# How do you call a foreign country? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 3, 2016, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-call-a-foreign-country/753817 "2016-05-03T23:34:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![CCitizen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4af34b/32.png) [@CCitizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CCitizen)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2016, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-call-a-foreign-country/753817/1 "2016-05-03T23:34:30Z")
Can you explain it to me as if I was 45/5=9 years old. I want to call [The Swedish Number](http://theswedishnumber.com/). ---
**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2016, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-call-a-foreign-country/753817/2 "2016-05-03T23:39:16Z")
you dial 011 then the country code, then the rest of the number. so to dial that number, you’d type 011-46-771-793-336. basically, in the US “011” means international, “46” is Sweden’s country code, then the rest is the area/city code and phone number. the country code for the US and Canada is “1.” which is why a full US phone number is 1-234-567-8901 ---
**Author:** ![CCitizen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4af34b/32.png) [@CCitizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CCitizen)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2016, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-call-a-foreign-country/753817/3 "2016-05-03T23:42:15Z")
Thanks a lot! ---
**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2016, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-call-a-foreign-country/753817/4 "2016-05-03T23:43:30Z")
> [@CCitizen](#): > > Thanks a lot! just to add, whenever you see a phone number listed with a “+” in front of it, it’s telling you to add your country’s international dialing code in front of it. as said it’s “011” in the US but different for other countries’ phone systems. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2016, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-call-a-foreign-country/753817/5 "2016-05-04T01:12:05Z")
On a cell phone, you can just dial the “+” instead of the 011 or whatever your international dialing code is. ---
**Author:** ![Canadjun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/76d3ee/32.png) [@Canadjun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Canadjun)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2016, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-call-a-foreign-country/753817/6 "2016-05-04T01:12:36Z")
> [@jz78817](#): > > the country code for the US and Canada is “1.” which is why a full US phone number is 1-234-567-8901 > [@jz78817](#): > > just to add, whenever you see a phone number listed with a “+” in front of it, it’s telling you to add your country’s international dialing code in front of it. as said it’s “011” in the US but different for other countries’ phone systems. Which can be slightly confusing, since 1 is both the country code for Canada/US when somebody across the pond is trying to phone us (the second quote above) and also the indication that someone within Canada/US wants to call long-distance within Canada/US (the first quote above). ---
**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2016, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-call-a-foreign-country/753817/7 "2016-05-04T01:13:28Z")
> [@Canadjun](#): > > Which can be slightly confusing, since 1 is both the country code for Canada/US when somebody across the pond is trying to phone us and also the indication that a Canadian/USian wants to call long-distance within Canada/US. yes but you don’t have to preface it with the 011. ---
**Author:** ![UDS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecae2f/32.png) [@UDS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UDS)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2016, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-call-a-foreign-country/753817/8 "2016-05-04T01:17:15Z")
This depends on what country you’re making the call _from_. You’ll have to start with the international dialling code for that country. In most countries this is “00”, but a few countries have a different international dialling code - as already mentioned, if you’re calling from the the US it’s “011”. Next comes the country code. Usually there’s a different code for each country, but in a couple of instances one code covers more than one country. Most notably, “1” is the country code for the USA, Canada and a bunch of Caribbean countries, but there are other examples. “39” covers both Italy and the Vatican City State, for instance. You follow that with the area code as used in your destination country (though note that a few small countries have no area codes). If this has been given to you a leading “0” (e.g. 020 7925 0918, the phone number for office of the British Prime Minister at 10 Downing Street, London) you dispense with the leading “0”. Finally, the subscriber’s number. So, to call 10 Downing Street from the US you’d dial 001-44-20-7925-0918. To complicate matters further, there are a few cases where international calls can be made without using this system. Again, Canada, the US and most Caribbean nations are the outstanding example; you can make a call within this region in the same way as you’d make a long-distance call within your own country. You can call Northern Ireland from the Republic of Ireland in the same way as you would make a call within the Republic. And there are other similar cases. ---
**Author:** ![Canadjun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/76d3ee/32.png) [@Canadjun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Canadjun)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2016, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-call-a-foreign-country/753817/9 "2016-05-04T14:40:07Z")
> [@jz78817](#): > > yes but you don’t have to preface it with the 011. because within Canada/US it is not treated as a country code; it is used to prefix long-distance calls. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2016, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-call-a-foreign-country/753817/10 "2016-05-04T14:49:19Z")
The complications with international dialing codes is part of the reason I just always use “+” when saving numbers in my cell phone contact list. At least with the networks I’ve used internationally, it’s always dialed out correctly without me having to know that country’s international dial out code. And, domestically, it works fine and doesn’t dial it. ---
**Author:** ![robert\_columbia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e79b87/32.png) [@robert\_columbia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robert_columbia)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2016, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-call-a-foreign-country/753817/11 "2016-05-04T15:02:47Z")
> [@UDS](#): > > …So, to call 10 Downing Street from the US you’d dial 001-44-20-7925-0918… I think you meant 011-44-20-7925-0918 > [@UDS](#): > > …To complicate matters further, there are a few cases where international calls can be made without using this system. Again, Canada, the US and most Caribbean nations are the outstanding example; you can make a call within this region in the same way as you’d make a long-distance call within your own country. You can call Northern Ireland from the Republic of Ireland in the same way as you would make a call within the Republic. And there are other similar cases. This is called the [North American Numbering Plan](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_American_Numbering_Plan). For example, if you are in Texas and want to call a friend in the Cayman Islands who has local phone number 867-5309, just pick up the phone and dial 1-345-867-5309. Note that your phone company most likely will _bill_ you at international rates for the call. ---
**Author:** ![bizerta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3be4f8/32.png) [@bizerta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bizerta)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2016, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-call-a-foreign-country/753817/12 "2016-05-04T19:06:56Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > On a cell phone, you can just dial the “+” instead of the 011 or whatever your international dialing code is. If you key the “+” into your cell phone, and put it on your speed dial, it’s good to go all over the world so you don’t need to know the international calling code in whatever country you are visiting. +1 202 762 1401 on a cell phone will get you the US Naval Observatory atomic clock recording from anywhere in the world. And “1” is not just the U.S. and Canada, it’s the North American numbering plan and encompasses twenty countries. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2016, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-call-a-foreign-country/753817/13 "2016-05-04T21:41:11Z")
Do 00800 - international freephone - numbers work in the US or would you dial 011 800? ---
**Author:** ![BeeGee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b5a626/32.png) [@BeeGee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BeeGee)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2016, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-call-a-foreign-country/753817/14 "2016-05-04T22:04:21Z")
I say “Come 'ere, Foreign Country” If there’s no answer, I say “Oh, Foreign Countryyyyy” ---
**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2016, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-call-a-foreign-country/753817/15 "2016-05-04T22:34:22Z")
I had still a different interpretation of the title. I thought it meant, how do I call it, “Sweden” or “Sverige”. Call your phone company first, and see if your LD plan has a good rate to Sweden. If it doesn’t you might want to change plans on the spot, to avoid paying big bucks for your call. ---
**Author:** ![Alley\_Dweller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alley_dweller/32/430_2.png) [@Alley\_Dweller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alley_Dweller)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2016, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-call-a-foreign-country/753817/16 "2016-05-04T22:52:33Z")
One thing to be cautious of is that the large phone companies (Wireless and landline) have outrageous international calling rates. The standard Verizon Wireless rate from the US to Sweden is $1.49 per minute. The standard AT&T landline rate is $3.50 per minute. Both Verizon and AT&T have various international calling plans, that reduce your international calling rate, but you must commit to paying a monthly fee. Smaller companies have much more reasonable rates. For example, Page Plus Cellular (an “MVNO” that resells wireless service using the Verizon network) charges 5.8 cents per minute (and gives you a $10 monthly international calling credit if you have a 4G plan). Prepaid calling cards can also be used from both cell phones and landline phones. The cheapest rate I could find with no monthly fees or per-call surcharges is [1.1 cents per minute.](http://www.callingmart.com/products/callingcards/ProductDetail?ID=482) So, unless you are going to just make one call lasting for a minute or two, do be extremely cautious about the rates. The big companies like to gouge you on them. ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2016, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-call-a-foreign-country/753817/17 "2016-05-05T15:53:53Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > Do 00800 - international freephone - numbers work in the US or would you dial 011 800? The international freephone code is +800, so you dial whatever the international access code is in your country. [http://www.teleforwarding.com/international-freephone-numbers/](http://www.teleforwarding.com/international-freephone-numbers/) > [@](#): > > +800, 00800 or UIFN? > > +800 Numbers are officially called Universal International Freephone Numbers or UIFN. These numbers are international and in order to dial them, you must first dial the international call prefix of your country, signified by the “plus” in +800. In most countries this prefix is 00 (like 0044 for the UK), which is why in many countries UIFN are also known as 00800 numbers. ---
**Author:** ![TokyoBayer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tokyobayer/32/13989_2.png) [@TokyoBayer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TokyoBayer)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2016, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-call-a-foreign-country/753817/18 "2016-05-07T02:43:42Z")
I use Skype Out for international calls and it saves a lot of money. You need to purchase some Skype credit, but it’s much cheaper than regular phone call.