How to call France from the UK? France country code & tips
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To call France from the UK, dial 00 33 then the French number, no extra codes needed. Many UK mobile plans charge per minute, but you can call France for free using apps like WhatsApp, FaceTime or Viber when both parties use a data or WiFi connection. This guide explains step by step how to reach French mobiles, landlines, toll-free and VoIP numbers from the UK, so you can choose the cheapest or most convenient option.
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Calling a French phone number from the UK
If you are in the United Kingdom and wish to contact someone in France, you have to follow a specific protocol, as with every time you want to contact France from abroad. Here is how to proceed to call a French number in France from the United Kingdom:
- Type 00 into your phone - this is the UK exit code. From a mobile phone, you can simply type "+".
- Next, add 33 - this is the code specific to France.
- End by typing the last 9 digits of the French phone number you are contacting, skipping the first digit which will be a zero.
For instance, to ring the French number 01 23 45 67 89 from the UK, you can type in either the sequence 00 331 23 45 67 89 or +331 23 45 67 89.
France is located in the CEST or Central European Standard Time. As a result, it is 1 hour ahead of the UK (GMT+1 timezone), and even though this is a very minor time difference, you may want to keep this in mind as you plan your phone calls in France.
How to call France from UK for free?
Before calling, double check your mobile or landline plan. Some UK operators include free calls to France: either in a package or via unlimited EU minutes, while others bill by the minute. If you're unsure, log into your account or ask your operator.
If you want to call for free regardless of your plan, consider internet-based solutions. Voice over IP apps such as WhatsApp, FaceTime or Viber make it possible to call anyone in France at no cost, as long as you both use the app and are on WiFi or a data connection.
Be aware though: the quality of calls over the internet depends heavily on the stability and speed of your connection. Low bandwidth, network congestion or poor WiFi signal can cause delays, echo, or even dropped calls. And since both parties must have the same app installed, these free calls won't work for conventional landline or mobile numbers.
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What are French dialing codes from UK?
The following guide will help you identify the French area code of the number you want to join, and recognise a French fixed line from a mobile phone line.
How to call a French landline from the UK?
In France, fixed phones numbers are made up of 10 numbers, oftentimes presented in 5 sets of 2 digits, such as 0X XX XX XX.
All fixed phone numbers will start with a zero, then the following digit is determined by the phone line's area code.
Below is a summary of the area codes in France, with the main cities found in each zone:
| Zone (Region or City) | Area Code |
|---|---|
| Paris / Île de France | 1 |
| Northwest France (Angers, Brest, Caen, Cherbourg, Le Havre, Lorient, Nantes, Orléans, Rennes, Rouen, Tours), the Réunion and Mayotte DOMs | 2 |
| Northeast France (Besançon, Boulogne, Calais, Dijon, Lille, Nancy, Metz, Strasbourg, Reims, Troyes) | 3 |
| Southeast France (Annecy, Cannes, Clermont-Ferrand, Grenoble, Lyon, Marseille, Monaco, Montpellier, Nice, Nîmes, Perpignan, Saint-Etienne, Toulon, Valence) and Corsica | 4 |
| Southwest France (Albi, Bayonne, Biarritz, Bordeaux, La Rochelle, Limoges, Lourdes, Poitiers, Rodez, Toulouse) and the Martinique, Guadeloupe, Saint-Barthélemy, Saint-Martin, French Guiana and Saint Pierre et Miquelon DOMs | 5 |
So, for instance, to contact the French fixed number 01 12 34 56 78 from the UK, you have to dial 00 331 12 34 56 78 or +331 12 34 56 78.
💡 Good to know: you can also keep your phone number if you move from one region to another, thanks to number portability available throughout France.
Calling French mobile phones from the UK
Just like fixed phone numbers, all mobile telephone numbers are presented in the 0X XX XX XX model. They are easy to identify as the first digit is a zero, and the second digit is a 6 or a 7.
So, for instance, to contact the French mobile number 07 12 34 56 78 from the UK, you have to dial 00 337 12 34 56 78 or +337 12 34 56 78.
Travel to France often?If so, it's worth signing up for a postpaid mobile phone plan. In the long run, these are cheaper than pay-as-you-go and offer better calling time/data allowances. Call our English-speaking customer service line at 09 77 55 72 27 (Monday to Friday, from 8 am to 9 pm and 9:30 am to 6:30 pm on Saturdays and on Sundays 9 am to 5 pm), or ask for a free callback to help you find a plan that meets your needs.
The French codes for other types of phone numbers
Aside from the typical fixed and mobile lines, you will also find other types of numbers, which can be identified by the second digit once again.
Here are the main ones:
- Numbers starting with 08 are special service numbers. They can be free (0800 to 0805), standard rate (0806 to 0809), or premium rate (0810 to 0899).
- Numbers starting with 09 are non-geographic VoIP numbers, charged at the same rate as a landline call.
- Short numbers with 4 digits are used for various services and can be free or charged depending on the provider.
- Numbers starting with 118 are directory enquiry services and are usually premium rate.
👉 French mobile operators' customer service numbers
If you need to contact a French operator from abroad, note that short numbers (like 1023 or 3244) only work in France. Use the international number instead (charged at international rates):
- Orange: +33 9 69 39 39 00
- SFR: +33 9 70 83 10 23
- Free: +33 1 78 56 95 60
- Bouygues Telecom: +33 660 614 614
To join a French utility service from the United Kingdom, such as energy or transport companies, check out this guide about how to call important French numbers from abroad.
You can also follow the information in this other guide on how to contact emergency numbers in France.
How much will I pay to call France from the UK?
Fortunately today, thanks to the roaming charges in the EU, you will not pay any extra for making calls from France to the UK and vice-versa (this also applies to texts and data). This is what is known as the Roam Like At Home measure.
This said if you are planning on calling France from the United Kingdom and vice versa, without the right phone plan you are bound to start getting expensive bills over time, and what's more the Roam Like At Home policy stops being effective after a few months of being away from your home country.
To prevent getting charged very high amounts for your calls from the UK to France, you have a few interesting options:
- You can get hold of a pay-as-you-go phone, thanks to which you can stay in control of how much you pay for your communications.
- Getting a French telephone number is also a good solution to call and text in France for relatively cheap, plus most of the providers have deals that specifically give you preferential rates to use your allowance abroad.
- International SIM cards, such as Flexiroam can allow you a certain amount of calling time and/or data while in France at very competitive rates.
- A less known but still effective option is to get in touch with a travel concierge service, which can enable you to rent a phone while in France. Simply type "france phone rent" into your search engine learn more about these services and compare their rates.
You can also consider using a WiFi connection to make calls and use data while in France: most cafes, restaurants, airports and train stations offer this service for free. Apps such as Whatsapp, FaceTime or Viber are great, free VoIP services will allow you to use your allowance for Internet and calls via Wifi, from either side of the channel.
How to call the UK from France?
In the event that you need to do the reverse and call the United Kingdom from France, here is what to do:
- First type 00 - which corresponds to the exit code for France. From a mobile phone, you can simply press the "+" key instead of the double zero.
- Next, add the digits 44. This corresponds to the United Kingdom's country code.
- Lastly, dial in the British phone number you are contacting, but like with the French numbers you need to cut out the zero at the beginning. As a result, you should have 10 digits to dial instead of 11 in this step.
And that's it!
For instance, in you are in France and you wish to get in contact with the British number 012-3456-7890, dial either 00-44-12-3456-7890 or +44-12-3456-7890.
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NEED A FRENCH PHONE PLAN?
Call an English-speaking Selectra advisor at +33 9 77 55 72 27 (Mon. to Friday, from 8 am to 9 pm and 9:30 am to 6:30 pm on Saturdays and on Sundays 9 am to 5 pm) to help you sign up for a mobile phone plan.
NEED A FRENCH PHONE PLAN?
Call an English-speaking Selectra advisor at +33 9 77 55 72 27 . Our call-center is currently closed. Ask for a free callback to help you sign up for a mobile phone plan.
NEED A FRENCH PHONE PLAN?
Call an English-speaking Selectra advisor at +33 9 77 55 72 27 . Our call-center is currently closed. Ask for a free callback to help you sign up for a mobile phone plan.
What are the best international mobile phone plans?
Find below the best international mobile plans, currently available in France. Signing up for an international phone plan is the cheapest way to call France from UK and surf the internet from abroad, if you often travel between the two countries. For regular travellers outside Europe, the Bouygues, SFR and Free plans are interesting because they offer mobile data in many non-European countries, such as the USA, Canada, Japan, etc.
| Offer | Included services | Price |
|---|---|---|
 Forfait Orange 500Go 5G + mobile |
500 GB in France
200 Go from EU/DOM Unlimited calls/SMS/MMS +40Go dans 75 pays hors UE eSIM available Multi SIM |
84,99€/month
Subscribe online Partner offer |
 Forfait NRJ Mobile Illimité 5G |
500 GB in France
42 Go from EU/DOM Unlimited calls/SMS/MMS |
17,49€/month
Subscribe online Partner offer |
 Forfait SFR Illimité 5G+ Mobile |
500 GB in France
100 Go from EU/DOM Unlimited calls/SMS/MMS 35 Go depuis 71 pays hors EU eSIM available Multi SIM |
39,99€/month
+33 9 77 55 72 27 Subscribe online Selectra service |
 Forfait + Mobile 350Go 5G |
350 GB in France
70 Go from EU/DOM Unlimited calls/SMS/MMS +20 Go depuis Maghreb/Suisse/Andorre |
39,99€/month
Subscribe online Partner offer |
 Forfait Free 350 Go 5G |
350 GB in France
35 Go from EU/DOM Unlimited calls/SMS/MMS et 75 autres pays eSIM available |
19,99€/month
Subscribe online Partner offer |
 Forfait RED 350 Go 5G Spécial Voyage |
350 GB in France
35 Go from EU/DOM Unlimited calls/SMS/MMS et 62 pays hors EU |
19,99€/month
+33 9 77 55 72 27 Subscribe online Selectra service |
 Forfait Lyca L 350 Go 5G |
350 GB in France
16 Go from EU/DOM Unlimited calls/SMS/MMS eSIM available |
11,99€/month
Subscribe online Partner offer |
 Forfait le Dix-Neuf 300Go 5G |
350 GB in France
32 Go from EU/DOM Unlimited calls/SMS/MMS |
19,99€/month
Subscribe online Partner offer |
 Forfait Le Premium 350 Go 5G |
350 GB in France
32 Go from EU/DOM Unlimited calls/SMS/MMS |
14,99€/month
Subscribe online Partner offer |
 Forfait Lebara 350 Go 5G |
350 GB in France
9 Go from EU/DOM Unlimited calls/SMS/MMS eSIM available |
11,99€/month
Subscribe online Partner offer |
 Le géant 340Go 5G |
340 GB in France
25 Go from EU/DOM Unlimited calls/SMS/MMS eSIM available |
16,99€/month
Subscribe online Partner offer |
Le géant 320Go 5G |
320 GB in France
25 Go from EU/DOM Unlimited calls/SMS/MMS eSIM available |
14,99€/month
Subscribe online Partner offer |
Forfait Orange 300Go 5G + mobile |
300 GB in France
150 Go from EU/DOM Unlimited calls/SMS/MMS eSIM available Multi SIM |
67,99€/month
Subscribe online Partner offer |
Forfait Ultra 300 Go 5G |
300 GB in France
50 Go from EU/DOM Unlimited calls/SMS/MMS |
From 29,99€/month
Subscribe online Partner offer |
Le géant 300Go 5G |
300 GB in France
25 Go from EU/DOM Unlimited calls/SMS/MMS eSIM available |
12,99€/month
Subscribe online Partner offer |
Non-exhaustive selection of telecom offers, sorted by price.
Call France from UK: Frequently Asked Questions
How do I call a French number from the UK?
To call France from the UK, dial 00 (or + on mobile) then 33 (the country code for France), followed by the French number without the initial zero.
How to call France for free?
You can call France for free using internet-based apps like WhatsApp, FaceTime, or Viber, as long as both parties are connected to WiFi or mobile data.
Can I call a French number from UK O2?
Yes, UK O2 allows calls to French numbers, but international rates may apply depending on your plan.
Are French toll-free or premium numbers reachable from the UK?
French toll-free numbers (0800–0805) may be charged from the UK, and premium numbers (0810–0899, 118) are often not accessible or can be expensive.
What about VoIP numbers in France?
French VoIP numbers starting with 09 can be called from the UK and are usually billed at standard local rates.