VoIP Tips

+44 Country Code: Complete Guide to Calling the UK

By WorldDialer Team
The +44 country code is the United Kingdom. Learn how to dial UK numbers from the US, major UK area codes, and mobile vs landline format.

The 44 country code is the United Kingdom. That includes England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. To call the UK from the US, dial 011-44, then the UK number (minus the leading zero). Whether you're calling a London office, a Manchester mobile, or a friend in Edinburgh, here's everything you need to know.

What Country is +44?

+44 is the international dialing code for the United Kingdom. It's assigned by the International Telecommunication Union and covers all of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

When you see a phone number starting with +44, you're looking at a UK number. The plus sign represents your country's exit code (011 from the US), and 44 tells the phone network to route your call to the UK.

How to Dial the UK from the US

To call the UK from the US, dial 011 + 44 + the UK number without the leading zero.

Here's the breakdown:

  1. 011 - The US exit code (or use + on a mobile phone)
  2. 44 - The UK country code
  3. UK number - Drop the first zero

Example: A London number like 020 7946 0000 becomes 011-44-20-7946-0000 from a US phone.

From a mobile: Just use the + sign. That London number becomes +44 20 7946 0000.

The Most Common Mistake

Don't include the zero after +44.

  • Wrong: +44 020 7946 0000
  • Right: +44 20 7946 0000

That extra zero creates an invalid number. Your call won't connect.

UK Area Codes

London uses 020 (or +44 20 internationally). Other major UK cities have their own area codes. Here's a quick reference:

City Domestic Code International Format
London 020 +44 20
Birmingham 0121 +44 121
Manchester 0161 +44 161
Glasgow 0141 +44 141
Edinburgh 0131 +44 131
Liverpool 0151 +44 151
Leeds 0113 +44 113
Bristol 0117 +44 117
Cardiff 029 +44 29
Belfast 028 +44 28

Notice the pattern: domestic UK numbers start with 0, but you drop it for international calls.

UK Mobile Numbers

All UK mobile numbers start with 07 domestically, or +44 7 when calling from abroad.

UK mobiles are 11 digits in domestic format. When you see a number like 07700 900123, you'd dial it internationally as +44 7700 900123 (dropping the leading zero, same as landlines).

Mobile prefixes include 071, 072, 073, 074, 075, 077, 078, and 079. If a UK number starts with any of these, it's a mobile.

Quick Reference: Dialing the UK

Here's how to call the UK from different countries:

Calling From Exit Code Example (London number)
United States 011 011-44-20-XXXX-XXXX
Canada 011 011-44-20-XXXX-XXXX
Australia 0011 0011-44-20-XXXX-XXXX
Most of Europe 00 00-44-20-XXXX-XXXX
Any mobile phone + +44-20-XXXX-XXXX

The + method works from any mobile phone worldwide. It's the simplest approach.

Need to Call the US from the UK?

If you're looking at this from the opposite direction---you're in the UK and need to call US numbers---the process reverses. The US country code is +1. From the UK, dial 00-1 (or just +1 from a mobile), then the US number.

Looking to call US numbers from the UK regularly? World Dialer offers $0.02/minute to US landlines. No subscription, no app download---just browser-based calls when you need them.

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