How to call the UK and Europe from the US: country codes and examples
Calling Europe from the US follows one pattern, with one rule people trip over: leave off the 0 at the start of the number. Here are the codes and examples for the countries people call most.
The short answer
From a phone in the US, dial 011, then the country code, then the number without its first 0.
- 011 is the code for calling out of the US and Canada.
- The country code is one to three digits: 44 for the UK, 33 for France, 49 for Germany.
- Most European numbers start with a 0 for calls inside the country. Leave that 0 off when you call from abroad.
From a cell phone you can type + in place of 011.
Calling the UK
A London number written as 020 XXXX XXXX is dialed from the US as 011 44 20 XXXX XXXX.
A UK mobile written as 07XXX XXXXXX is dialed as 011 44 7XXX XXXXXX.
Country codes for Europe
| Country | Code | Drop the first 0? | Example from the US |
|---|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | 44 | Yes | 011 44 20 XXXX XXXX |
| Ireland | 353 | Yes | 011 353 1 XXX XXXX |
| France | 33 | Yes | 011 33 1 XX XX XX XX |
| Germany | 49 | Yes | 011 49 30 XXXXXXXX |
| Netherlands | 31 | Yes | 011 31 20 XXX XXXX |
| Switzerland | 41 | Yes | 011 41 44 XXX XX XX |
| Spain | 34 | No 0 to drop | 011 34 9XX XXX XXX |
| Portugal | 351 | No 0 to drop | 011 351 2X XXX XXXX |
| Poland | 48 | No 0 to drop | 011 48 XX XXX XX XX |
| Greece | 30 | No 0 to drop | 011 30 21X XXX XXXX |
| Italy | 39 | Keep the 0 on landlines | 011 39 06 XXXX XXXX |
The exception: Italy
Italian landline numbers keep their 0 when you call from abroad. A Rome number written as 06 XXXX XXXX is dialed from the US as 011 39 06 XXXX XXXX. Italian mobile numbers start with a 3 and have no 0 to begin with.
Step by step
- Write down the number as it was given to you, with the 0 if it has one.
- Dial 011 from a home or office phone, or + from a cell.
- Dial the country code from the table.
- Dial the number, leaving off the first 0, except in Italy.
The time difference
The UK, Ireland and Portugal are five hours ahead of New York for most of the year; most of the rest of Europe is six hours ahead.
Europe changes its clocks on the last Sunday of March and of October, and the US on the second Sunday of March and the first Sunday of November. For a few weeks each spring and fall, the difference is an hour smaller than usual.
What it costs
With Kafono you call Europe from the phones in the house or the app, in one of two ways: by the minute with nothing to add, or with a monthly bundle of 500 minutes if you talk a lot. Every rate, and the countries the bundle covers, is on the international calling page.
If the call won’t go through
- Check the 0. A leftover 0 after the country code is the most common mistake.
- Count the digits. Numbers in most of Europe are 9 to 11 digits after the country code.
- International calling may be blocked on the line. Ask your phone provider whether calls to that country are allowed on your plan.