How to dial an international phone number

This document explains how to dial a foreign (international) phone number, from both a cellphone and a landline.

Cellphone: How to dial a foreign phone number

The most difficult part is finding the "+" symbol on your cellphone keypad. This usually involves pressing or holding the "*", "0" or "#" key multiple times.

Cellphone Example: to dial the USA number +1(714)450-3983, from a Nokia cellphone, press the "*" key twice to get the "+" symbol, enter the rest of the number to get +17144503983, then hit "Send".

Landline: How to dial a foreign phone number

The most difficult part is finding the the "international call prefix" to replace the "+" symbol. This "international call prefix" varies, depending on which country you are dialing out from.

Replace the "+" symbol with your "international call prefix", then dial the number as per normal.

Landline example: imagine you lived in Australia, and wished to dial the USA number +1(714)450-3983. Look up "Australia" under Wikipedia International Call Prefixes. The prefix is 0011. Dial 0011-1(714)450-3983.

Landline example: imagine you lived in United Kingdom, and wished to dial the USA number +1(714)450-3983. Look up "United Kingdom" under Wikipedia International Call Prefixes. It is not listed, so use the default code of "00" (located at the top of the list). Dial 00-1(714)450-3983.

Landline example: imagine you lived in Japan, and wished to dial the USA number +1(714)450-3983. Look up "Japan" under Wikipedia International Call Prefixes. The code is "010". Dial 010-1(714)450-3983.

Landline example: imagine you lived in USA, and wished to dial the Austrlian number +61(2)9037-2926. Look up "North American Numbering Plan" under Wikipedia International Call Prefixes. The prefix is 011. Dial 011-61(2)9037-2926.