How to Call the US From Abroad: Codes, Format and Costs

Calling the US from another country takes four parts in a fixed order. Get the order right and the call connects from anywhere. Here is the format, the exit code for the country you are calling from, the mistakes that make calls fail, and the cheapest ways to call if you do it often.

How do you call the US from abroad?

Dial these four parts, in this order:

1. Your country’s exit code. This tells your phone network the call is international. In most countries it is 00.
2. 1. This is the country code for the US. It is shared with Canada and several Caribbean countries.
3. The 3-digit area code, for example 212 for New York or 415 for San Francisco.
4. The 7-digit local number.

So a New York number written as (212) 555-0123 is dialled from London, Mumbai or Dubai as 00 1 212 555 0123.

On a mobile phone you can skip the exit code and type +1 212 555 0123 instead. Hold the 0 key to get the + sign. The + stands in for whatever exit code your country uses, so the same saved contact works wherever you are. If you call US numbers often, save them all in +1 format.

Every US number is 10 digits after the 1: a 3-digit area code plus a 7-digit number. Area codes and the next three digits never start with 0 or 1, according to the North American Numbering Plan. If you are typing a 0 or a 1 right after the country code, something is wrong.

What is the exit code from my country?

Most countries use 00, which is the prefix the ITU recommends. A few do not. This table uses the ITU’s published dialling procedures (position as of December 2011) cross-checked against the current list of international call prefixes.

Brazil needs one extra step. After 00 you add a two-digit code that picks the long-distance carrier, then 1 and the number. The Brazilian carrier selection code list includes 21 for Claro, 15 for Vivo and 41 for TIM. Check which code your own operator supports. On a mobile, dialling +1 avoids the question.

Canada is inside the same numbering plan as the US, so there is no exit code. You dial 1, the area code and the number, as you would for a long-distance call within Canada.

What mistakes stop the call from connecting?

Dialling 011. You will see 011 in a lot of US advice. It is the exit code used inside the US and Canada to call other countries. From the UK, India or the UAE it does nothing useful. Use your own exit code or +.

Leaving out the 1. “00 212 555 0123” sends your call to country code 212, which is Morocco, not New York. The 1 is always needed.

Leaving out the area code. Americans sometimes give a 7-digit number because the person they usually talk to is local. From abroad you always need all 10 digits. If you only have 7, ask for the area code or check our guide to US area codes.

Adding an extra 1 or 0. “00 1 1 212…” or “+1 0212…” will fail. After +1 come exactly 10 digits.

Calling a toll-free number. Numbers starting 800, 833, 844, 855, 866, 877 or 888 are US toll-free numbers. They are generally not accessible from outside the North American Numbering Plan. Many US organisations publish a separate line for overseas callers. The IRS, for example, lists 267-941-1000 for international taxpayers and marks it “not toll-free”. Look for “calling from outside the US” on the company’s contact page.

Calling at 3 a.m. their time. The US spans several time zones. A call that connects but goes unanswered is still a wasted call. Our post on the best time to call US clients has the overlap windows for Europe, the Gulf and Asia.

What is the cheapest way to call the US from abroad?

It depends on how often you call and who you are calling.

If you call US numbers every week, the last option is usually the one that pays off. The TripoSIM US Virtual Number includes 300 outgoing minutes a month to US and Canadian numbers, and your call shows a US +1 number to the person you are calling. It runs in the TripoSIM app over Wi-Fi or mobile data, so there is no roaming charge for the call itself. Each outgoing call is rounded up to the next full minute; unanswered calls are free. If you need more, 100 extra minutes cost $5.

Be clear about what it does not do. The TripoSIM number calls US and Canadian numbers only, so it is no help for calls to the UK or India. It needs an internet connection. Emergency calling is not included, so keep a local line for that. And we have no confirmation that it reaches US toll-free numbers, so use the company’s international number for those.

To see how far 300 minutes go for your own call pattern, read how many minutes 300 a month really is, or try your numbers in the cost calculator.

The bottom line

Exit code, 1, area code, number. On a mobile, +1 and the 10-digit number works from every country, which is why it is the format to save in your contacts. Avoid 011, never drop the 1 or the area code, and do not expect US toll-free numbers to work from abroad. If you call the US often, a plan with included US minutes beats paying international rates call by call. Our US phone number from abroad hub covers the wider set of options if you also need to receive calls and texts.