Moving to the UK from the US: Step-by-step moving to UK guide
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How To Call UK From US in 5 Steps: Tips, Area Codes & More!
Everyone needs to call home every now and then, especially if you’re an expat in another country. And in the US, there are a lot of people from the UK wanting to make that call.
And what about the other way around? There are many US expats in the UK who need to call their family—maybe to ask for a wire transfer!
We’re here to help you make the connection. In the article, we'll show how to call the UK from the US in 5 steps, and also show you the area codes for some bigger cities in the UK.
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| 📝 Table of contents |
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Things to consider before calling
Before making the call, it’s best to check a clock first. Based on where you are in the US, it could be a little too late or too early to call. So be sure to check the time zone differences based on where you’re located. Here’s a useful table:
| US Time Zone | How many hours behind UK timezone? |
|---|---|
| Eastern Standard Time (EST) | 6 hours behind |
| Central Standard Time (CST) | 7 hours behind |
| Mountain Standard Time (MST) | 8 hours behind |
| Pacific Time Zone (PST) | 9 hours behind |
| 💡 Since 1966, the US springs forward an hour on the second Sunday in March and falls back an hour on the first Sunday in November. This occurs two weeks before the UK and the EU do the same. If you’re trying to call in that two week window, these times will be off by one hour. |
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How to call the UK from the US: Step-by-step
Calling the UK from the US is a fairly simple process. Just follow these steps:
- Dial the US exit code 011 to make an international call.
- You may wonder, what is +44 before a phone number? That’s the UK’s country code. Dial the country code to indicate you’re calling the UK.
- Next, if you’re calling a cell phone, dial 7. That’s the code in the UK for a mobile phone.
- If you’re calling a landline, dial the area code instead to indicate a specific location. They range from 2-5 numbers, and if you see a 0 in the code, you don’t have to dial it.
- Dial the phone number.
Common UK area codes
If you’re unsure about the area code, here’s a list of some bigger UK cities and their area codes to get you started:
| City | Area Code |
|---|---|
| Aberdeen | 1224 |
| Birmingham | 121 |
| Cardiff | 29 |
| Glasgow | 141 |
| Liverpool | 151 |
| London | 20 |
| Manchester | 161 |
| Nottingham | 115 |
| York | 1904 |
How do I dial a number in London from the US?
So, let's say you're calling someone in London from the US.
First, dial the US exit code 011, and then dial 44 to indicate you want to call the UK. Next, dial 20, London’s area code, and then finish with the phone number.
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