International Country Calling Codes

International country calling codes are necessary to understand when calling abroad to secure admission to a university. Many university admission teams work remotely now, and some of their enquiry telephone lines are often diverted. While making contacts via email might be convenient, don’t expect a quick response.

To dial an international number using international country calling codes, you should add the international direct dial (IDD) designations before the number when you want to make a call abroad.

Each university phone number has its IDD attached to its international number. For example, two codes must be added at the beginning of the international number to call a Canadian university if you are in Germany, the United Kingdom or Nigeria.

How can I identify international country calling codes when contacting universities abroad?

The majority of countries have a two-digit country code for international calls. France, for example, has the country code 33, India is 91, and the United Kingdom has the country code 44.

Unlike many other countries, the United States has a single country code 1. Thus, universities in the US will have an international number beginning with 1. There are smaller countries with three-digit international telephone codes, such as Luxembourg, which has 352 and the Republic of Ireland, which has 353.

Should I dial the local country dialling code when calling from abroad

You must add zero (0) when dialling a local number in some countries. Some might argue that you should omit the zero when placing a call. For example:

• If you want to call a telephone number in the United Kingdom, you should dial the internal area code first (01223 (Cambridge area code)). If so, the number may look like this: 01223 999999. 

• To call the same number outside of the UK, the area code does not need to be prefixed with a zero (0). In such a case, the number would be 1223 999999. But you need to also include the country code with the number 44 1223 999999.

• If you want to dial the same number from Canada, for instance, you would need to dial double one (11) first, because it is required for Canada to first initiate an international phone call before including the destination number. As a result, to dial the UK from Canada, the phone number will be 11 44 1223 999999.

Placing a call using international country calling codes when making enquiries

If you are moving to a new country or have not travelled abroad before, either for studies or holiday, placing a phone call using international country calling codes from home can be a bit challenging.

For example, suppose you are travelling from the United States and are familiar with dialling 011 before the country code of an international call. In that case, you might be confused by the European calling system, where you need to dial 00. 

By way of example, let us assume you want to calling a UK number from abroad. It will most likely be written as follows:

• +44 0123 999999
• 011 44 0123 999999
• 00 44 0123 999999

Making an international call using international country calling codes

In summary, you need to do the following steps below when you call an international number using international country calling codes:

1. Check on the university website (usually in the footer) for the correct and complete telephone number
2. If you cannot find the phone number on their website, you may be able to find it on their social media channels, e.g. Facebook or LinkedIn.
3. After you have been provided with the number, dial the international direct dial 00, 11 or 011 for many universities abroad.
4. Don’t forget to insert the designated country code (see list below).
5. Also, dial the target number. Ensure the first zero has been removed if it was there in the first place.

If you encounter difficulties dialling the college or university using international country calling codes, you should contact the local operator at your university and ask for assistance. 

To find out the best countries to study abroad, read our article for a comprehensive analysis.

Identifying international country calling codes worldwide