How to call Australia from the UK: dialing in 2026

The dial string is `+61` followed by the Australian national number with the leading `0` dropped. Australian toll-free and local-rate prefixes (`1800`, `13`, `1300`) are domestic only and will not connect from the UK. Most of Australia sits 9-11 hours ahead of UK time, so the useful overlap for office calls is a UK morning window.

The dial string

To call Australia from the UK:

• ›`+61 {area code or mobile} {number}`, or
• ›`00 61 {area code or mobile} {number}` from a UK landline.

Drop the leading `0`. A Sydney landline printed as `02 9374 4000` becomes `+61 2 9374 4000`. An Australian mobile printed as `0412 345 678` becomes `+61 412 345 678`.

Mobile vs landline

Australian mobiles start with `04` domestically; after dropping the `0`, dial `+61 4xx xxx xxx`. Landline area codes are single-digit after the trunk `0`: Sydney/NSW `2`, Melbourne/VIC `3`, Brisbane/QLD `7`, Adelaide/SA `8`, Perth/WA `8` (with distinct subscriber ranges), Canberra `2`. ACMA documents numbering on [acma.gov.au](https://www.acma.gov.au/phone-numbers).

Australia does not bill the receiver for ordinary incoming international calls.

What it costs

Four realistic routes for a UK→Australia call in 2026:

• ›UK mobile international add-on. Australia sits outside EE/Vodafone/O2 Europe-inclusive bundles. Without an International Pass, pay-as-you-go to Australian mobiles is commonly £1.00, £1.80/min on major UK networks (confirm on the carrier price guide).
• ›Pre-paid international calling card. Low headline landline rates; connection fees hurt short calls to ATO or bank IVRs.
• ›VoIP app-to-phone. Teams Phone and Viber Out terminate to Australian mobiles at low-to-mid US-cent equivalent rates.
• ›Browser-to-phone via WorldDial. From $0.03/min to Australian mobiles and $0.02/min to landlines on the public [rates](/rates) table, see [call Australia](/call-australia).

For regular UK→Australia traffic, an International Pass can win on short calls; for long holds, per-minute browser/VoIP routes beat raw pay-as-you-go.

Toll-free numbers from this corridor

Australian `1800` (toll-free) and `13`/`1300` (local-rate) numbers do not work from the UK. Institutions publish a paid `+61` geographic or mobile contact alongside those domestic lines, dial that. UK foreign-travel advice for Australia is at [gov.uk](https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/australia).

Best calling windows

Australian Eastern Standard Time is UTC+10 (AEDT UTC+11 in summer). The UK is UTC+0 / UTC+1. Sydney/Melbourne run about 9-11 hours ahead of the UK.

Best overlap for a human on an Australian helpline: `08:00-11:00 UK time`, which maps to late afternoon/early evening in Sydney (`19:00-21:00` AEST in UK winter, shifting with DST). That window still catches many bank and government lines before they close for the Australian evening.

Western Australia (Perth, UTC+8) is two hours behind the east, a UK 08:00 start is mid-afternoon Perth time and often quieter than Sydney’s end-of-day rush.

Avoid calling Australian government lines on Australian public holidays and during the mid-afternoon east-coast peak when local callers flood queues.

Pitfalls specific to this corridor

• ›State time zones. Booking a “9 AM Australia” callback without naming the state misses by up to three hours (Queensland has no DST; Western Australia sits behind the east coast). Write the state abbreviation next to every appointment time.
• ›`13` numbers look short and fail internationally. Always convert to the full `+61` published alternative before leaving the contact page.
• ›DTMF on ATO and bank IVRs. Long menus; test tones before settling into a hold. If the menu ignores keypresses, switch route immediately rather than waiting on hold music with a broken DTMF path.
• ›Number portability across Telstra, Optus, and Vodafone AU. CLI may not match the brand the callee expects; the call still completes.
• ›Australian public holidays vs UK ones. Australia Day, ANZAC Day, and state-specific holidays close contact centres while the UK is open. Check the destination state’s holiday calendar before an early UK-morning attempt.

Quick checklist

• ›Dial `+61` with the leading `0` dropped.
• ›Replace `1800`/`13`/`1300` with a paid `+61` line.
• ›Prefer `08:00-11:00` UK time for east-coast offices.
• ›Confirm which Australian state/time zone the office uses.
• ›Use a per-minute route unless a UK International Pass already covers Australia cheaply.

FAQs

What is the international dialing code for Australia?

`+61`. From the UK dial `+61` or `00 61`, then the number with the leading `0` dropped. See [Australia calling codes](/en/calling-codes/australia).

Can I dial Australian 1800 toll-free numbers from the UK?

No. Australian `1800`, `13`, and `1300` numbers are domestic-only. Use the paid `+61` number on the same contact page.

What's the cheapest way to call Australia from the UK?

A UK International Pass that includes Australia can win for short calls. For longer holds, browser-to-phone from about $0.02-$0.03/min usually beats standard pay-as-you-go. Compare [rates](/rates). UK-side context: [call the UK](/call-uk).

Will WhatsApp work for this call?

Only when the other party is on WhatsApp. Australian banks and the ATO do not accept WhatsApp for account authentication.