Phoning home from overseas can be confusing. What numbers do you dial?

The good news is that there is a general format to work from. The other news is that details can vary slightly from country to country. Always research the details you will need to call home before you leave home. Always have these details on hand in case of an emergency.

An international call to a landline is made up of four parts -

International Access Code + Country Code + Area Code + Phone number

International Access Code
Firstly, you’ll need the international access code for the country you are in. This code connects you to the international carrier and allows you to dial out of the country.

Some countries have several international carriers to choose from. The international access code you choose will depend on which carrier you would like to use.

Country Code
Next up, you’ll need the country code for the country you are calling. This varies from country to country. Each country has its own individual country code.

Area Code
This code relates to the area of the country you are calling.

The general rule of thumb in most countries is to drop the first zero that you would normally include if you were calling from within the country you are calling, i.e. in QLD, Australia, the area code is 07. If you were calling a number in QLD outside of Australia, you would simply dial 7 as the area code.

There may be a variation to this rule in some countries where you may need to leave the zero in place.

You don’t need to include an area code when calling a mobile phone (please see below).

Phone Number
Simply add the phone number as is.

Calling A Mobile Phone
An international call to an overseas mobile phone is made up of three parts -

International Access Code + Country Code + mobile phone number minus the first zero.

This may vary in some countries, so if it doesn’t work without the zero, try calling again with the zero in place. Same may apply for the area code.

Calling A Local Mobile That Is Currently Overseas

Call the mobile as you normally would. If the mobile phone is on global roaming, your call will be diverted to it.

Calling From A Mobile
The great news about calling from a mobile is that you don’t need to know the international access code for the country you are in. All you need to press is the + key and then dial the country code, etc.

How Can I Find Out The Numbers I Need To Call?
Voila! Ask and you shall receive. Simply select the country you are in and the country you would like to call and the international access code & country code will appear in the box.

The X is for the area code and phone number. As these are specific to your call, you’ll need to have these details on hand.

This information is provided purely as a guide.

Calls to the majority of countries will follow the above formats, but as there are variations with some countries in relation to their area codes and mobile phone numbers, always check the details specific to your needs before leaving home.

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