International calls used to be costly and confusing to make. Thankfully, staying in touch with the land down under is now much easier than it used to be. Today, there are calling apps, online VoIP systems, and mobile calling to reduce the time and cost of fast, overseas communication. If you go the landline or mobile route, you have to know more than your recipient’s phone number. We’ll go over how to dial the right digits along with your options for cutting costs and fees.

How to Direct Call Landlines in Australia

International calls require the use of the United States exit code (011). That gets your call out of the country and on its way to an Australian landline. It’s followed by the Australian country code (61).

The next numbers in the sequence vary. Australian cities have individual single-digit codes. Your call won’t find its recipient without this digit. Smaller towns and out-of-the-way locations may not have their own code. In that case, you can use the single-digit area code instead.

When you ask for the recipient’s telephone number, they may give you the full 10-digit phone number. Keep in mind that city and area codes include a zero before the digit. However, leave the zero out for international calls. You only dial the zero when calling within the country. The last step is to dial the recipient’s telephone number.

Here’s a simplified way to get through the steps:

1. Dial US exit code – 011
2. Dial the Australian country code – 61
3. Dial the city code without the zero – varies by location
4. Dial the local phone number

In practice, if you are going to call Adelaide, Australia, you would dial:

011 (US exit code) + 61 (AU country code) + 8 (Adelaide city code) + 5555 + 5555
011-61-8-5555-5555
(Standard International Dialing Format)

How to Call a Mobile Number in Australia

The dialing sequence for Australian mobile numbers is only one digit different from a landline number. In this case, you do not dial the city or area code. Instead, dial the Australian mobile phone code (4).

The steps include:

1. Dial the US exit code (011)
2. Dial the Australian country code (61)
3. Dial the mobile code (4)
4. Dial the mobile phone number

In practice, if you were to dial the same Adelaide phone number as the previous example, you’d get:

011 (US exit code) + 61 (AU country code) + 4 (AU mobile code) + 5555 + 5555
011-61-4-5555-5555
(Standard International Dialing Format)

How to Call Australia from a Mobile Phone

If you use a mobile phone to call someone in Australia, the dialing procedure doesn’t change. The dialing sequence depends on the type of line you call rather than the type of line you call from. The fees for calling from a mobile phone, on the other hand, could be significantly different than calling from a landline. Depending on the plan, extra charges may apply to mobile international calls that don’t apply to landlines. Make sure you check before calling.

Just as a refresher, here are the steps if you’re dialing a landline or mobile phone from your own mobile phone:

1. Dial US exit code (011)
2. Dial the Australian country code (61)
3. Dial the area, city, or mobile code
4. Dial the local phone number

Alternative Options

Landlines and mobile phones aren’t the only way to make phone calls these days. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) systems let you make local, long-distance, and international calls using a high-speed Internet connection. Depending on the provider and the plan, a VoIP phone system can cost considerably less than standard service plans.

Most VoIP systems are used by businesses, but there are a few apps and websites that use a VoIP system. Skype and Google Voice, for example, let you make local, long-distance, and international calls for free or for a low fee. Mobile VoIP systems have downloadable apps that let you make VoIP calls from a mobile phone as long as you have WiFi or data access.

There are also various calling apps like WhatsApp that let you make international phone calls at prices that are usually far less than a traditional provider. Many of them are free and offer text, messaging, and video calls as well.

The Calling Basics

How to Call Australia from the United States:

1. Direct Call to Landline: 011-61-area or city code-local subscriber number
2. Call a Mobile Number:011-61-4-local phone number

Phone Call Manners

Cultural differences and time zones should always factor into international calls. Untimely calls could damage your relationship with your call recipient. Australia is a big country, so like the United States, there are several time zones. The Australian Eastern time zone is 15 hours ahead of the United States Eastern time zone. For example, at midnight in New York, it is 3 pm in Canberra, Australia. Different Australia locations could make the time difference even wider,  taking extra work to find the best times for both of you.

Then, you’ll need to factor in daylight savings time, which not all Australian states and territories observe. The states that observe daylight savings time include:

• New South Wales
• Victoria
• South Australia
• Tasmania
• Australian capital territory
• Norfolk Island

Those that don’t include:

• Queensland
• The Northern Territory
• Western Australia
• Christmas Island
• Cocos (Keeling) Islands

If you need help converting the time difference and tracking local times, try an online time zone converter.

FAQs

Conclusion

The more affordable alternatives you have, the more likely you are to find a service that provides a good connection at a price within your budget. It might take some negotiation to find an Australian time that coincides with a reasonable United States time. But, whether you’re calling Melbourne, Sydney, or Perth, you can find a method and time that works. Be sure to write down the entire dialing sequence before making the call. It’ll make sure your call goes through on time and on target.