How to Dial an International Number — 3 Steps
- Exit code — signals your carrier that you are making an international call (e.g. 011 from USA, 00 from UK, 0011 from Australia)
- Country code — the destination country's prefix (e.g. +33 for France, +91 for India, +44 for UK)
- Local number — the phone number in the destination country, dropping any leading 0
Example — calling France from the USA: dial 011 + 33 + 6 12 34 56 78 (the French mobile 06 12 34 56 78, dropping the leading 0).
On a mobile phone you can replace the exit code with + — hold the 0 key to type it. This works worldwide.
Common Questions
What is an exit code? The exit code (IDD prefix) is dialed first to tell your network you want to make an international call. The USA and Canada use 011; most of Europe uses 00; Australia uses 0011; Japan uses 010.
Should I drop the leading 0? Yes — most countries write local numbers with a leading 0 (e.g. 07911 123456 in the UK). When dialing internationally, omit that 0. So 07911 123456 becomes +44 7911 123456.
What does + mean? The + is a universal substitute for the exit code. On a mobile, hold 0 to type +. Dialing +44 7911 123456 works from any country in the world.
Does the same format work for mobiles and landlines? Yes — the exit code + country code + local number format works for both. Mobile numbers follow the same rule about dropping the leading 0.