How to Write UK Phone Number: The A to Z of UK Phone Number Format

Senior Writer: Sindhu Bharathi

Reading Time: 7 Minutes

Published : December 29, 2023

Looking to connect with UK stakeholders and streamline your outreach efforts? Knowing the UK phone number format can help you do that by ensuring error-free connection and seamless international business communication.

Interestingly, 49% of buyers make instant purchase decisions on getting a personalized experience from businesses. You can leverage this by calling your UK customers to better introduce your products, clear potential doubts, and cater to their issues (if any).  

That’s exactly why we’ve created this comprehensive guide on UK phone number format, encompassing dialing codes, number types, UK phone number example(s), and steps to make a call. Let’s get started.

What is the UK Phone Number Format?

UK phone number format comes under the E.164 standards by the ITU Telecommunication Standardization Sector. That’s why UK numbers are equipped with the right codes–country and area. 

The UK number format consists of 15 digits at max. Also, a complete UK number consists of the National Destination Code and the subscriber number.

Let’s take a glance at the crucial codes of the UK number format –

• The UK phone number starts with a one to three-digit country code.
• Next comes a three to five-digit long National Destination Code (NDC) that represents the caller’s area or local exchange. 
• After the country and area codes, the 7-digit subscriber number forms a part of the UK number format.

Expert Advice

"Dialing the wrong UK phone number can lead to missed business opportunities, delayed project discussions, and destroyed brand image due to failed connections. To cut this hassle and interact with your stakeholders effectively, master the UK phone number format. Make sure to choose a cost-effective, reliable, and top-rated phone number provider for enhanced business communication."

Codes for Dialing UK Phone Numbers

Codes for calling UK phone numbers range between 3 to 5 digits. You must choose the one that matches your contact’s area. Before dialing the area code, remember to omit the extra zero if you’re calling from outside the UK. 

Now let’s look at the 3, 4, and 5-digit area codes individually –

Three-digit codes

3-digit area codes are largely assigned to metropolitan areas. These codes start with 02. After this code comes the 8-digit phone numbers. 

Here are some majorly used 3-digit UK area codes:

Four-digit codes 

4-digit area codes are majorly assigned to large cities and surrounding areas. These codes start with 011x or 01×1. After this comes the 7-digit phone numbers. 

Here are 12 majorly used four-digit UK dialing (area) codes:

Five-digit codes

5-digit area codes start with 01XXX. After this comes the 5-6 digit phone numbers. 

Here are some of the majorly used 5-digit area codes:

Types of UK Phone Numbers Available

Now that we’ve discussed the UK number format, let’s move on to the various types of UK phone numbers. So, the UK phone numbers are categorized on the basis of geographic location, country, and device (mobile or landline) with distinct formats.  

1. Geographic numbers

Geographical numbers constitute the country’s local area codes. If you call a geographical number, you’ll be charged at a dynamic local rate, varying with your and the recipient’s location. 

These numbers are easy to contact as they impose no restrictions on receiving calls from within or outside of the UK. Owning a UK geographic number helps you establish a strong local presence and saves you from high international calling costs. 

Example: A UK phone number that has Bristol area code (117) will be known as a geographic number. 

2. Non-geographic numbers

Non-geographic numbers remain unanimous across the country as they include no area codes. This is suitable for businesses as customers have to dial the same number regardless of their location, improving customer engagement and establishing a strong brand image.  

Also, as customers and businesses both contribute to the calling costs, your calling will remain low. What’s more, non-geographic numbers come with different prefixes. Let’s go through the majorly used prefixes –

3. Mobile numbers

UK mobile numbers range between 10-11 digits, beginning with a 07. Refer to the above sections to gauge the correct format of the UK mobile numbers with all the codes for international dialing. 

There are tons of mobile network operators in the UK that offer decent services. Some of them are Everything Everywhere (EE), O2, Vodafone, and Three.

Example Of UK Phone Number 

Examples of UK phone numbers will deepen your understanding of the format, minimizing the chances of errors while dialing and ensuring seamless business communication. 

1. UK phone number example

UK telephone numbers constitute of three major parts, country code, area code, and contact’s landline number. For better understanding, let’s elaborate on a UK telephone number example: +44-131-2345678. 

 Breaking the UK telephone number example into simpler form –

• Country code: 44
• Edinburgh area code: 0131 (omit the leading 0 when calling internationally)
• Contact number: 2345678

These three parts make a whole UK phone number.

2. UK Mobile phone number example

UK mobile numbers, UK temporary phone numbers, or UK temp numbers constitute three major parts: country code, National Destination Code, and contact’s mobile number. For better understanding, let’s elaborate on a UK mobile phone number example: +44-7975-556677. 

 Breaking the phone number into simpler form –

• Country code: 44
• National Destination Code: 7975, 7783, 7507 (varies with the mobile network operator) 
• Contact number: 556677

These three parts make a whole UK mobile number.

How To Call a UK Phone Number?

Calling a contact with a UK mobile phone number to discuss a business project is possible only when you follow the correct order. So, let’s understand the steps of calling a UK mobile from an international country – 

Step 1: Key in your country’s international access code. The most common ones are 00 or 011, or ‘+’ (when dialing via mobile).

Step 2: Next, as we’re calling the UK mobile number, enter the UK’s country code ‘44’.

Step 3: Lastly, when typing the UK mobile number format, enter your contact’s mobile number. 

Here, you must note that the UK mobile number format varies with locations and devices. 

Breakdown: 

• Let’s assume that your UK contact’s mobile number is 07-13567-7892. 
• Access codes (00, 011, +) and UK country code (44). 

How To Call a UK Landline?

Have projects to discuss and deals to close with your UK client having a UK landline? Hit their UK landline in seconds by following this step-by-step dialing process –

Step 1: Enter your home country’s international access code 00, 011, or just a ‘+’.  

Step 2: Now, dial the UK country code ‘44’ after the exit code.

Step 3: Dial your client’s area code specific to their location in the UK. 

Step 4: Type your client’s UK landline number in this international format. 

Remember that the UK landline number pattern is different for different devices and locations. 

Breakdown: 

• Let’s assume that your Briston, UK client’s landline number is 1234567. 
• Access codes (00, 011, and +), UK country code (44), Bristol area code (0117). 

Now, let’s broadly understand those scenarios –

Choosing the Right Phone Number for Your Business 

Choosing the right phone number for your business is essential because it ensures that your customers reach you easily and cuts the hassle of switching numbers every month. 

In this decision, your target audience’s location plays an important role as it’ll help you build and strengthen a strong local presence. For instance, if your customer base is mostly from Edinburgh, consider choosing a number with its area code 0131. 

You May Also Read : Best UK VoIP Providers

Here’s how you can make the right number choice –

1. Select the right number type for your business–mobile for added professionalism, local for brand presence, vanity for brand awareness, or toll-free number for enhanced customer experience. 
2. Evaluate the price differences in your chosen phone number providers and select the one that best fits your budget without compromising the service quality.
3. Compare the feature stack of your selected phone number providers to pick the one that fulfills your business’s calling needs well. 
4. Get a free trial of the chosen number provider to be sure of its call quality and performance, eliminating post-purchase regrets. 
5. Gauge your phone number provider’s customer service quality and make sure they are available 24/7 for quick query resolution. 
6. Check your number provider’s pricing plans–monthly subscription or per-minute rate to avoid any confusion or surprises after purchase. 
7. Conduct extensive research about your selected phone number provider’s user reviews on trusted rating platforms such as G2, SoftwareSuggest, and Capterra. 
8. Gauge your number provider’s scalability so that it is capable of accommodating your growing calling and collaboration needs with a simple crawl to a better plan.

Wrapping Up

After carefully going through this extensive yet actionable guide, we suppose that you are confident about dialing a UK number. Now that all your doubts about calling codes, country codes, and phone number formatting are clear, you can reach your contact without draining time figuring out the correct number pattern. 

However, when dialing a UK number, don’t forget to align your number format with your location and device. To eliminate confusion, refer to this guide and run a format check. For enhanced communication, choose the best virtual phone number provider by considering the above-listed points. 

If making a choice seems overwhelming, turn to DialerHQ, the most reputed and trusted phone number provider. With our advanced features and service reliability, you’re bound to improve your business communication. Start a free trial today!

Sindhu Bharathi

Sindhu Bharathi is an inquisitive learner and prolific B2B/SaaS writer with experience of working in diverse industries. She has a demonstrated history of delivering well-researched, original content. From generating long-form articles, blogs, and white papers to social media copies, she pivots her skills to resonate with the medium and deliver compelling content that has the power to captivate the audience.

Updated : January 3, 2024

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