How to Call London

Co-authored by wikiHow Staff

Last Updated: April 21, 2022 References

Although it may seem complicated, placing a call to London does not need to be a difficult task. This wikiHow article will teach you how to easily place a call to London from another country using a phone or an app.

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Calling London on a Phone

1
Dial the exit code for the country you are currently in. The exit code, or the international call prefix, is a 2-3 digit number that enables you to call outside of your country. There are many different exit codes for different nations. For example, the exit code for the United States is 011, for India, it’s 00, and for Nigeria, it’s 009.^{[1]
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- Perform a simple internet search to determine the correct exit code for your country. Type in the name of the country and then add “exit code.”
- A few country, such as Brazil, have more than one exit code. These codes correspond to different phone providers so dial the code that is connected to your phone company.
- Do not enter the exit code if you are calling London from within the UK. An exit code is only necessary for international calls.
2
Enter 44 to place a call to London. 44 is the country code assigned to the United Kingdom. A unique country code is assigned to each nation; these codes identify the nation you are phoning.^{[2]
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- Skip the country code if you are dialing London from within the United Kingdom. Like the exit code, the country code is only used for international calls.
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3
Figure out if you are dialing a mobile phone or landline number. British mobile phone numbers generally begin with 07 and have 11 digits (excluding the exit or country codes).^{[3]
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- British mobile numbers do not use area codes; this is why it is essential to determine if the number is for a landline or mobile phone.^{[4]
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- Drop the leading 0 if you are calling a mobile number from outside the United Kingdom. For an international call, the mobile number would only have 10 digits. Instead of dialing 07XXX XXX XXX you would dial 7XXX XXX XXX (plus the appropriate exit and country codes).
4
Enter the phone number to dial a mobile phone. Enter 011-44-7XXX XXX XXX to place a phone call from the United States to London. 7XXX XXX XXX is the mobile phone number, 44 the country code for the United Kingdom, and 011 is the exit code for the United States.
5
Dial 20 after the country code if you are phoning a landline. 020 is the area code for most of Greater London. British area codes are 2-5 digits long (not including the first 0) and are assigned by geographic area. These codes always begin with a 0, but this 0 is not used if you are calling from outside the United Kingdom.^{[5]
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- Dial 020 if you are calling a London landline from within the United Kingdom.
6
Enter the phone number after the area code to dial a landline. A phone call from the United States to a London landline would look like: 011-44-20-XXXX-XXXX. XXXX-XXXX is the landline number, 20 the area code for Greater London, 44 the United Kingdom’s country code, and 011 is the exit code for the United States.^{[6]
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7
Know the local time in London before placing your call. London is on Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) in the winter months, and British Summer Time (BST) in the summer months. Be sure to verify the local time before you make your phone call to ensure you are not calling too early or too late.^{[7]
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- The United Kingdom uses daylight saving time so clocks are set forward one hour on the last Sunday in March, and set back one hour on the last Sunday in October.
- There are many websites that will tell you the current London time. These make it easy to ensure that you’re phoning at a reasonable time of the day.^{[8]
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8
Decide if you want to buy an international phone card. Phone cards frequently offer a cheaper rate than many phone providers. They are also prepaid which will prevent any surprisingly expensive phone bills. These phone cards can be bought at many convenience or grocery stores, or they can be ordered online.

Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Using Apps to Phone London

1
Connect your device to Wi-Fi. Laptops, mobile phones, and tablets can all be used to phone London using Wi-Fi. There are many apps that will work on these devices; often these apps are cheaper than traditional phones.^{[9]
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- Wi-Fi hotspots are available at many cafes, libraries, or restaurants. If you don’t have access to Wi-Fi at your home, look for one of these hotspots to connect to Wi-Fi.
2
Use WhatsApp to call London. You will need to add the phone number to your contacts. Open your address book and enter a plus sign (+) followed by the phone number; the plus sign indicates that the entry is an international number. Remove any leading zeroes, and do not include the exit code.^{[10]
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- Include the country code of 44. You should also include the area code if dialing a landline. A phonebook entry for a London landline should look like this: +44 20 XXXX XXXX. A London mobile number will not include the area code and will look like: +44 7XXX XXX XXX.
- To place the call using WhatsApp, you open the app and then open a chat with the person you want to call. Then, select the phone button on the top of the screen to make the call.^{[11]
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3
Phone London with FaceTime. FaceTime is included on almost all Apple devices. To place a call, open the app and use your Apple ID to login. iPhone users will automatically be logged in.^{[12]
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- Type in the email address or phone number of the person you want to contact. Next, select either the audio or video icon to place the call. The video icon will allow you to video chat, while the audio icon will have sound but no picture.
- Make sure the person you are calling also has FaceTime. FaceTime can only be used to make calls if both parties have the app.
4
Call London using Skype. After logging into Skype, select the call phones icon. The dialing pad will then appear on the screen. The current calling rates, based on the selected country, will also appear. ^{[13]
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- Select the United Kingdom from the drop-down menu. This menu is located above the dial pad. Once you select the UK, the correct country code will be automatically entered.^{[14]
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- Type in the phone number you want to call. Remember that if you want to phone a landline, you will need to dial the area code before the phone number.^{[15]
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- Press the blue call button to make your phone call. After you have entered the numbers, all you need to do is to press the call button, and your call will be placed.

Community Q&A

Question

How many numbers does a phone number in London have?

Community Answer

If you wish to dial a London (UK) phone number from outside the London area (or a mobile phone), you need to prefix the 8 digits with the 3 digit London area code of 020 (which would normally be displayed in brackets before the number: (020) yxxx xxxx - (the y is either 3, 7 or 8).
Question

How do I call London from Australia?

Community Answer

The exit code for Australia is 0011. So you would dial 0011 44 and then the London phone number. Remember to drop the first 0 from the area code (if you are calling a landline). If you are calling a mobile, drop the first 0 from the number.
Question

What is the average price of a phone call from Germany to Scotland?

Community Answer

The price for the phone call is going to vary wildly depending on the plan you have. Many mobiles have an international plan option where calling Scotland from Germany would be free. If you don't have the international plan, it could cost a lot more. The best thing to do is to contact your service provider and ask them for the price.