Calling home to the UK from abroad is easy once you know two rules: use the country code +44, and drop the 0 at the start of the UK number. What it costs depends much more on how you call than on where you are – and some UK numbers, especially 0800 freephone numbers, often cannot be reached from abroad at all.
Quick answer
Dial +44, then the UK number without its leading 0. From a US or Canadian landline, dial 011 44; from most of Europe, 00 44. London 020 7946 0018 becomes +44 20 7946 0018.
How to Dial a UK Number from Abroad
Every UK number starts with 0 when you dial it inside the country. That 0 is the domestic prefix, and it disappears as soon as you add the country code. A very common mistake is dialling +44 020 …, which usually fails.
| UK number | From a mobile | From US/Canada | From Europe |
|---|---|---|---|
| London landline 020 7946 0018 | +44 20 7946 0018 | 011 44 20 7946 0018 | 00 44 20 7946 0018 |
| UK mobile 07700 900123 | +44 7700 900123 | 011 44 7700 900123 | 00 44 7700 900123 |
Example numbers from the ranges Ofcom reserves for films and TV, so they do not belong to anyone. Numbers written as +44 (0)20 … mean the same: leave out the (0).
- 1
Start with +44
On a mobile or in a calling app, type the + sign. On a landline, use your exit code instead: 011 in the US and Canada, 00 in most other countries.
- 2
Remove the leading 0
020 becomes 20, 0161 becomes 161, 07700 becomes 7700.
- 3
Dial the rest as written
Spaces do not matter. Most UK numbers have 10 digits after +44.
Calling the UK from the USA and Canada
From a US or Canadian landline you dial the exit code 011, then 44 and the UK number without its 0. From a mobile, +44 works the same way and is easier to save in your contacts.
Time difference
The UK is 5 hours ahead of New York and 8 hours ahead of Los Angeles for most of the year. For a few weeks in March and around the end of October, the gap is one hour smaller, because the US and the UK change their clocks on different dates.
What your carrier charges
Without an international calling plan, US carriers usually bill calls to the UK per minute. Check your carrier's international rates or add-ons before a long call.
If you call from your computer or over Wi-Fi, a browser-based service is often cheaper than your carrier: with FluffyCall, UK landlines cost €0.03 and UK mobiles €0.06 per minute, billed per second. That works from the USA just as from anywhere else.
Calling the UK from Spain and the EU
Inside the EU, calls from one EU country to another are price-capped: no more than €0.19 per minute plus VAT. Since Brexit the UK is no longer part of that rule, so your operator can charge its normal international rate for calls to the UK.
| Calling the UK with | Price per minute | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Movistar (Spain) | 22.99 cents | After the first minute (1.21 cents) |
| MEO (Portugal) | Same as its EU rate | MEO applies its EU price to the UK voluntarily |
| FluffyCall | €0.03 / €0.06 | Landline / mobile, per second |
Movistar: rates for calls from Spain to international destinations, as listed on movistar.es, checked November 2026; the page does not say whether VAT is included. MEO: intra-EU price list, checked November 2026. FluffyCall excl. VAT where applicable.
Using a UK SIM card in the EU
If you live or travel in Spain with a UK mobile plan, roaming is the bigger question. Since Brexit, surcharge-free roaming in EU countries is no longer guaranteed for UK customers. Some UK plans include Europe, others charge a daily fee – check your plan before you travel. UK rules still protect you on data: operators must stop mobile data abroad at £45 per month unless you choose to continue, and send alerts at 80% and 100% of that limit.
A simple alternative for calls home: use Wi-Fi or local mobile data and call UK numbers from the browser on your phone or laptop. You then pay the per-minute rate of the service you use, not roaming charges.
Call the UK from €0.03/min
From anywhere, directly in your browser. Per-second billing, no app, no contract lock-in.
Create Account →Prepaid from €10 · Credit with no expiry date · All rates published
UK 0800 and 03 Numbers from Abroad
Many UK organisations use special numbers. Some of them are hard or impossible to call from outside the UK:
| Starts with | Type | From abroad |
|---|---|---|
| 0800, 0808 | Freephone | Often not reachable, and not free from abroad |
| 03 | National rate (e.g. 0300, 0345) | Depends on your provider |
| 084, 087 | Service numbers | May not work from abroad, can be expensive |
| 09, 118 | Premium rate, directory enquiries | Avoid – very expensive |
The fix: look on the organisation's website for a number “for callers outside the UK”. It usually starts with +44 1 or +44 2 and costs the same as any UK landline. Banks often print it on the back of the card or list it under “calling from abroad”.
With FluffyCall you cannot call UK 0800, 0808, 03, 084, 087, 09 or 118 numbers. These are blocked on purpose, to keep prices predictable and to prevent misuse. Ordinary UK landline numbers (01, 02) and mobiles (07) work.
Landline or Mobile: What Is the Difference?
UK mobile numbers start with 07 (+44 7). Calls to mobiles usually cost more than calls to landlines – with FluffyCall €0.06 instead of €0.03 per minute. Two exceptions look like mobiles but are not: 070 numbers are “personal numbers” that forward calls and can be expensive, and 076 numbers are pagers. FluffyCall blocks both.
If someone gives you both a landline and a mobile number, the landline is the cheaper choice for a long call.
Ways to Call the UK from Abroad Compared
| Method | Reaches | Cost | Needs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your mobile carrier | All numbers | Varies by plan | SIM card |
| WhatsApp, FaceTime | Only app users | Free | App on both sides |
| Calling apps | Landlines and mobiles | A few cents | App |
| FluffyCall | Landlines and mobiles* | €0.03 / €0.06 | Browser only |
* Except 0800, 0808, 03, 084, 087, 09 and 118 numbers. FluffyCall per minute, landline / mobile, excl. VAT where applicable.
For calls to family and friends who use WhatsApp, an app-to-app call is free. For a bank, a doctor's surgery, a landlord or a client on an office line, you need to reach a real phone number. More on the options in our guide to cheap international calls, and all UK rates on the UK rates page.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the country code for the UK?
The UK country code is +44. Dial +44 and then the UK number without its leading 0. On a mobile you can type the + sign directly; on a landline you replace it with your country's exit code, for example 011 in the US and Canada or 00 in most of Europe.
Do I drop the 0 when calling the UK from abroad?
Yes. UK numbers start with 0 only inside the UK. From abroad you leave it out: 020 7946 0018 becomes +44 20 7946 0018, and 07700 900123 becomes +44 7700 900123. Numbers written as +44 (0)20 mean the same thing: skip the (0).
How do I call the UK from the USA?
Dial 011 44 and the UK number without the leading 0, for example 011 44 20 7946 0018 for a London number. From a mobile, +44 20 7946 0018 works as well. The UK is usually 5 hours ahead of New York and 8 hours ahead of Los Angeles.
How do I call a UK 0800 number from abroad?
UK freephone numbers starting with 0800 or 0808 are made for callers inside the UK and often cannot be reached from abroad. Look on the organisation's website for a number for callers outside the UK, usually starting with +44 1 or +44 2. FluffyCall cannot call 0800, 0808 or 03 numbers.
Is calling the UK from Spain or another EU country capped like EU calls?
No. The EU caps calls from one EU country to another at €0.19 per minute plus VAT, but the UK is no longer part of that rule. Your operator sets its own price: Movistar in Spain, for example, lists 22.99 cents per minute after the first minute for calls to the UK.
Can I use my UK mobile in Europe without extra charges?
It depends on your plan. Since Brexit, surcharge-free roaming in the EU is no longer guaranteed for UK customers, and several networks charge a daily fee unless your plan includes Europe. UK rules still cap mobile data spending abroad at £45 per month unless you choose to continue.
How much does it cost to call the UK with FluffyCall?
Calls to UK landlines cost €0.03 per minute and calls to UK mobiles €0.06 per minute, billed per second with no connection fee (excl. VAT where applicable). A 10-minute call to a UK landline costs €0.30.
How do I call HMRC from outside the UK?
For Income Tax and Capital Gains questions, HMRC lists +44 135 535 9022 for callers outside the UK, Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm UK time. The UK number 0300 200 3300 is meant for callers inside the UK.
Sources
- European Commission: Intra-EU calls (checked November 2026)
- GOV.UK: Using your mobile in EU and EEA countries (updated September 2026)
- GOV.UK: HMRC enquiries for non-UK residents (checked November 2026)
- Movistar: Llamadas internacionales (checked November 2026)
- MEO: Intra-EU traffic regulation (checked November 2026)
- Ofcom: telephone numbers reserved for TV and radio drama (example numbers)
- FluffyCall: UK rates, live rate database, November 2026