The UK country code is +44 — assigned by the ITU in 1949, reaching every British number across England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Crown Dependencies. Get a real UK virtual number in any area code, then call, text, and verify from anywhere on the planet.
The UK was one of the very first nations on the ITU's E.164 numbering plan. Here's the structure behind every British phone number — and the quirks that catch most callers out.
The UK has used the +44 prefix since 1949, when the ITU finalised its first round of country codes. The "4" places the UK in ITU zone 4 alongside most of central + western Europe; the "4" suffix was the next free single-digit slot in that zone.
All of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland share +44. The Crown Dependencies (Guernsey, Jersey, the Isle of Man) also share +44 but each has a unique 0-prefix block — 01481, 01534 and 01624 respectively.
British numbers are written domestically as 020 7946 0958, but when dialing from abroad you drop the leading 0 — so the international form is +44 20 7946 0958. The 0 is the UK domestic trunk prefix, not part of the international number.
London had three codes in five years. The famous "020" prefix for London was introduced in 2000 — but only after 071/081 (1990) and 0171/0181 (1995). The 1995 split into "inner" (0171) and "outer" (0181) London lasted just five years before being merged back into 020 — the so-called Big Number Change of 22 April 2000.
A British phone number in international format is written as +44 [area code without 0] [local number] — for example, +44 20 7946 0958 for a central London landline. The "0" you'd dial domestically is dropped, because it's a national trunk prefix not part of the international number.
UK numbers are 10 or 11 digits total nationally (the leading 0 plus 9 or 10 more). London uses 020 (2-digit area code) plus 8-digit local. Mobile numbers start with 07 — written internationally as +44 7xxx xxx xxx — and have been portable across networks since 1999.
From the City of London to the Outer Hebrides, every British number lives behind a +44. Pick the area code that matches the city, region or Crown Dependency you trade with.
Every country uses a different international exit code before the +44 UK country code. From any mobile, the + symbol replaces the exit code automatically — so +44 20 7946 0958 works worldwide. Always drop the leading 0 from the UK number when dialing from abroad.
011011 44 AAA NNNNNNN+44 AAA NNNNNNN011011 44 AAA NNNNNNN+44 AAA NNNNNNN0000 44 AAA NNNNNNN+44 AAA NNNNNNN00110011 44 AAA NNNNNNN+44 AAA NNNNNNN0000 44 AAA NNNNNNN+44 AAA NNNNNNN0000 44 AAA NNNNNNN+44 AAA NNNNNNN0000 44 AAA NNNNNNN+44 AAA NNNNNNN0000 44 AAA NNNNNNN+44 AAA NNNNNNN0000 44 AAA NNNNNNN+44 AAA NNNNNNN0000 44 AAA NNNNNNN+44 AAA NNNNNNN0000 44 AAA NNNNNNN+44 AAA NNNNNNN009009 44 AAA NNNNNNN+44 AAA NNNNNNN0000 44 AAA NNNNNNN+44 AAA NNNNNNN0000 44 AAA NNNNNNN+44 AAA NNNNNNN0000 44 AAA NNNNNNN+44 AAA NNNNNNN0000 44 AAA NNNNNNN+44 AAA NNNNNNN0000 44 AAA NNNNNNN+44 AAA NNNNNNN0000 44 AAA NNNNNNN+44 AAA NNNNNNN0000 44 AAA NNNNNNN+44 AAA NNNNNNN010010 44 AAA NNNNNNN+44 AAA NNNNNNN001001 44 AAA NNNNNNN+44 AAA NNNNNNN001001 44 AAA NNNNNNN+44 AAA NNNNNNN00 2100 21 44 AAA NNNNNNN+44 AAA NNNNNNN8 108 10 44 AAA NNNNNNN+44 AAA NNNNNNNTip: AAA = UK area code without the leading 0 (London is 20, not 020). NNNNNNN = the 7- to 8-digit local subscriber number. The full E.164 international format is +44 [area] [local] — typically 12 to 13 digits total.
+44 reads as 'serious business in Europe'. From a London 020 landline to a UK mobile that catches every WhatsApp + bank OTP, here's why.
A 020 prefix reads as Square Mile, Mayfair, Soho. Customers see "central London" and treat your business with the gravitas that comes with that postcode.
British banks (Monzo, Starling, Revolut, Wise, Barclays) and gov.uk services SMS OTPs to +44 numbers without throttling — many block US/EU numbers as suspicious.
The whole UK runs on GMT in winter and BST in summer — no Mountain/Eastern juggling. Your customers always know what hours you keep.
A 0161 says Manchester. A 0141 says Glasgow. An 0131 says Edinburgh. A 028 reaches the whole of Northern Ireland. Pick the local prefix your buyers recognise.
+44 routes through ITU zone 4 — same physical exchange backbones as France, Germany, Italy and Spain. Calls connect in under 2 seconds from anywhere in Europe.
The Isle of Man (01624), Jersey (01534) and Guernsey (01481) all share +44 — but each is a separate offshore-finance jurisdiction. Pick the prefix that fits your client base.
Pick your area code — 020 London, 0161 Manchester, 0141 Glasgow, 028 Belfast — start calling, texting and receiving OTPs from real British customers.
Same six features come standard on every CallMama UK number — no upsell tiers, no per-feature charges.
Route any incoming call to your real mobile, a teammate, or voicemail — by schedule, caller, or custom rule.
One-tap recording for client calls and consults. Files store securely in your dashboard for replay or download.
Decide which local number shows on outbound calls so contacts always see a familiar prefix.
Voicemails arrive as audio plus a written transcript in your inbox — read or listen, no missed message.
Send and receive text and image messages from your number — same line works on web, iOS, and Android.
Outbound calls to 200+ countries from the same app. Skip carrier roaming and international add-ons.
From "I want a UK number" to making your first call — three taps and you're live.
Choose the area code or city prefix that matches where you sell.
Six-digit confirmation drops into the app. No documents to upload, no waiting room, no callbacks.
Your UK line is live. Start dialing, texting, and being reached — exactly the way a local would.
Name, country code, ISO 3166 alpha-2 & alpha-3, exit code, and ITU zone. Filter by continent or search by name or code.
| Country | Code | ISO-2 | ISO-3 | Exit | Zone |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Afghanistan | +93 | AF | AFG | 00 | 9 |
| Albania | +355 | AL | ALB | 00 | 3 |
| Algeria | +213 | DZ | DZA | 00 | 2 |
| American Samoa | +1 | AS | ASM | 011 | 1 |
| Andorra | +376 | AD | AND | 00 | 3 |
| Angola | +244 | AO | AGO | 00 | 2 |
| Anguilla | +1 | AI | AIA | 011 | 1 |
| Antarctica | +672 | AQ | ATA | 00 | 6 |
| Antigua and Barbuda | +1 | AG | ATG | 011 | 1 |
| Argentina | +54 | AR | ARG | 00 | 5 |
| Armenia | +374 | AM | ARM | 00 | 3 |
| Aruba | +297 | AW | ABW | 00 | 2 |
| Australia | +61 | AU | AUS | 0011 | 6 |
| Austria | +43 | AT | AUT | 00 | 4 |
| Azerbaijan | +994 | AZ | AZE | 00 | 9 |
| Bahamas | +1 | BS | BHS | 011 | 1 |
| Bahrain | +973 | BH | BHR | 00 | 9 |
| Bangladesh | +880 | BD | BGD | 00 | 8 |
| Barbados | +1 | BB | BRB | 011 | 1 |
| Belarus | +375 | BY | BLR | 810 | 3 |
011 44 20 7946 0958 to call central London. On a mobile, replace 011 with the + sign — so +44 20 7946 0958 works from any country.00 44 20 7946 0958 for London, or 00 44 7xxx xxxxxx for any UK mobile.0011 44 161 496 0123 to call Manchester. Or simply use +44 from any Australian mobile.+44 [area code without 0] [local number], for example +44 20 7946 0958 for London. The "0" you'd dial domestically (020) is the UK national trunk prefix and is dropped when dialing internationally — it's not part of the international number.07911 123456 becomes +44 7911 123456. All UK mobile numbers have 11 digits domestically (10 after dropping the 0); they've been portable across UK networks (EE, Vodafone, O2, Three, Sky Mobile, Tesco Mobile) since January 1999.One tap to install. One more to call. It really is that simple.