How to call India from the UK
Dialling codes, number formats for mobiles and landlines, the time difference and the ways to call India from the UK.
Updated 1 October 2026
To call India from the UK, put three things in front of the local number: the code for dialling out of the UK, India's country code (+91) and the number without its first 0.
The quick version
- From a UK mobile or landline: dial 00, then 91, then the number without its first 0, for example 00 91 98XXX XXXXX.
- From a smartphone you can type + instead of 00: +91 98XXX XXXXX.
- In DanaTel: type 91 (the + is already there), then the number without its first 0, or paste a number that starts with +91. The dialer shows India and the price as soon as it recognises the code.
Calling a mobile in India
A mobile number written locally as 098XXX XXXXX (or 98XXX XXXXX) becomes +91 98XXX XXXXX when you call from the UK. If the number already starts with +91 or 0091, don't add the code again.
Calling a landline
Landline numbers start with an area code. Drop the area code's 0 and keep the rest:
| City | Written locally | From the UK |
|---|---|---|
| Delhi | 011 | +91 11 |
| Mumbai | 022 | +91 22 |
| Kolkata | 033 | +91 33 |
| Chennai | 044 | +91 44 |
| Bengaluru | 080 | +91 80 |
What it costs
There are three common ways to call, and the costs work differently:
- Your UK phone plan. Calls abroad usually aren't part of your monthly minutes and are charged per minute at your provider's international rate, unless you buy an international add-on. Check your provider's price list before a long call.
- Internet calling apps. Free when both of you have the same app and a good data connection, but they don't help when the person you're calling isn't online.
- Browser calling with DanaTel. You call from your browser and they answer their normal phone. You pay a per-minute rate shown before you dial, billed in 6-second steps, and unanswered calls are free.
When to call
India is 5½ hours ahead in the UK winter and 4½ hours ahead in the UK summer. A call at 7pm UK time reaches India at 12:30am in winter (11:30pm in summer).
Good to know
Indian mobile numbers always have 10 digits after +91 and start with 6, 7, 8 or 9. If you count 11, there's an extra 0 to remove.
Ready to call? See DanaTel's rate for India, or create a free account and top up from £5.