Quick answer: +44 is the United Kingdom: England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Almost every UK number has 10 digits after +44. Mobiles start with 7. UK numbers are written with a leading 0: drop it when you call from abroad. Example:
+44 7700 900123.
How to dial the UK
| Calling from | Dial |
|---|---|
| Any mobile phone | +44 + 10 digits |
| US or Canada landline | 011 44 + 10 digits |
| India, UAE or most of Europe (landline) | 00 44 + 10 digits |
| Australia landline | 0011 44 + 10 digits |
Inside the UK, every number starts with 0, like 020 7946 0958 or 07700 900123. That 0 is only for calls within the UK. From abroad, leave it out: 020 7946 0958 becomes +44 20 7946 0958.
Mobile and landline numbers
Mobiles start with 07 in UK format (+44 7 from abroad) and have 10 digits after +44: 07700 900123 becomes +44 7700 900123. Not every 07 number is a mobile, though: 070 numbers are personal forwarding numbers that can cost more to call, and most 076 numbers are pagers.
Landlines start with 01 or 02. The area code and local number together make 10 digits after +44. A handful of small towns still have 9.
| City | Area code in the UK | From abroad |
|---|---|---|
| London | 020 | +44 20 xxxx xxxx |
| Birmingham | 0121 | +44 121 xxx xxxx |
| Manchester | 0161 | +44 161 xxx xxxx |
| Glasgow | 0141 | +44 141 xxx xxxx |
| Edinburgh | 0131 | +44 131 xxx xxxx |
| Liverpool | 0151 | +44 151 xxx xxxx |
| Leeds | 0113 | +44 113 xxx xxxx |
| Bristol | 0117 | +44 117 xxx xxxx |
| Cardiff | 029 | +44 29 xxxx xxxx |
| Belfast | 028 | +44 28 xxxx xxxx |
Codes that get mixed up with +44
+353 is the Republic of Ireland. Northern Ireland is part of the UK and uses +44, so Belfast is +44 28 while Dublin is +353 1. +43 (Austria) and +45 (Denmark) are one digit away.
Time difference
The UK is on GMT (UTC+0) in winter and British Summer Time (UTC+1) from the last Sunday in March to the last Sunday in October.
| Where you are | Late March to late October | Late October to late March |
|---|---|---|
| US East Coast | UK is 5h ahead | UK is 5h ahead |
| US West Coast | UK is 8h ahead | UK is 8h ahead |
| Germany, France, Poland | UK is 1h behind all year | |
| UAE | UK is 3h behind | UK is 4h behind |
| India | UK is 4h 30m behind | UK is 5h 30m behind |
The US changes its clocks two to three weeks before the UK in March and one week after it in autumn. During those weeks the gap is one hour smaller, so a 9 AM call from New York reaches London at 1 PM instead of 2 PM.
Prefer calling over WiFi? See our guide to the best apps for WiFi calling.
FAQ
Can I call a UK 0800 number from abroad?
Often not. UK 0800 and 0808 freephone numbers are set up for callers inside the UK, and many don't connect from other countries. Look for the company's regular number for overseas callers, usually one starting with 01, 02 or 03.
Do Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man use +44?
Yes. They are not part of the UK, but they share the UK numbering plan, so you dial them with +44 and drop the leading 0 just like a UK number. Jersey is +44 1534, Guernsey is +44 1481 and the Isle of Man is +44 1624.