How to call China from the UK (+86 dialing guide)

Formula

From the UK: 00 (or +) → 86 → Chinese number (drop the landline area-code 0; mobiles keep their 1XX start).

X characters are placeholders, not a private callable number. Save +86 in contacts; use 00 only for all-digit UK access. Mainland China (+86) is not Hong Kong (+852) or Macao (+853).

Dial it step by step

1. 1

   Exit the UK network. On a mobile or modern contact book, start with +. On a UK landline, PBX, or digit-only service, dial 00.

2. 2

   Add the China country calling code: 86.

3. 3

   Add the national significant number (NSN). For landlines, remove the leading 0 from the area code (010 → 10). Mobiles already start with 1; dial all 11 digits with nothing removed.

Mobile and landline rules

• Landline: domestic 0 + area code becomes +86 + area code without the 0 (010 → 10, 021 → 21).
• Mobile: 11 digits starting with 1. After +86, dial all of them (138… → +86 138…).
• Mainland only: Hong Kong and Macao have their own codes, +852 and +853.

See the China calling-code reference and the international dialing format guide.

Worked examples

Domestic → portable international → digits-only from United Kingdom. All subscriber digits shown as X are placeholders.

Common mistakes on this route

• Keeping the area-code 0 after 86. Wrong: 00 86 010… or +86 010…. Correct: 00 86 10… / +86 10….
• Using +86 for Hong Kong or Macao. Hong Kong is +852; Macao is +853.
• Cutting a digit from a mobile. Mobiles have no area-code 0. Keep all 11 digits after +86.
• Saving 00 in the contact. Store +86 + NSN so the number works from any country. See common formatting errors.

Quick China area codes (from the UK)

International form already has the leading area-code 0 removed. Dial 00 86 (or +86), then the code, then the subscriber digits. Starter set only, not a full inventory. Full rules and mobile ranges: China (+86).

Time difference (practical)

China uses one national time, UTC+8, with no daylight saving time. The UK is UTC+0 (GMT) in winter and UTC+1 (BST) in summer, so China is 8 hours ahead in winter and 7 hours ahead in summer. Example: 09:00 London = 17:00 Beijing in winter, 16:00 in summer.

How the international format is built

Under ITU-T E.164, the international number is the country code plus national significant number, with a maximum of 15 digits. The + symbol and spacing are access/display notation rather than E.164 digits.

Related routes and references

• China from US
• Japan from US
• US from UK
• Germany from UK
• Japan from UK
• Italy from UK
• UAE from UK

FAQ