🇪🇺Pan-European Calling Guide

Master European
Phone Formats

From the UK (+44) to Germany (+49) and France (+33), navigating European phone numbers can be tricky. Learn the correct dialing formats and call any EU country directly from your browser.

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General European Dialing Rules

While each country has its own code, the logic for calling Europe is generally consistent.

1

Exit Code

Dial 011 if calling from USA/Canada.
Or simply use the + symbol on your mobile or our web dialer.

2

Country Code

Enter the 2-3 digit country code.
Examples: UK (+44), France (+33), Germany (+49), Spain (+34).

3

Drop the Zero

Most European numbers start with '0'.Remove this zero when calling from abroad.(Exception: Italy +39 landlines).

Major European Country Codes

Reference guide for the most frequently called European destinations.

CountryCountry CodeMobile Format (Domestic)Major City Code
United Kingdom+4407xxx020 (London)
Germany+49015/016/017030 (Berlin)
France+3306/0701 (Paris)
Spain+346/791 (Madrid)
Italy+393xx06 (Rome - keep 0)
Netherlands+3106020 (Amsterdam)
Poland+485/6/7/822 (Warsaw)
Sweden+460708 (Stockholm)
Switzerland+4107044 (Zurich)
Ireland+3530801 (Dublin)

Mobile Number Nuances

United Kingdom (+44)

Mobiles start with 07. Dial: +44 7xxx xxx xxx.

France (+33)

Mobiles start with 06 or 07. Dial: +33 6 xx xx xx xx.

Germany (+49)

Mobiles start with 015, 016, 017. Dial: +49 15x xxxxxxx.

Important Exceptions

The Italian Exception 🇮🇹

Unlike almost every other country in the world, Italy (+39) requires you to dial the leading zero for landlines.

Correct Dialing (Rome Landline)
+39 06 1234 5678

However, for Italian mobiles (starting with 3), you generally do not dial a zero.

Why Use VoIP for
European Calls?

While "Roam Like at Home" exists for EU residents, calling Europe from outside the EU (like from the US or Asia) is still incredibly expensive with traditional carriers.

  • Competitive rates to UK, France, Germany
  • Call landlines and mobiles for the same low rate
  • No need for WhatsApp/Internet on the receiver's end
  • Premium business-quality voice routes

Save Money

Avoid $2.00/min carrier rates. Pay pennies instead.

Full Coverage

Reach remote villages in Spain or cities in Poland.

Secure

GDPR compliant and encrypted voice transmission.

Instant

Start calling immediately. No hardware needed.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the exit code to call Europe from the US?

The exit code for the US and Canada is 011. You dial 011 + Country Code + Number. Alternatively, if you are using a mobile phone or VoIP service like StartACall, you can simply use the '+' symbol.

How do I call a UK mobile number?

UK mobile numbers start with 07. To call from abroad, dial +44 7xxx xxx xxx. You must drop the leading zero.

Are calls to European mobiles more expensive?

With traditional carriers, yes. However, StartACall offers very competitive rates to mobile networks across Europe, often matching landline rates.

Do I need a special plan to call Europe?

No. With StartACall, you just sign up, add credits, and dial. There are no monthly subscriptions or special international plans required.

Ready to call Europe?

Connect with friends, family, and business partners across the continent.

Europe's Numbering Logic: Zones 3 and 4, the Trunk Zero, and Cheaper Ways Across the Region

In short

European country codes all begin with 3 or 4 because the continent owns those two numbering zones. Understanding that structure, plus the near-universal 00 exit code and the trunk zero rule with its one famous exception, turns Europe's patchwork of formats into something predictable for any caller.

Why Every European Code Starts with 3 or 4

The ITU assigned Europe numbering zones 3 and 4, so the continent's codes run from +30 for Greece through +49 for Germany. The shortest codes went to the largest early networks: France +33, Spain +34, Italy +39, the UK +44, and Germany +49 all got two digits.

Countries added later carry three digits within the same zones, such as Portugal +351, Ireland +353, Iceland +354, and the Czech Republic +420. Seeing a +3 or +4 at the start of a number is enough to place it in Europe before you read further.

Russia is the border case. Its +7 sits in zone 7, shared with Kazakhstan, so calls to Moscow do not follow the 3 and 4 pattern even though the city is European. Turkey, reachable at +90, technically belongs to zone 9 alongside the Middle East and South Asia.

One Exit Code and One Awkward Exception

Europe standardized on 00 as the international exit code, so dialing out works the same from Lisbon to Helsinki. Combined with the plus sign on mobiles, this makes Europe the easiest region to dial from. No country in the region uses a different outbound sequence.

The trunk zero is where callers stumble. Most European numbers written locally start with 0, and that zero drops when dialing from abroad: a UK mobile 07700 becomes +44 7700. Italy is the famous exception, since Italian landlines keep their leading zero even internationally, so a Rome number dials as +39 06 and onward.

A few countries dress the trunk prefix differently. Hungary uses 06 domestically before the area code rather than a plain 0, but the international rule is unchanged: drop the whole domestic prefix after +36 and dial the subscriber number directly.

Mobiles Live in Their Own Ranges

Unlike North America, European countries give mobiles dedicated prefixes: 07 in the UK, 06 and 07 in France, 015 to 017 in Germany, 06 in Hungary and the Netherlands. This lets carriers bill mobile calls at different, usually higher, rates than landline calls.

For the caller this means the per-minute price to the same country can differ by number type. Before a long call to a European mobile, check the mobile rate specifically, not the headline landline rate. The difference can be large on some routes.

The UK illustrates why the ranges matter. Numbers beginning 7 after the +44 are mobiles, while 20 for London or 161 for Manchester mark fixed lines, usually the cheaper category to call. Reading the first digits therefore predicts your per-minute cost before you dial anywhere in Britain.

Keeping Cross-Europe Calling Cheap

EU roaming rules help travelers inside the bloc, but they do nothing for calls into Europe from outside, where legacy carrier rates remain high, especially to mobiles. Per-minute VoIP routes typically undercut them substantially on every corridor. Comparing published rates before dialing pays off most on mobile destinations.

StartACall reaches any European code from the browser using WebRTC, with no app, no SIM, and no connection fee. Pay-as-you-go credit that never expires suits the typical pattern of calling several European countries irregularly, and the first call is free.

Frequently asked questions

Which European countries have two-digit codes?+

The early large networks: Greece +30, Netherlands +31, Belgium +32, France +33, Spain +34, Italy +39, the UK +44, Denmark +45, Sweden +46, Norway +47, Poland +48, and Germany +49. Later assignments took three digits.

Do I ever keep the leading zero when calling Europe?+

Only for Italian landlines, which retain their zero internationally, so Rome dials as +39 06. Everywhere else in Europe, including the UK, France, and Germany, the trunk zero drops after the country code.

How do I recognize a European mobile number?+

By its national mobile prefix: 7 after +44 for the UK, 6 or 7 after +33 for France, 15 to 17 after +49 for Germany. Mobiles are separate ranges in Europe and often cost more to call.

Is 00 the exit code from every European country?+

Yes, 00 is standardized across Europe for outbound international calls, and the plus sign works on all mobiles. This uniformity is unusual; other regions mix exit codes like 011 and 010.

Why is calling a European mobile pricier than a landline?+

European mobiles occupy dedicated number ranges, and terminating carriers charge higher fees for them, which flows into international rates. North America blends mobiles into geographic codes, so this distinction surprises US-based callers.

Last reviewed June 2026Reviewed by the StartACall calling teamDialing rules cross checked against ITU international dialing procedures
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