Making international calls

Making calls from Ireland to abroad can quickly become expensive if you’re not aware of your provider’s international call charges, or if you don’t have a bill-pay plan or prepay plan that includes a set number of international minutes. On this page, we explain how you can call internationally and which charges you should be aware of. You’ll also learn the difference between calling abroad from home and making calls to another country while you’re travelling.

How much does it cost to make international calls from Ireland?

The cost of making international calls from Ireland varies depending on the country you are calling and which provider you use. Calling a country within the EU/EEA is regulated and typically costs around €0.23 per minute (including VAT), while calls to the rest of the world are generally priced from €2.00 per minute upwards. It’s also worth noting that it’s generally more expensive to call a mobile number than a landline.

Please note! Many Irish providers treat calls to Northern Ireland differently; some include them in your local minutes or offer lower rates when using the 048 prefix instead of +44.

However, many bill-pay plans or prepay bundles include a certain number of international minutes as standard. Most Irish providers also offer international add-ons which provide a set amount of minutes to selected countries for a fixed monthly fee or a one-off top-up. If you make regular international calls, these add-ons are usually the most cost-effective solution.

How do you make international calls from Ireland?

When calling from Ireland to another country, first dial 00, followed by the country code, the area code (dropping the initial zero), and finally the phone number. This applies to both mobile and landline numbers. On your mobile, you can simply use the “+” symbol instead of “00”.

How much does it cost to call an Irish number that is currently abroad?

You pay the same rate as making a call within Ireland – meaning there are no extra charges for you. In fact, it is the recipient who may have to pay to receive the call if they are outside the EU. If your plan includes “any-network” minutes, you can call them using your inclusive allowance regardless of where in the world the person you are calling is located.

Under EU “Roam Like at Home” rules, the person you are calling will not have to pay to receive the call as long as they are in an EU/EEA country. However, if they are outside the EU, they may be charged a rate per minute to receive the call depending on their roaming terms.

Can you make international calls without paying call charges?

Yes, by making calls through apps like WhatsApp (which is widely used across Ireland), FaceTime, or Viber. These use your home Wi-Fi or mobile data instead of your call minutes. You just need to ensure you have internet access via Wi-Fi or the data included in your plan.

Keep in mind that most calling apps require the other person to have the same app installed. However, if you need to call a standard landline or mobile number, services like Viber Out or Rebtel allow you to do so for a small fee, often much cheaper than traditional provider rates.

Roaming charges may apply if you are abroad

If you are abroad and want to use a calling app to contact someone back home or in another country, ensure your provider offers free roaming in that specific country. Otherwise, you may incur significant charges for using a local provider’s data network.

How do you make calls when you’re abroad?

How you make calls while abroad depends on the country you’re visiting and your provider’s roaming terms. As Ireland is an EU member, you can generally use your bill-pay or prepay SIM throughout the EU/EEA just as you would at home, subject to fair usage policies.

Tip! Visit our roaming page to find out more about how “Roam Like at Home” works, how to manage roaming settings on your handset, and tips for keeping costs low when travelling outside Europe.

Calling within the EU/EEA

In most cases, you can use your SIM while travelling in the EU without extra charges. However, always check with your provider for any specific restrictions. Note that while calls and texts are usually covered, there is often a roaming data cap which may be lower than your domestic data allowance.

Calling outside the EU/EEA

If you’re travelling outside the EU (e.g., to the USA, Australia, or the UK), it is vital to check your provider’s roaming rates.Following the 2026 VAT adjustments on non-EU roaming and international services, ensure you check if the quoted price includes the current VAT rate, as these costs can now escalate more quickly than in previous years. 

Many Irish providers offer “travel data passes” or roaming bundles for these destinations; these are much better value than paying “per minute” or “per MB” rates.

How to call Ireland from abroad

If you are calling an Irish number from your own Irish mobile while abroad, you don’t need to do anything different – just dial the number as usual. If you are calling from a foreign landline or a local SIM back to Ireland, you must use the Irish country code: +353.

How do you call Ireland from a foreign number?

The country code for Ireland is +353. To call an Irish number from a foreign phone, dial +353, drop the first zero of the area code (or mobile prefix), and then the rest of the number. For example, if the Irish number is 087 123 4567, you would dial +353 87 123 4567.

Try this if you can’t make calls abroad

  • Restart your mobile. Often, a simple restart forces the phone to reconnect to the most compatible local network.
  • Check your network connection. Ensure you see signal bars at the top of your screen. If not, try selecting a network manually in your phone’s “Mobile Network” settings.
  • Check for international roaming blocks. Some providers place a default block on international roaming or “premium” calls to prevent bill shock. You can usually toggle this on or off via your My Account section on your provider’s app or website.