International Telephone Calls

Introduction

It is possible to dial directly from almost any telephone to any other telephone in the world. There will be some exceptions where a call has to be placed manually through an international operator.

IDD - International Direct Dialing Code

To make an international call, it is necessary to use the correct IDD from the country you are calling from. For instance, to access international calls from inside the United States of America, the code is: 001.

Country Code Prefix

Each country in the world has its own unique country code prefix to dial into that country from overseas. For instance, the country code prefix for the United Kingdom is: 44.

NDD - National Dialing Prefix

These are the area codes within a country. Cities and towns will have their own area code, in some cases, more than one code. For instance, the NDD for the town of Tunbridge Wells in the United Kingdom is: 01892.

The Local Number

This is the unique number for an individual telephone. For instance, an individual or company in Tunbridge Wells, United Kingdom may have the local number 222 123.

Dropping the Zero

When making an international call, any leading 0 (zero) is dropped. In the example above, 01892 becomes 1892. Not all area codes will start with a zero, in which case, nothing needs to be dropped.

To Make an International Call

To direct dial an international call, it is necessary to gather together the various parts for the number to be called. For instance, to call the local Tunbridge Wells, United Kingdom number 222 123 (01892 222 123) from the United States of America the following is the breakdown of the digits required:

• IDD International Dial Code: 001
• Country Prefix for the United Kingdom: 44
• NDD National Dialling Prefix: 1892 (notice the leading zero has been dropped)
• The Local Number: 222 123

The number you would dial is: 001 44 1892 222 123.

List of Country Prefix and IDD Codes

This is a list of country prefix and IDD (International Direct Dial) codes of countries and territories in the world.