How to Call the UK from Portugal: 00 44

How to dial the UK from Portugal

How to make a call to the UK from Portugal: dial the exit code, the country code, and the number. A UK 10-digit number loses its leading 0 after 44, so a city code follows 44 directly.

Fails: 00 44 0 121 then the local number
Works: 00 44 121 then the local number

00Portugal exit code
44Country code of the UK
xx xxxx xxxxThe number, area code first

From a mobile: +44 xx xxxx xxxx

Paste or type a number here to see how to dial it from anywhere

+44

Example: +44 20 7946 0018

You call from

Mobile: +44 20 7946 0018
Landline: 00 44 20 7946 0018

Main area codes in the UK

The area code comes right after 44, then the local number

London00 4420then the local number
Birmingham00 44121then the local number
Glasgow00 44141then the local number
Manchester00 44161then the local number
Sheffield00 44114then the local number
Leeds00 44113then the local number
Edinburgh00 44131then the local number
Liverpool00 44151then the local number

Guide to the +44 country code of the UK

Before you call the UK

Dial Birmingham and other cities

To call Birmingham from Portugal, dial 00 44 121, then the local number.

Birmingham00 44 121
London00 44 20
Manchester00 44 161

Calling the UK cell phones

Calling the UK cell phones works like a landline: dial 00 44, then the mobile number without its leading 0.

Test UK toll free numbers first

Some UK toll free numbers do not take calls from abroad. Dial them after 00 44, and ask for a full area code number if the call fails.

Calling the UK from Portugal without an international plan

Suparelay calls the UK for $0.05/min from your browser, with no plan. Without one, carriers in Portugal charge up to $0.76/min. MEO sells UK calls as an add-on, and Vodafone has no plan for them.

Carrier	The UK on a plan	Per minute
SuparelayNo plan neededUp to 15× cheaper	No plan needed	$0.05 landline$0.07 mobile
MEO300 min included with +Perto 300meo.pt · 2026	300 min included with +Perto 300	$0.26
NOS200 min included with Tarifário Like Internacional 100GBnos.pt · 2026	200 min included with Tarifário Like Internacional 100GB	$0.26
VodafoneNo plan for the UKvodafone.pt · 2026	No plan for the UK	$0.76

Want to call the UK?

Type the number and call from your browser, with no app and no plan

When to call the UK

The time now in the UK, and the best hours to call. Lisbon and the UK share daylight saving time dates, so the time difference stays zero all year.

Time difference: All year: the same time as Lisbon
Daylight saving time: Clocks change twice a year

Holidays in the UK

Why a call to the UK fails

Roam Like at Home does not cover calls from Portugal to other EEA countries

Roam Like at Home applies to calls made while you travel in the EEA. It does not apply to calls from Portugal to other EEA countries. Your carrier charges its international rate for those calls.

ANACOM, Portal do Consumidor, Roaming

From any country, a call to the UK also fails when

The 0 is still in the number
The exit code is wrong for your country
The number does not take calls from abroad

How to fix each one

Questions

How to call the UK from a Portugal cell phone or mobile?

Dial +44, then the number. It works from any mobile in Portugal

Are calls to the UK included in Portugal phone plans?

On some plans. NOS includes calls to the UK in its plans. MEO charges less with an add-on or another plan. Without one of these plans, you pay the carrier's rate per minute

How much does it cost to call the UK from Portugal?

With no plan, carriers in Portugal charge up to $0.76 a minute. Suparelay charges each started minute, from your browser

Do I need to dial 00 to call the UK?

From a landline, yes: dial 00, then 44. From a mobile, type + instead, and the phone adds the exit code

Can I call the UK on my iPhone?

Yes. In the Phone app, press and hold 0 for +, then dial 44 and the number. Your plan must allow calls to the UK

Why isn't my call going through to the UK?

The usual causes: the 0 is still in the number, the exit code is wrong for your country, and the number does not take calls from abroad. Each one is listed above, with a link to its fix

Free call to the UK: how to call the UK from Portugal for free?

An app calls for free only when both sides have it. A call to a landline, or to a phone without the app, costs money

How to call the UK from Portugal on WhatsApp?

WhatsApp and FaceTime call for free, but only someone with the same app. To ring a landline or a phone in the UK without the app, use your phone plan, a calling service, or Suparelay