How to Make a Call to Australia

Dialing an international phone number is surprisingly hard.

There’s exit codes, country codes, adding extra 0’s – a whole mess that over-complicates making a simple call.

But knowing how to dial an international phone number is essential while planning your trip to Australia. You’ll also need to know how to stay in touch with your folks back home.

That’s why we’ve created this guide on making international calls to Australia. Learn how to dial Australian numbers from the U.S. and how to make calls within Australia like a pro. 

Dialing an Australian Number from the U.S.

Let’s say you need to call Con-X-ion, one of our shuttle transfer providers in Australia.

It’s the day before your flight to Australia, and you need to re-confirm that there will be a shuttle waiting for you when you arrive in Australia.

The number to get in contact with Con-X-ion is 61 03 9975 7819.

So, how do you dial it, exactly?

To make a phone call to Australia while you are in the U.S., you will need to first dial the U.S. exit code. This code that tells your phone carrier that you are making an international call from the U.S.

The U.S. exit code is ‘011,’ which you will dial first on your phone.

Then you will dial the country code for Australia. This number is ‘61.’ For New Zealand, the country code is ‘64.’

Next you will dial the area code. This number changes depending on which state you are calling to in Australia. All area codes in Australia begin with a ‘0′. For our example, the area code for Con-X-ion is ‘03.’

One important note on the Australian area code: when dialing from the U.S., you will not dial the ‘0’ in the area code. In fact, many businesses in Australia do not include the ‘0‘ when listing their phone number.

After the area code is the local number, which you will dial exactly as it appears.

Here is a quick guide to break it down:

Using a Smartphone to Dial an Australian Number

Dialing to Australia is extra easy using a modern smartphone.

All you need to do is press and hold down the ‘0’ button on your dial pad until a plus sign appears.

This plus sign automatically adds the country exit code for you and lets your carrier know that you are making an international call.

Once the plus sign appears on your phone, dial the rest of the phone number you are calling.

For example, this is how you will dial Con-X-ion using the plus sign:

+61 3 9975 7819

No exit code needed!

Dialing an Australian Number in Australia

What if you need to make a call once you’re in Australia?

For instance, we always recommend calling tour companies one day before a scheduled day tour or transfer to reconfirm your pick up time.

To make a call to an Australian company when you’re already in Australia, simply dial the number beginning with the area code.

So if you are dialing Con-X-ion for your next shuttle transfer, you will dial the number below:

3 9975 7819

We recommend getting an Australia SIM card to easily use your phone while in Australia. This allows you to make calls to local Australian numbers without a hitch.

Planning Your Trip to Australia

Need help making sure your trip goes as smooth as possible?

Contact your destination specialist for more tips and information for a stress-free vacation. We’re here to make sure you have the trip of a lifetime!

You tell us what you want out your trip, and we design a package with hotels, flights, and tours included. Get in touch to have a personal Travel Advisor work with you to create your perfect Australia vacation!