How to dial international numbers from the UK
A short, practical guide to dialling international phone numbers from the UK - exit codes, country codes, area codes, common formats and how VoIP simplifies the whole thing for business teams.
About how to dial international numbers from the uk
The standard structure for dialling an international number from the UK is: exit code + country code + area code (without the leading 0) + local number. From a UK landline, mobile or SIP handset the exit code is 00, or you can use the + prefix which most mobiles and softphones will translate automatically.
For example, to call a London 020 7946 0018 number from Paris you would dial 00 44 20 7946 0018 (or +44 20 7946 0018), dropping the leading 0 from the UK area code. To call a New York 212 555 0198 number from London you would dial 00 1 212 555 0198 (or +1 212 555 0198).
Country codes to remember for common business destinations: +1 (US and Canada), +33 (France), +34 (Spain), +39 (Italy), +44 (UK), +49 (Germany), +353 (Ireland), +61 (Australia), +65 (Singapore), +81 (Japan), +86 (China), +971 (UAE). A quick internet lookup covers anything else.
In practice, business teams should use E.164 format (+ followed by country code and full number, no spaces or leading zeros) in every CRM record, address book and dialler. This format is universally accepted by every VoIP platform and prevents ambiguous dialling.
Some corner cases catch people out. Italian landlines keep their leading 0 when dialled internationally. Some smaller destinations use non-standard trunk-prefix conventions. UK freephone (0800) numbers cannot be dialled from outside the UK - callers must use the geographic alternative. When in doubt, store the full E.164 number and let the phone system handle presentation.
If your business regularly calls internationally, our SelectVoice cloud phone system, Microsoft Teams direct routing and SIP trunks all handle E.164 automatically - your team simply clicks a number in the CRM and the platform routes it correctly. Our World SIP call plan adds 40+ inclusive international destinations, so per-minute international spend becomes predictable monthly cost.
What's included
The capabilities included as standard with this service.
Exit code 00 or +
Both work from the UK; + is preferred for mobile and softphones.
Drop the leading 0
For most country area codes (Italy is a common exception).
E.164 in CRM
Universal format that never breaks between systems.
Country codes
+1 US, +33 FR, +49 DE, +44 UK, +61 AU, +65 SG, +81 JP.
UK 0800 exception
UK freephone cannot be dialled from abroad - use the geographic number.
Emergency numbers
112 is the pan-European emergency number; local variants (911, 999) still work locally.
Where this fits
Common scenarios where this service delivers measurable value.
International sales teams
Standardise on E.164 in every CRM record for click-to-dial.
Global account management
One address-book format across every region.
Export customer service
Support agents dialling customer numbers stored in E.164.
Field engineers overseas
Softphone dialling from a mobile with automatic + translation.
Common questions
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