How to call a English number from United Kingdom / abroad?

Call an English number: prefix and code

From UK

In the UK, all phone numbers (landline or mobile) begin with 0 (trunk prefix). This prefix is used only for national calls.

Example UK phone number: 0XXXXXXXXXX

From another country

To call a UK number from abroad, you must use the international dialing prefix for your country and the country code for UK, followed by the phone number without the leading zero.

Example: for the number 0XXXXXXXXXX, you will dial 0044XXXXXXXXXX or +44XXXXXXXXXX.

- 00 (or "+") is the international call prefix: it means that the number dialed is a number in international format
- 44 is the country code for UK
- XX XXXX XXXX is the number

International prefixes are not the same in all countries. Example: 00 for the majority of European countries, 011 for the United States, etc.

Your telephone replaces the "+" sign of the number dialed by the international call prefix of the country in which you are located during your call.

To avoid having to worry about the country code when calling, get into the habit of recording your telephone contacts using the international format (+44..., +33..., etc.).

Prefixes for landline numbers in England

In England, each city has its prefix.

Example: City of London prefix is 020, Leeds prefix is 0113.

This information is useful for knowing the origin of a call. You can find all the prefixes for English towns on the Wikipedia page.

Other useful prefixes

In the UK, if the phone number begins with:

08: it's a free phone number.
09: it's a phone number at a special rate.

If the number is only 3 digits, it is a free and official phone number.

Emergency numbers

Medical emergencies / firefighters / police

In the UK, the phone number for medical / fire / police emergencies is 999.

It's a free and official phone number.

As everywhere in Europe, the 112 is also active for this type of emergency.

If your level in English is low or if you prefer to speak in your language, do not hesitate to ask for the assistance of an interpreter during your call.

Medical advice (except emergencies)

In the UK the telephone number for medical advice (excluding emergencies) is 111.

It's a free and official phone number.

If your level in English is low or if you prefer to speak in your language, do not hesitate to ask for the assistance of an interpreter during your call.

Police (except emergencies)

In the UK, the phone number for the police (excluding emergencies) is 101.

It's a free and official phone number.

If your level in English is low or if you prefer to speak in your language, do not hesitate to ask for the assistance of an interpreter during your call.

Because the English tend too often to use the famous 911 ("nine one one") of American films, the British authorities have decided to activate it in parallel with the 999!