Comment appeler le Mexique depuis les États-Unis

The dial string is `+52` followed by the 10-digit Mexican number. There is no longer a `1` between `+52` and a mobile number, that prefix was retired by Mexico's Instituto Federal de Telecomunicaciones in August 2019. Guides written before 2020 still recommend `+52 1 ...` for mobiles; following them causes the most common first-call failure on this corridor.

The dial string

To call Mexico from the US:

• ›`+52 {area code} {number}`, or
• ›`011 52 {area code} {number}` from a US landline.

Drop nothing, Mexican mobile and landline numbers are both 10 digits with no leading zero to remove. A Mexico City mobile or landline is dialled as `+52 55 1234 5678`. A Guadalajara number is `+52 33 1234 5678`. A Cancún number is `+52 998 123 4567`.

The pre-2019 mobile-only prefix `+52 1` is obsolete. Mexican carriers and most international carriers stripped support for it during 2020-2021; calling `+52 1 55 1234 5678` either fails outright or routes to a recorded "this number is no longer valid" message.

Mobile vs landline

Since the August 2019 numbering reform, Mexican mobile and landline numbers share the same 10-digit format. The first 2-3 digits identify the area:

• ›2-digit area codes for the largest cities: Mexico City `55`, Guadalajara `33`, Monterrey `81`.
• ›3-digit area codes elsewhere: Cancún `998`, Tijuana `664`, Mérida `999`, Puebla `222`, Acapulco `744`.

You cannot tell from the number alone whether it is a mobile or a landline. The carrier's billing system tells them apart based on the original assignment, not on the format the caller sees.

Mexico does not bill the receiver for incoming international calls.

What it costs

Four realistic routes for a US→Mexico call in 2026:

• ›US mobile international add-on. Most US carriers include Mexico in cross-border plans (T-Mobile's "Magenta Plus" includes free Mexican calls, AT&T's "International Day Pass" and similar). Pay-as-you-go rates without an add-on sit at $0.20-$0.40/min, much lower than UK→India because the US carriers see Mexico as effectively domestic.
• ›Pre-paid international calling card. Diaspora-targeted cards advertise rates from $0.01/min to Mexican landlines. Connection fees and rounding push the effective short-call cost higher.
• ›VoIP app-to-phone. Microsoft Teams Phone, Viber Out, Google Voice (the only corridor where Google Voice is an option, it terminates to Mexico at $0.02/min for outbound calls from a US number).
• ›Browser-to-phone via WorldDial. $0.013/min to Mexican mobiles and landlines, billed per second.

For US callers already on T-Mobile or AT&T with a Mexico-inclusive plan, the carrier is the cheapest route. For everyone else, Google Voice or a per-second-billed browser route both beat pay-as-you-go.

Toll-free numbers from this corridor

Mexican toll-free numbers start `01 800` or `01 866`. They are domestic only and will not connect from a US number. Mexican banks and government offices that publish an `01 800` line usually also publish a standard `+52 55 …` Mexico City landline or a `+52 81 …` Monterrey landline for international callers.

Common examples: BBVA México international card services `+52 55 1102 6000`; Santander México `+52 55 5169 4300`; CFE customer service `+52 55 5546 0000`; IMSS (social security) `+52 55 5238 2700`. SAT (Mexican tax authority) international callers route through `+52 55 6272 2728`.

Best calling windows

Mexico's time zones are: Central (UTC-6, Mexico City and most of the country), Mountain (UTC-7, Sonora and Chihuahua border regions), Pacific (UTC-8, Tijuana and Baja California), and Eastern (UTC-5, Cancún and Quintana Roo). The US is mostly UTC-5 to UTC-8.

Mexico observed daylight saving until 2022; it now stays on standard time year-round. The US still observes DST, so the offset between US ET and Mexico City changes seasonally: ET is 1 hour ahead of Mexico City in summer, same time in winter.

The best window for reaching a human on a Mexican bank or government helpline is `09:00-11:00 CDMX`, first two hours of the working day. In US ET that maps to `09:00-11:00` winter or `10:00-12:00` summer. In US PT it is `07:00-09:00` winter or `08:00-10:00` summer.

The window to avoid: `14:00-16:00 CDMX` (Mexican lunch break and post-lunch surge). Saturday is a half-day for many Mexican banks (typically `09:00-14:00`); Sunday all institutional offices are closed.

Pitfalls specific to this corridor

• ›The obsolete `+52 1` mobile prefix is the most common first-call failure. Old US-published guides, including some still on US carrier websites, recommend `+52 1` for mobiles. Mexican carriers retired this in August 2019. The fix is permanent: never use `+52 1` for any Mexican number. Use `+52` followed by 10 digits, full stop.
• ›Telcel mobile network blocks several international toll-free routes. Telcel is the dominant Mexican mobile carrier (~70% market share) and blocks several international toll-free numbering ranges, including some US carrier-provided "free call to family" numbers. The symptom is a US toll-free number that connects fine from a Mexican landline but rings out from a Telcel mobile.
• ›CFE, IMSS, and SAT have multi-hour hold times. Mexican government utility, social-security, and tax helplines routinely have 60+ minute hold times Monday through Wednesday. Tuesday and Wednesday are the worst days. The shortest hold is Friday morning before 10:00.
• ›Address verification with old-format addresses. Mexican banks updated their address system to align with INE (Instituto Nacional Electoral) postal data in 2023. If your account is still on a pre-2023 address, the address-verification challenge during identity check uses the old format; the agent may not be able to find your account on first search even with the correct details.

Quick checklist

• ›Have the destination number in international format: `+52` followed by 10 digits.
• ›Do not add `+52 1` for mobiles. The prefix is retired.
• ›Pick a window inside Mexican working hours: 09:00-11:00 CDMX time.
• ›Have your CURP (if you have one), account number, and any reference number ready before dialing.
• ›Use a per-minute paid route; Mexican `01 800` toll-free numbers will not connect.

FAQs

What is the international dialing code for Mexico?

`+52`. From the US, dial `+52` or `011 52`, then the 10-digit Mexican number. No leading `1` between `+52` and a mobile number, that was retired in 2019.

Do I still need to dial +52 1 for Mexican mobiles?

No. The `+52 1` mobile prefix was retired in August 2019. Mexican mobile and landline numbers now share the same `+52` plus 10-digit format. Following the old `+52 1` rule causes the call to fail or route to a "no longer valid" message.

Can I dial Mexican 01 800 toll-free numbers from the US?

No. Mexican `01 800` toll-free numbers are domestic-only. Mexican banks and government offices that publish an `01 800` line also publish a paid `+52 55 …` Mexico City landline for international callers.

What's the cheapest way to call Mexico from the US?

If you are on T-Mobile or AT&T with a Mexico-inclusive plan, the carrier is the cheapest, calls to Mexico are bundled at no extra charge on those plans. For everyone else, Google Voice (at $0.02/min for outbound) and per-second-billed browser-to-phone routes (around $0.013/min) both beat carrier pay-as-you-go.

Why won't my US toll-free number work when my relative in Mexico tries to call me?

US toll-free numbers are paid for by the US called party and routed through US toll-free providers. Mexican mobile carriers, particularly Telcel, block several US toll-free numbering ranges to push callers onto their own paid international plans. The relative should dial your normal US mobile or landline number instead.