Understanding International Calling Codes

Whether you’re a parent sending your recent high school graduate abroad, or you are volunteering overseas yourself, communicating with your family while out of the country is important. With the technology available today, there are a number of ways to stay in touch.

How Do You Call Internationally?

If you’re lucky, the person volunteering abroad may have internet access, in which case you can use Wi-Fi calling or a video calling service like Google Hangouts or Facebook Messenger to connect.

On the other hand, if you choose to call over the phone, there are a few things you should know. Calling overseas is slightly more complicated than calling within the United States. There are a number of factors to consider including data rates, international calling codes, and country codes.

In this article, we’ll talk particularly about international calling codes and country codes. What are they? How are they different? And why are the important? We’ll discuss these questions and more.

Are International Calling Codes Different From Country Codes?

Yes. International calling codes are different from country codes. Often called international direct dial (IDD) designations, international calling codes are more general. To put it simply, the IDD for most of the countries in the world is 00 or 011.

What Are International Calling Codes?

International calling codes (also known as call prefixes or dial out codes) enable you to access the correct international telephone circuit to place an international call. Typically, the international calling code must be entered before the country code.

What Are Country Codes?

Country codes are a group of numbers you enter before dialing the number of the person in the country you are calling. The country code is entered after the international calling code or prefix. Each country has its own unique code. For example, the country code for the United States is +1. So if someone wanted to call you in the United States from another country, they would simply type +1 and then your phone number, also including your area code. The country code for the UK is +44, and Mexico’s country code is +52. Interestingly, Canada shares the same +1 country code with the US.

Why Do You Need to Use An International Calling Code and Country Code?

The international calling code is needed to help the phone company understand where you would like your call to be routed. Understandably, with so many countries in the world, a way to ensure every call is routed to the right place is essential.

What Are the Most Common Country Codes for Making Calls Abroad?

• Country code to call the United States or Canada: +1
• Country code to call the United Kingdom (UK): +44
• Country code to call Mexico: +52
• Country code to call India: +91
• Country code to call China:+86

What Are the Steps to Make an International Call?

1. Dial the IDD. It is generally 00 or 011. See a full list here.
2. Enter the correct country code.
3. Dial the desired number, omitting the first zero if one is present.

What Are All the Country Calling Codes?

Below is a list of country calling codes for your convenience.

93: Afghanistan

355: Albania

213: Algeria

684: American Samoa

376: Andorra

244: Angola

809: Anguilla

268: Antigua

54: Argentina

374: Armenia

297: Aruba

247: Ascension Island

61: Australia

672: Australian External Territories

43: Austria

994: Azerbaijan

242: Bahamas

246: Barbados

973: Bahrain

880: Bangladesh

375: Belarus

32: Belgium

501: Belize

229: Benin

809: Bermuda

975: Bhutan

284: British Virgin Islands

591: Bolivia

387: Bosnia and Herzegovina

267: Botswana

55: Brazil

284: British V.I.

673: Brunei Darussalam

359: Bulgaria

226: Burkina Faso

257: Burundi

855: Cambodia

237: Cameroon

1: Canada

238: Cape Verde Islands

1: Caribbean Nations

345: Cayman Islands

236: Central African Republic

235: Chad

56: Chile

86: China (People’s Republic)

886: China-Taiwan

57: Colombia

269: Comoros and Mayotte

242: Congo

682: Cook Islands

506: Costa Rica

385: Croatia

53: Cuba

357: Cyprus

420: Czech Republic

45: Denmark

246: Diego Garcia

767: Dominica

809: Dominican Republic

253: Djibouti

593: Ecuador

20: Egypt

503: El Salvador

240: Equatorial Guinea

291: Eritrea

372: Estonia

251: Ethiopia

500: Falkland Islands

298: Faroe (Faeroe) Islands (Denmark)

679: Fiji

358: Finland

33: France

596: French Antilles

594: French Guiana

241: Gabon (Gabonese Republic)

220: Gambia

995: Georgia

49: Germany

233: Ghana

350: Gibraltar

30: Greece

299: Greenland

473: Grenada/Carriacou

671: Guam

502: Guatemala

224: Guinea

245: Guinea-Bissau

592: Guyana

509: Haiti

504: Honduras

852: Hong Kong

36: Hungary

354: Iceland

91: India

62: Indonesia

98: Iran

964: Iraq

353: Ireland (Irish Republic; Eire)

972: Israel

39: Italy

225: Ivory Coast (La Cote d’Ivoire)

876: Jamaica

81: Japan

962: Jordan

7: Kazakhstan

254: Kenya

855: Khmer Republic (Cambodia/Kampuchea)

686: Kiribati Republic (Gilbert Islands)

82: Korea, Republic of (South Korea)

850: Korea, People’s Republic of (North Korea)

965: Kuwait

996: Kyrgyzstan

371: Latvia

856: Laos

961: Lebanon

266: Lesotho

231: Liberia

370: Lithuania

218: Libya

423: Liechtenstein

352: Luxembourg

853: Macao

389: Macedonia

261: Madagascar

265: Malawi

60: Malaysia

960: Maldives

223: Mali

356: Malta

692: Marshall Islands

596: Martinique (French Antilles)

222: Mauritania

230: Mauritius

269: Mayolte

52: Mexico

691: Micronesia (F.S. of Polynesia)

373: Moldova

33: Monaco

976: Mongolia

473: Montserrat

212: Morocco

258: Mozambique

95: Myanmar (former Burma)

264: Namibia (former South-West Africa)

674: Nauru

977: Nepal

31: Netherlands

599: Netherlands Antilles

869: Nevis

687: New Caledonia

64: New Zealand

505: Nicaragua

227: Niger

234: Nigeria

683: Niue

850: North Korea

1 670: North Mariana Islands (Saipan)

47: Norway

968: Oman

92: Pakistan

680: Palau

507: Panama

675: Papua New Guinea

595: Paraguay

51: Peru

63: Philippines

48: Poland

351: Portugal (includes Azores)

1 787: Puerto Rico

974: Qatar

262: Reunion (France)

40: Romania

7: Russia

250: Rwanda (Rwandese Republic)

670: Saipan

378: San Marino

239: Sao Tome and Principe

966: Saudi Arabia

221: Senegal

381: Serbia and Montenegro

248: Seychelles

232: Sierra Leone

65: Singapore

421: Slovakia

386: Slovenia

677: Solomon Islands

252: Somalia

27: South Africa

34: Spain

94: Sri Lanka

290: St. Helena

869: St. Kitts/Nevis

508: St. Pierre &(et) Miquelon (France)

249: Sudan

597: Suriname

268: Swaziland

46: Sweden

41: Switzerland

963: Syrian Arab Republic (Syria)

689: Tahiti (French Polynesia)

886: Taiwan

7: Tajikistan

255: Tanzania (includes Zanzibar)

66: Thailand

228: Togo (Togolese Republic)

690: Tokelau

676: Tonga

1 868: Trinidad and Tobago

216: Tunisia

90: Turkey

993: Turkmenistan

688: Tuvalu (Ellice Islands)

256: Uganda

380: Ukraine

971: United Arab Emirates

44: United Kingdom

598: Uruguay

1: USA

7: Uzbekistan

678: Vanuatu (New Hebrides)

39: Vatican City

58: Venezuela

84: Vietnam

1 340: Virgin Islands

681: Wallis and Futuna

685: Western Samoa

381: Yemen (People’s Democratic Republic of)

967: Yemen Arab Republic (North Yemen)

381: Yugoslavia (discontinued)

243: Zaire

260: Zambia

263: Zimbabwe

Placing an International Call While Volunteering Abroad

Navigating the ins and outs of international calling is certainly not always easy. If your child is studying abroad, it’s likely they’ll have a guide or mentor who can help them determine how to call home. That said, hopefully this article has been helpful. With the right information, it’s possible to communicate with loved ones even when they are volunteering abroad.