates, so check before a long call.
How Much Does an International Call from the US Cost?
An international call from the US costs about $1–$5 a minute on a major carrier without a plan, nothing to a few cents a minute with a $5–$15 monthly add-on, and from about a cent a minute over VoIP or a calling app, with mobiles in some countries costing more. App-to-app calls over Wi-Fi are free.
Without a plan
Calling abroad on a US carrier without an international add-on is the most expensive way to make the call, and the rates have risen sharply.
With a carrier add-on
For $5–$15 a month, each of the big three sells an add-on that turns most international calls into unlimited or a few cents a minute, which pays for itself after two or three minutes of pay-per-use calling.
Carrier | Add-on | Monthly price | What you get |
| Verizon | Global Calling | $5 per line | Discounted per-minute rates to 220+ countries (for example, Spain at $0.07 a minute to landlines and $0.32 to mobiles) |
| Verizon | Global Choice | $10 per line | A monthly allowance of minutes to one country you choose (up to about 300 minutes, depending on the country) |
| Verizon | Global Calling Plus | $15 per line | Unlimited calls to landlines in 60+ countries and mobiles in about 30 |
| AT&T | International Calling | $15 per line | Unlimited calls to 85+ countries and discounted rates to 140+ more; needs a postpaid plan with unlimited talk |
| T-Mobile | Stateside International Talk | $15 per line | Unlimited calls to landlines in 70+ countries and mobiles in 30+; discounted rates elsewhere |
Many US unlimited plans already include calling to Mexico and Canada, so check your plan before buying an add-on for those two countries. Add-ons are usually month-to-month and can be switched on for a single month around a family event. Carrier prices and country lists change, so confirm the current terms before you sign up.
With VoIP or a calling app
VoIP services and calling apps route the call over the internet for most of its journey and only pay local termination at the far end, which is why they charge cents per minute to landlines and mobiles abroad and nothing at all app-to-app.
Google Voice bills international calls from prepaid credit, from about a cent a minute to landlines in many popular destinations, with mobiles in some countries costing considerably more. Dedicated calling apps sell pay-as-you-go credit and unlimited plans for single countries, often for a few dollars to around $15 a month. Skype, once the default for cheap international calls, was retired in May 2025.
Business VoIP providers price per destination, usually from a prepaid balance, with rates that depend on the country and on whether you call a landline or a mobile. Calls to the US and Canada are often bundled into the plan, and rates to most popular destinations run from about a cent to a few tens of cents a minute.
If you call one country heavily, prepaid country packs usually beat pay-as-you-go. Calilio, for example, sells calling, SMS, and combo packs for specific countries through the Calilio Hub, in a range of sizes and validity periods, so you can match a pack to how much you call.
The Cheapest Way to Make International Calls from the US
The cheapest way to call abroad from the US depends on who you're calling and how often: app-to-app calls are free, a VoIP service or calling app is cheapest for landlines and mobiles, a carrier add-on is cheapest for heavy calling to one country on your existing phone, and pay-per-use is never the cheapest option.
You call one country often (family abroad) A carrier add-on ($5–$15 a month) if you want to dial from your regular number, or a prepaid country pack or unlimited country plan from a VoIP app if you don't. Either beats pay-per-use after a handful of minutes.
You call several countries occasionally A pay-as-you-go VoIP wallet, such as Google Voice credit or a business VoIP account. You pay cents per minute only for the calls you make, with no monthly fee.
You're calling landlines or people without smartphones VoIP or an international calling app. App-to-app calls can't reach a landline; VoIP can, at a cent or two a minute to most countries.
Both of you have smartphones and data WhatsApp, FaceTime, or Messenger. Free, with good quality on Wi-Fi.
You run a business calling customers abroad A business VoIP provider with per-minute international rates and prepaid country packs, plus local virtual numbers in the countries you call, so customers see a local number and can call you back at local rates.
How to Make International Calls for Free from the US
You can make international calls for free from the US with app-to-app calling, provided both people have the same app and an internet connection: WhatsApp, FaceTime, Facebook Messenger, Telegram, Google Meet, and Zoom all carry voice and video calls at no charge over Wi-Fi or data.
The limits are practical rather than financial. The person you're calling needs the app and a smartphone or computer, the call uses data (roughly 0.5–1 MB a minute for voice, far more for video), and you can't reach a landline, a business switchboard, or anyone who isn't online. For a relative with a basic phone or a company's customer-service line, you'll need one of the paid methods, where a cent a minute is close enough to free.
Google Voice also gives US users free calls to Canada, and most US unlimited plans include Mexico and Canada, which covers the two most-called countries for a large share of Americans.
Tips for Calling Internationally from the US
Five habits make international calls cheaper and more likely to connect: check the time zone, save numbers in + format, prefer landlines to mobiles where rates differ, use Wi-Fi for app calls, and know what your line is allowed to dial.
Check the time zone first In US summer time, India is 9.5 hours ahead of New York, the UK 5 hours ahead, the Philippines 12 hours ahead, and Mexico City 2 hours behind (Mexico no longer observes daylight saving, so add an hour to each in US winter, except the UK). A 9 a.m. summer call from New York reaches London at 2 p.m., Mumbai at 6:30 p.m., and Manila at 9 p.m.
Save numbers in the + format +44 20 7946 0018, written in the international E.164 format, dials correctly from a US cell, from a VoIP app, and from a foreign SIM when you travel.
Prefer landlines where rates differ Many carriers and apps charge more to call a mobile abroad than a landline, sometimes several times more. If the person has both, the landline is cheaper.
Use Wi-Fi for app and VoIP calls Quality on a good Wi-Fi connection is better than on congested mobile data, and it avoids using your data allowance.
Check that international dialing is enabled Some carriers block international calls by default on new lines and some business phone systems restrict them to prevent fraud. If every international call fails instantly, ask your carrier or admin to enable it, and consider a spending cap.
Why Your International Call Isn't Connecting
International calls from the US usually fail for one of six reasons: a leading zero that wasn't dropped, a missing exit code, a wrong or outdated country code, international dialing blocked on the line, a Caribbean number dialed with 011, or a call to a number that has changed format.
You dialed the leading 0 011 44 020 … won't connect; 011 44 20 … will. Drop the trunk 0 for every country except Italy.
You forgot 011 or + Dialing 44 20 7946 0018 from a US phone is read as a domestic number starting with area code 442. Add 011 or +.
Your line blocks international calls New prepaid lines and many business systems block international dialing by default. A recorded message such as "this call cannot be completed as dialed" or an instant disconnect after dialing usually means this. Ask the carrier or admin to enable it.
You dialed a NANP country with 011 Canada, Puerto Rico, Jamaica, and the Dominican Republic are dialed with 1, not 011. Use 1 + area code + number.
The number format changed Mexico dropped the mobile "1" in 2019 and moved to uniform ten-digit numbers; several countries have added digits to mobile numbers. If an old contact fails, confirm the current format.
The other side is unreachable The number is switched off, out of coverage, or the foreign carrier rejects calls from VoIP origins (rare, but it happens with some prepaid mobile networks). Try another method, such as a carrier call instead of an app.
Next step
Call Abroad Without the Carrier Markup
Calling internationally from the US is a four-part dial, 011 or +, country code, area code, local number, and it costs whatever method you choose to route it through. The carriers' pay-per-use rates are the most expensive option by a wide margin; an add-on, an app, or a VoIP wallet brings the same call down to cents.
If you'd like to try Calilio, every plan includes a free US, Canada, or UK number and a monthly bundle of free minutes and SMS, with per-minute rates to other countries and prepaid country packs for heavier calling.
Frequently Asked Questions
Short answers to the questions people ask most about calling abroad from the US.
How do I dial an international number from the US?
Dial 011, then the country code, then the area code without its leading zero, then the local number. On a cell phone you can dial + in place of 011. For example, +44 20 7946 0018 for a London landline.
Is + the same as 011?
Yes, on a cell phone or VoIP app. The + sign stands for "the international exit code of wherever I am", which in the US is 011. Landlines and older desk phones need 011 typed out.
Is +1 the same as 011?
No. +1 (or 1) is the country code for the US, Canada, and most of the Caribbean; 011 is the exit code you dial to leave the US. You never dial 011 before a +1 number.
Which country code is 011?
None. 011 isn't a country code; it's the international exit code for the US and other North American Numbering Plan countries. The country code comes after it.
Do I need to dial 011 to call Canada, Mexico, or Puerto Rico from the US?
Not for Canada or Puerto Rico: dial 1 + area code + number, as for a domestic call. Mexico has its own country code, so dial 011 52 (or +52) then the ten-digit number.
How much does an international call cost from the US without a plan?
About $1 to $5 a minute on the major carriers. AT&T charges $2 a minute to Canada and Mexico and $4 a minute to other countries; Verizon varies by country ($1.99 a minute to Spain, for example); T-Mobile charges about $1 to Canada and Mexico and around $3 to most of Europe.
What is the cheapest way to make international calls from the US?
App-to-app calls (WhatsApp, FaceTime) are free if both people have the app. For landlines and mobiles, a VoIP service or calling app at a cent or two a minute is cheapest; for heavy calling to one country from your regular number, a $5–$15 carrier add-on.
Does Verizon, AT&T, or T-Mobile include international calling?
Many of their unlimited plans include calling to Mexico and Canada. Calls to other countries need an add-on (Verizon Global Calling $5, Global Choice $10, or Global Calling Plus $15; AT&T International Calling $15; T-Mobile Stateside International Talk $15) or are billed per minute.
Do I drop the 0 when calling the UK or India from the US?
Yes. The leading 0 is the local trunk prefix and is replaced by the country code: 020 7946 0018 becomes +44 20 7946 0018, and 098765 43210 becomes +91 98765 43210. Italy is the exception, where the 0 is kept.
Can I make international calls over Wi-Fi from the US?
Yes. Wi-Fi calling through your carrier bills international calls at your plan's rates, while VoIP apps and app-to-app services use Wi-Fi to carry the call at their own rates or free. For the cheapest calls, use a VoIP app rather than carrier Wi-Fi calling.