Calling UK and US numbers from abroad: banks, HMRC and airlines
How to reach banks, tax offices and airlines in the UK and the US from another country: which numbers work, what they cost and how to wait on hold.
Banks, tax offices, airlines and insurers in the UK and the US still do a lot of their business by phone, and calling them from another country is harder than it should be. Freephone numbers often won't connect from a foreign phone, roaming charges add up while you wait on hold, and some numbers can't be dialled from abroad at all. DanaTel calls UK and US numbers from the web browser on your phone or computer, over Wi-Fi or mobile data, wherever you are.
The quick version
- UK numbers: type 44, then the number without its first 0. 0800 123 4567 becomes +44 800 123 4567, and 0300 123 4567 becomes +44 300 123 4567.
- US numbers: type 1, then the 10-digit number, toll-free numbers included: 1-800-555-0100 becomes +1 800 555 0100.
- Price: UK numbers cost £0.05/min and US numbers £0.05/min. Freephone and toll-free numbers cost the same as any other number, so they aren't free through DanaTel.
- Long waits: a call can last up to 180 minutes to the UK and 180 minutes to the US, as long as your credit covers it.
Which UK numbers you can call
| Starts with | What it is | With DanaTel |
|---|---|---|
| 01, 02 | Landlines, including many organisations' numbers for callers abroad | Yes |
| 07 | Mobiles | Yes, except 070 and 076 numbers |
| 0800, 0808 | Freephone | Yes, at the normal rate |
| 03 | Numbers used by government, banks and charities, charged like a landline | Yes |
| 084, 087 | Service numbers with an extra charge | No |
| 09 | Premium rate | No |
If an organisation only gives an 084 or 087 number, look on its website for a number for calling "from abroad", "from overseas" or "from outside the UK". Most have one, usually a landline starting +44 1 or +44 2, or an 03 number.
US toll-free numbers
US toll-free numbers start with 800, 833, 844, 855, 866, 877 or 888, and Canada uses the same codes. You can call them with DanaTel at the normal US rate. Numbers starting 900 are premium rate and aren't available.
Some companies only take toll-free calls from inside North America, and a few UK freephone numbers only take calls from UK phones. If a number won't connect, the call costs nothing: use the direct or international number on the organisation's website instead.
Waiting on hold
- Use Wi-Fi if you can, and keep the DanaTel page open until the call ends.
- On a phone, plug it in: a long wait with the screen on uses battery. On a computer, headphones stop echo.
- When a menu asks you to press a number, tap Keypad during the call and press it.
- The dialler shows the cost so far while you wait. If your credit or the time limit is about to end the call, it counts down in the last minute.
Calling your bank, HMRC or an airline
Before you call, look on the organisation's website for its number for callers abroad. UK banks list one, HMRC's contact pages on GOV.UK give numbers for calling from outside the UK, and most airlines have one too. Have your account or booking details to hand: you'll usually be asked security questions before anyone can help.
If you used Skype for this
Many people rang banks and offices back home with Skype credit. Skype closed in May 2025. DanaTel works in a similar way for calls to phone numbers: you add credit, see the rate before you call and pay per minute, from the browser on your phone or computer, with nothing to install.
How to call with DanaTel
- Open danatel.net on your phone or computer and create a free account.
- Add credit from £5 by card, Apple Pay, Google Pay or PayPal.
- Type the number with its country code: 44 for the UK, 1 for the US. The dialler shows the rate before you call.
- Press Call and allow the microphone when your browser asks.
Unanswered calls are free, and so are calls of 10 seconds or less. See the rates for the UK and the US.
Skype is a trademark of its owner. DanaTel isn't connected with or endorsed by Skype, HMRC or any bank or airline.
Guides to calling organisations
Can you call NHS 111 from abroad?
111 only works on phones in the UK. Here's how to get medical help when you're abroad, and when it's worth calling home.
How to call British Airways from outside the UK
British Airways has a number for British Airways Club members calling from abroad, and local numbers in many countries. Here's which to use and how to get through.
How to call HMRC from abroad
HMRC's 0300 helplines are for callers in the UK. These are the numbers it gives for calling from abroad, when they're open in your time, and what to have ready.
How to call the Home Office (UKVI) from outside the UK
Visa questions from outside the UK go to UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI). Here are its numbers, its hours in your own time, and what it can help with.
How to call your UK GP from abroad
Your GP surgery has an ordinary UK number you can call from abroad. Here's how to dial it, what to ask, and what to do if you need treatment where you are.
How to call your UK bank from abroad
UK banks have separate numbers for customers abroad. Here are HSBC's, Lloyds' and NatWest's, and how to find any other bank's in a minute.
How to call your child's UK school from abroad
Working abroad while your child is at school in the UK? Here's how to call the school, when to ring, and what to arrange so the school can reach you too.
How to contact DVLA from abroad
DVLA doesn't list a number for callers abroad. Here's when its lines are open, how to try them from another country, and what you can sort out online instead.
UK helplines from abroad, and what to do in an emergency
UK short numbers such as 999 and 116 123 only work on phones in the UK. If you need help abroad, these are the numbers that do.
