How to Make an Overseas Phone Call
What You Need Before Calling
Before you dial, collect every part of the destination number. You need the country code, the area or city code if the destination uses one, and the local phone number. Ask the person or organization you are calling to confirm the complete number in international format.
Also check whether the number is for a mobile phone, landline, or special service. Some countries format these numbers differently. A number written for calls within another country may include a domestic trunk prefix that must be removed when calling from the United States.
Have the following information ready:
- The destination country and its confirmed country code.
- The area or city code, if required.
- The local subscriber number.
- Instructions about removing a domestic trunk prefix.
- The international dialing method required by your US carrier.
Use an official source to confirm the dialing rules. The destination country's telecommunications regulator, the recipient's phone provider, or your own carrier's international calling help page may explain the correct format. Do not rely only on how the number appears in a local directory or message.
How to Dial an Overseas Number
To make an overseas call from a US mobile phone, open the phone keypad and enter the plus sign, followed by the destination country code, the required area or city code, and the local number. Do not enter spaces, parentheses, or dashes unless your device adds them automatically.
The general mobile sequence is:
Plus sign → country code → area or city code → local number
On a US landline, begin with the international exit code required by the telephone provider. Then enter the country code, area or city code if needed, and local number.
The general landline sequence is:
International exit code → country code → area or city code → local number
Pause only if the phone system gives you a second dial tone or a recorded instruction. Otherwise, enter the complete number as one continuous sequence and start the call. These steps explain how to make an overseas phone call without assuming that every carrier uses identical settings.
Using the Plus Sign or an International Exit Code
The plus sign is usually the simplest way to store and dial an international number on a mobile device. To enter it, press and hold the key that displays the plus symbol until the symbol appears. Then type the country code and the rest of the destination number.
The plus sign tells the mobile network that the following digits are an international number. It can also make a saved contact easier to use when traveling because the device interprets the international format through the available network.
A traditional landline keypad may not accept a plus sign. In that case, use the international exit code specified by the landline provider. Check the provider's official international calling page or contact its support team if the required code is unclear. Business, hotel, campus, and office phone systems may require an additional step to reach an outside line.
How to Format the Destination Number
International formatting starts with the destination country code. The area or city code comes next when the country requires one, followed by the local number. The length of each part varies by country, so do not assume that an overseas number should have the same number of digits as a US number.
Many countries use a trunk prefix for calls made within that country. It may appear before the area code in a locally written number. That prefix often needs to be left out when the country code is used, but the exact rule depends on the destination.
For example, if a local number is shown as:
Trunk prefix + area code + local number
The international version may be:
Plus sign + country code + area code without the trunk prefix + local number
This is a format example, not a rule for every country. Some destinations retain digits that might look like a trunk prefix, and mobile numbers may follow separate rules. Confirm the exact sequence through an official dialing guide before changing any digits.
If the Overseas Call Does Not Connect
If the call fails, check the number before trying again. A copied number may contain a missing digit, the wrong country code, or a domestic trunk prefix that should not be included.
Work through these checks:
- Confirm that the country code matches the destination country.
- Compare the area or city code with an official international format guide.
- Check whether a leading domestic trunk prefix must be removed.
- Make sure the local number is complete and in the correct order.
- On a mobile phone, try the plus-sign format rather than a manually entered exit code.
- Check the device for call barring, dialing assistance, or restrictions on international calls.
- Confirm that your carrier has enabled international calling on the line.
A recorded error message can help identify the problem. Write down its wording, but do not repeatedly redial until you have checked the number. If other international numbers also fail, the issue is more likely to involve the line, account permissions, carrier settings, or phone system.
Check International Calling with Your Carrier
If you still cannot make the call, use your carrier's official website or mobile app and look for a section labeled International Calling, Calling Abroad, Dialing Instructions, or Support. Confirm that overseas calling is enabled for your line and that no account-level restriction is blocking it.
For a managed family, workplace, or organization account, the account owner or administrator may control international calling permissions. A hotel, office, or campus phone may also have its own outside-line rules.
When contacting carrier support, provide the destination country, the type of phone you are using, the dialing format you tried, and the exact error message. Do not share passwords or verification codes. Carrier instructions are the best final check because dialing permissions and device settings can differ. Once the number format and line permissions are confirmed, try the call again.