How to call the United Kingdom from the US→
Dial 011, then 44, then the UK number without its first 0. From a mobile, type +44 and the number without the 0. A London number written 020 7946 0018 becomes 011 44 20 7946 0018.
- 1
Dial 011
The exit code for calls out of the United States. On a mobile, type + instead: hold the 0 key.
- 2
Dial 44
The country code for the United Kingdom.
- 3
Dial the number
Drop the 0 at the start of the number.
Examples: what you see, what you dial
| Number | Written in the United Kingdom | Landline in the United States | Any mobile |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mobile | 07700 900123 | 011 44 7700 900123 | +44 7700 900123 |
| London landline | 020 7946 0018 | 011 44 20 7946 0018 | +44 20 7946 0018 |
An x stands for any digit. Numbers shown in full are from ranges reserved for fiction, so they reach no one.
Drop the 0, keep everything else
UK numbers are written with a leading 0 for calls inside the country: 07 for mobiles, 020 for London, 0161 for Manchester. From the US you remove that one 0 and dial the rest exactly as written.
UK mobile numbers start 07 and have 11 digits including the 0, so the part you dial after 44 is 10 digits long.
Freephone and 03 numbers
UK 0800 and 0808 numbers are free inside the UK but often do not connect from abroad at all. Many companies list a normal 03 or 020 number for overseas callers on their website: use that instead.
The gap is not always 5 hours
London is usually 5 hours ahead of New York. But the US moves its clocks forward in mid March and the UK only at the end of March, and they move back on different weekends too. For a few weeks each spring and autumn the gap is 4 hours, which is when missed meetings happen.
Right now
New York: Wed 7:44 AM
London: Wed 12:44 PM
London is 5 hours ahead of New York today. 9:00 AM in New York is 2:00 PM in London.
What it costs
Your phone plan decides the price of a direct call, so check it before a long one. Many plans charge international calls per minute. Prepaid calls to the United Kingdom with SimVala start at $0.0028/min, to mobiles and landlines, paid in crypto.
See the rates for calls to the United KingdomBuild the exact digits
Paste a number as it was written in the United Kingdom. The builder shows what to dial from a mobile and from a landline in the United States.
Dial builder
What exactly should I dial?
From any mobile
+44 20 7946 0018
Type + by holding the 0 key. Works from any country.
From a landline in the United States
011 44 20 7946 0018
011 is the exit code from the United States.
Example numbers are from ranges reserved for fiction. Codes follow the ITU dialling procedures list.
More calling guides
Keep reading
Calling the United Kingdom from the US, answered
What is the country code for the UK?+
44. From the US you dial 011 44, or +44 from a mobile, then the number without its first 0.
Do I dial the 0 when calling the UK from the US?+
No. Drop the leading 0. 07700 900123 becomes +44 7700 900123.
Can I call a UK 0800 number from the US?+
Often not. Freephone numbers are usually blocked from abroad. Look for a regular 020 or 03 number for international callers.
What time is it in the UK compared to New York?+
Usually 5 hours ahead, and 4 hours ahead for a few weeks in March and around late October, when the two countries change clocks on different dates.
Call the United Kingdom for less
Prepaid minutes to mobiles and landlines, from $0.0028/min. Pay in crypto, no card, no email, no ID.