How To Make International Phone Calls (2024)

In order to make an international phone call, there are several bits of information you need to know.

You must first know the exit code or dial-out code. This code allows you to dial outside of the country that you are calling from and is unique for each country. Once you pick up your phone and hear a dial tone, you dial this code.

The next digits that you dial is the international call prefix or country code of the country that you are trying to call. The country code can be anywhere from 1 to 3 digits. See our table below for your specific country’s international prefix.

After dialing the country code, you must dial the area or city code. This too can be anywhere from 1 to 3 digits and narrows down your call to a smaller geographic region within the country you are calling.

Finally, you dial the local number or subscriber and you are then finished dialing.

So let’s say you are trying to call a local number in Sao Paulo, Brazil, from Miami, Florida, USA. In this example, we will say the local number is “234-5678”. We know that 011 is the US exit code. The country code for Brazil is 55. The city code (or area code) for Sao Paulo is 11. This is all the information we need. To make the call, we would dial 011 (55) (11) 2345678.

As you can see we dial the US exit code 011, followed by Brazil’s country code 55, then Sao Paolo’s area code 11, and then the local number 2345-6789. It’s that simple.

How to Save Money When You Make International Calls

Now that you know how to make an international call, it’s important to know how to save money on the call. Calling internationally can be very expensive if you do not use the right carrier. There are, however, methods to find the best and cheapest carrier for each international call you make. One such method is known as international VoIP.

Some carriers charge higher rates than others to some countries and lower rates to other countries. Having one carrier will not ensure that you always get the lowest international calling rate. When using international VoIP, the provider chooses the cheapest carrier for each call you make.

How this works is you dial a unique access number given to you by your provider and hang up. You are not charged for this call. The provider then calls you back and when you answer, they prompt you for your PIN number and the international number you are trying to call. Based on where you are calling, the provider selects the cheapest carrier for that call and that is what you are charged. Using the international callback method to make international calls can save you up to 80% on the call.