What is the calling code for India? How to call India

Tommy Buckley

India is a cultural melting pot. The food alone is reason enough to plan a trip to India. Add in a booming technology sector, bustling cities and heaps of historical and religious monuments, and you have a destination that’s bucket-list worthy for any traveller.

With so many tourists and expats alike visiting India, it’s pretty likely that you may need to get in touch with someone there at some point. Placing an international phone call to India isn’t too complicated, but it’s not the same as making a local phone call in your home country. There are some tricks and steps you’ll want to know if you want your call to go through.

Explore like a traveller but spend like a local with Wise. You can sign up for an Wise international debit card making it easy to spend like a local, and with our multi currency account manage your money while abroad through our newly redesigned application without the hassle.²

Open a Wise Account Today 🚀

Please see Terms of Use for your region or visit Wise Fees & Pricing for the most up to date pricing and fee information

Read on to learn more about calling India.

How do I call India?

Every country in the world has a different country code that needs to be dialed before the local phone number. This helps keep local phone numbers short enough to be memorized — without country codes, phone numbers would have to be extremely long to ensure there was a different one for every person with a phone.

  • India’s country code is +91.

Are there other codes in India I need to be aware of?

India has many two- and three-digit area codes that you must dial depending on which city you’re trying to reach. Bigger cities typically have two-digit area codes in India, while smaller towns and suburbs have three-digit area codes. Some of the more common area codes you might encounter when placing a call to India are:

  • Bangalore: 80
  • Calcutta: 33
  • Delhi: 11
  • Hyderabad: 40
  • Mumbai: 22

A complete list of area codes for India can be found here.

An example of an Indian phone number

Indian base phone numbers are comprised of eight digits, split into groups of four, like this: 1234 5678. So if you’re placing a call to Mumbai, you might see the number written as 22 1234 5678. In this case, you’ll want to dial +91 22 1234 5678 if you’re calling from a mobile phone. If you’re calling from a landline, you’ll want to dial your international call prefix (more on this below), then 91 22 1234 5678.

Calling India from a landline

When you call a foreign country from a landline, you don’t have the option to dial the “+” before the country code, so you use an international call prefix instead. These vary depending on where you’re calling from, but some of the most common are:

UK, Italy, China00
United States or Canada011
Japan010

For a full list of international call prefixes, click here.

Why did my call to India not work?

If your call to India fails to go through, try with these tips to troubleshoot:

  • Make sure the local number you’re dialing is correct.
  • Make sure you’re using the correct dialing format (your country’s international call prefix, India’s country code, the area code, then the local number)
  • If you’re calling on a mobile phone, make sure you use the “+” symbol before the country code, not the international call prefix.

There are other ways to make calls to India that might be better options than calling internationally. It may be easier or cheaper to use an app, like Whatsapp or Skype. Whatsapp offers free calls, and Skype allows you to pre-load the app with credits for making international calls (calls via the app to another Skype user are free).

Do phone numbers in India usually have voicemail boxes?

Most telecom providers in India don’t automatically provide voicemail boxes, but in some cases, this is a service that can be added onto a user’s subscription. Mobile phone users usually do have voicemail boxes either through the phone manufacturer or their mobile carrier.

Travelling abroad frequently? Want to save money? Give Wise a Try

Do you spend a lot of time travelling abroad? Need to send money to friends or family who live in India, or another country? If you’re looking to move money across borders quickly, safely and cheaply, try Wise.

Open a Wise Account Today 🚀

Wise offers low cost international transfers which use the mid-market rate and low, transparent fees. You can set up a payment using the Wise app or desktop site, and your money will be deposited quickly into the recipient’s bank account in India - or wherever you need to send to, from the 70+ countries supported by Wise.

Making an international call may seem daunting at first, but with the right information in hand, you should be able to reach people in India without any problems. Safe travels, and good luck with your call!

Please see Terms of Use for your region or visit Wise Fees & Pricing for the most up to date pricing and fee information


*Please see terms of use and product availability for your region or visit Wise fees and pricing for the most up to date pricing and fee information.

This publication is provided for general information purposes and does not constitute legal, tax or other professional advice from Wise Payments Limited or its subsidiaries and its affiliates, and it is not intended as a substitute for obtaining advice from a financial advisor or any other professional.

We make no representations, warranties or guarantees, whether expressed or implied, that the content in the publication is accurate, complete or up to date.

Money without borders

Find out more

Tips, news and updates for your location