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International Dialing Codes by Region

Every country has its own calling code, and dialing the wrong prefix is the most common reason an international call fails to connect. Here are the codes grouped by region, plus how to actually dial one.

North America: +1

The United States and Canada share the single country code +1, coordinated under the North American Numbering Plan, and are then distinguished by area code, not by a separate country code. Mexico uses +52 instead.

Western Europe: UK +44, France +33, Germany +49

Most Western European countries have had their own dedicated code since the international numbering system was standardized in the mid-20th century β€” the UK is +44, France is +33, Germany is +49, and Italy is +39.

East Asia: Japan +81, China +86, South Korea +82

Japan uses +81, mainland China uses +86, and South Korea uses +82. As with most countries, a leading 0 in the local area code is dropped when dialing from abroad using the country code.

South and Southeast Asia: India +91, Singapore +65, Thailand +66

India's code is +91, Singapore is +65, and Thailand is +66. Singapore has no local area codes at all β€” every landline number is dialed the same way whether calling locally or internationally, aside from the country code.

Oceania: Australia +61, New Zealand +64

Australia uses +61 and New Zealand uses +64. Both countries, like the UK, drop a leading 0 from the local number when the +country code is used in its place.

How to actually dial an international number

The general format is: exit code (or a '+' on a mobile phone) + country code + local number with any leading 0 removed. On most smartphones, holding down the '0' key types a '+', which automatically handles the exit code for you regardless of which country you're calling from.

Why country codes exist at all

Country calling codes were standardized internationally so that any phone network in the world could route a call to the right country without needing to know that country's entire internal numbering system in advance. The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) maintains the official list, and codes generally cluster by region β€” most European codes start with 3 or 4, for instance β€” though there are plenty of historical exceptions.

The '+' symbol vs. an exit code

Every country also has its own domestic exit code for dialing out internationally (like 011 in the US and Canada, or 00 across most of Europe), which has to precede the country code if you dial it manually. The '+' symbol available on virtually all mobile phones exists specifically to skip that step β€” it represents 'whatever this network's exit code is' automatically, which is why using '+' is the most reliable method when you're not sure of the local exit code.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to remove the area code's leading zero every time?

For most countries, yes β€” a local area code's leading 0 is dropped when you dial using the country code instead. There are exceptions (Italy famously keeps its leading 0 even internationally), so it's worth double-checking for countries you call often.

Why do calls sometimes fail even with the right country code?

The most common causes are an extra or missing leading zero, using the wrong exit code manually instead of '+', or dialing a mobile-only country code as if it were a landline prefix. Using '+' plus the full number, without any exit code, avoids most of these mistakes.