Cheapest Way to Call India from the UK

Every option compared honestly — access numbers, WhatsApp, VoIP apps and eSIMs. The right answer depends on your situation, so we cover all of them.

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20+ Years Helping UK Callers PocketDial has been helping people in the UK make affordable international calls since 2003. We know this space inside out.

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Honest Comparisons We compare every option — including free ones — because the right answer depends on your situation, not on what earns us a commission.

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More Than Just Calls We also cover money transfers, eSIMs and travel data — everything you need if you regularly call, travel to, or send money to family abroad.

All Your Options at a Glance

There is no single best way to call India from the UK — it depends on whether both ends have internet, whether you're on a landline or mobile, and how often you call. Here is an honest comparison of every option.

Method	Typical Cost	Needs Internet	Best For	Verdict
WhatsApp / FaceTime Free — but only if both ends have a reliable connection	Free	Both ends	Regular callers with WiFi on both sides	Best if both online
PocketDial Access Number UK landline dial-around — no internet, no account	Coming soon	No	UK landline callers, elderly relatives with no smartphone	🔔 Notify me
Rebtel VoIP app — connects as a regular call at the India end	~1–3p/min	UK end only	UK mobile callers, no app needed on other end	Best for UK mobiles
VoIP Apps (Viber, Telegram) Free app-to-app only — both ends need same app	Free / low	Both ends	If your contact already uses the same app	Good if app matches
India eSIM Local data for when you travel there	From £3	For data calls	Travelling to India	Travel only
Standard UK Mobile EE / O2 / Vodafone — international direct dial	50p–£1.50/min	No	Emergency calls only	Avoid — very expensive

💡 The most important caveat on WhatsApp: it is genuinely free — but only works if the person you are calling also has a good internet connection. For calling elderly relatives or anyone without reliable WiFi or data, you need a paid option.

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PocketDial Access Numbers — New Supplier Coming Soon

We are upgrading our dial-around service to a new supplier offering better rates to India. Leave your email below and we will notify you the moment new access numbers go live — you will be among the first to know.

One email when numbers go live. No spam, ever.

In the meantime:

Rebtel offers competitive per-minute rates to India from your UK mobile — the person you're calling does not need any app or internet. Try Rebtel →

Calling from Your UK Mobile

Your standard mobile network will charge 50p–£1.50 per minute for international calls to India. Here are the two options that actually make sense.

⭐ Recommended

Rebtel

The key advantage over WhatsApp: the person you're calling doesn't need a smartphone, internet connection, or any app. Rebtel routes your call over the internet on your end but delivers it as a normal phone call at the India end. Rates from around 1–3p per minute.

No app needed at the India end Works on any UK mobile Calls landlines and mobiles

Call India with Rebtel →

WhatsApp (Free — with a caveat)

Completely free if the person you're calling has WhatsApp and a reliable internet connection. That caveat matters — if they have unreliable WiFi or data, call quality suffers. Best for regular calls to people you know are online.

Completely free over WiFi Video calls too Requires internet on both ends

Download WhatsApp →

Used Skype to call India?

Microsoft shut Skype down in May 2025. The best direct replacement for calling India landlines and mobiles is Rebtel — same principle, no account needed. For free app-to-app calls, WhatsApp is the natural replacement.

Also Need to Send Money to India?

Many people calling India from the UK also send money home regularly. Your high street bank is typically the worst way to do it — most add a hidden margin of 3–5% on top of the exchange rate before charging a transfer fee. These two services are consistently cheaper.

⭐ Top Pick

Wise

Uses the real mid-market exchange rate — the same one you see on Google — with a small transparent fee shown upfront before you send. No hidden margin buried in the exchange rate. Used by over 16 million people worldwide.

Mid-market exchange rate 74% of transfers arrive in under 20 seconds All fees shown upfront — no surprises

Send money with Wise →

Remitly

Built specifically for diaspora remittances — very popular for UK–India transfers. Competitive exchange rates with an on-time delivery guarantee: if your transfer is late, they refund the fee. Supports bank deposit, cash pickup and mobile wallet.

On-time delivery guarantee Cash pickup option available Strong UK–India corridor

Send money with Remitly →

💡 Compare both before sending — rates shift daily. The cheapest for your amount this week may differ from last week.

Travelling to India? Avoid Roaming Charges

If you're visiting India, your UK SIM will cost you significantly more than you expect. EE charges up to £8.45 per day for data outside Europe — which adds up to over £59 on a week's trip just for mobile internet. An eSIM costs a fraction of that and activates before you board.

Airalo

Best for most travellers. Buy a data plan before you leave, scan a QR code, and you have local data rates the moment you land in India. No physical SIM swap, no queues at the airport. Plans start from around £3.

Instant digital activation — no SIM swap Plans from £3 — data only Keep your UK number active on same phone

Get a India eSIM on Airalo →

Holafly

Better for longer stays or heavy data users. Unlimited data plans mean you never worry about running out — useful if you're making lots of WhatsApp video calls home, using Google Maps constantly, or working remotely during your trip.

Unlimited data — no monitoring required 24/7 customer support Longer stay plans available

Get a India eSIM on Holafly →

ℹ️ eSIMs are data-only — calls and texts still go through apps like WhatsApp. Your UK number stays active on your phone's physical SIM alongside the eSIM.

How to Dial India from the UK

Country Code

+91

From UK, dial first

0091

Time Zone

IST (UTC+5:30)

Current Time in India

–

vs UK (GMT)

+5.5 hrs ahead

Best Time to Call

8am–4pm UK time

Major Networks

Jio, Airtel, Vi (Vodafone Idea)

📞 Dialling format

Dial 0091 + area code + local number for landlines. For mobiles dial 0091 + the full 10-digit number (starting 6, 7, 8 or 9). Drop any leading zero.

🕐 Time difference explained

India does not observe daylight saving time. During UK BST (Mar–Oct) the gap narrows to +4.5 hours.

Dialling code for India

The dialling code for India is +91.

When calling India from the UK you must dial 0091 followed by the India number in full.

When using our service to make cheap calls to India, you need to:

Dial the access number
When you hear the voice prompt, dial the Indian number starting with 0091
When you have finished inputting the number, wait to be connected.

That’s it….easy!

Best time to call India from UK

The time in India is 5.5 hours ahead the time in the UK (GMT +5.5). On that basis the best time to call India is 8am until 4pm UK time. The whole of India is covered by a single time zone so you don’t need to worry about which part of India you are calling.

India Area Codes

Area	Dial from UK
Agartala	0091 381
Agra	0091 562
Ahmedabad	0091 79
Aizawl	0091 389
Ajmer	0091 145
Akbarpur	0091 5271
Akola	0091 724
Alappuzha	0091 477
Aligarh	0091 571
Alipore	0091 33
Alwar	0091 144
Amravati	0091 721
Amritsar	0091 183
Amroha	0091 5922
Anand	0091 2692
Anantapur	0091 8554
Anantnag	0091 193
Angul	0091 6764
Araria	0091 6453
Arrah	0091 6182
Asansol	0091 341
Auraiya	0091 5683
Aurangabad	0091 2432
Azamgarh	0091 5462
Badaun	0091 5832
Bagpat	0091 1234
Baharampur	0091 3482
Bahraich	0091 5252
Balaghat	0091 7632
Balangir	0091 6652
Balasore	0091 6782
Ballia	0091 5498
Balrampur	0091 5263
Balurghat	0091 3522
Banda	0091 5192
Bangalore	0091 80
Banka	0091 6424
Bankura	0091 3242
Banswara	0091 2962
Barabanki	0091 5248
Baramulla	0091 1952
Baran	0091 7453
Barasat	0091 33
Barddhaman	0091 342
Bardhaman	0091 342
Bareilly	0091 581
Bargarh	0091 6646
Baripada	0091 6792
Barmer	0091 2982
Barnala	0091 1679
Baroda	0091 265
Barwani	0091 7290
Basti	0091 5542
Bathinda	0091 164
Beawar	0091 1462
Beed	0091 2442
Begusarai	0091 6243
Berhampur	0091 680
Bettiah	0091 6254
Betul	0091 7141
Bhabua	0091 6189
Bhadrachalam	0091 8743
Bhadrak	0091 6784
Bhagalpur	0091 641
Bhandara	0091 7184
Bharatpur	0091 5644
Bharuch	0091 2642
Bhavnagar	0091 278
Bhawanipatna	0091 6670
Bhilwara	0091 1482
Bhind	0091 7534
Bhinga	0091 5250
Bhopal	0091 755
Bhubaneshwar	0091 674
Bhubaneswar	0091 674
Bhuj	0091 2832
Bijnor	0091 1342
Bikaner	0091 151
Bokaro Steel City	0091 6542
Bombay	0091 22
Boudh	0091 6841
Bulandshahr	0091 5732
Buldhana	0091 7262
Bundi	0091 747
Burhanpur	0091 7325
Buxar	0091 6183
Calcutta	0091 33
Chandauli	0091 5412
Chandigarh	0091 172
Chandrapur	0091 7172
Chennai	0091 44
Chennai (formerly Madras)	0091 44
Chennai (Madras)	0091 44
Cherrapunji	0091 3637
Chhapra	0091 6152
Chhatarpur	0091 7682
Chhatrapur	0091 6811
Chhindwara	0091 7162
Chitrakuta	0091 5194
Chittoor	0091 8572
Chittorgarh	0091 8572
Churu	0091 1562
Cochin (Kochi)	0091 484
Coimbator	0091 422
Coimbatore	0091 422
Cooch Behar	0091 3582
Cuddalore	0091 4142
Cuttack	0091 671
Daman	0091 260
Damoh	0091 7638
Darbhanga	0091 6272
Darjeeling	0091 354
Datia	0091 7522
Dausa	0091 1427
Debagarh	0091 6641
Dehra Dun	0091 135
Dehradun	0091 135
Delhi	0091 11
Deogarh	0091 6432
Deoghar	0091 6432
Deoria	0091 5568
Dewas	0091 7272
Dhanbad	0091 326
Dhar	0091 7292
Dharmapuri	0091 4342
Dhenkanal	0091 6762
Dholpur	0091 5642
Dhule	0091 2562
Dibrugarh	0091 373
Dimapur	0091 3862
Dindigul	0091 451
Dispur	0091 361
Dungarpur	0091 2964
Eluru	0091 8812
Erode	0091 424
Etah	0091 5742
Etawah	0091 5688
Faizabad	0091 5278
Faridabad	0091 129
Faridkot	0091 1639
Fatehgarh	0091 5692
Fatehgarh Sahib	0091 1763
Fatehpur	0091 5240
Fathepur Sikri	0091 5619
Firozabad	0091 5612
Firozpur	0091 1632
Gadchiroli	0091 7132
Gandhinagar	0091 2712
Ganganagar	0091 154
Gangtok	0091 3592
Gaya	0091 631
Ghaziabad	0091 120
Ghazipur	0091 548
Giridih	0091 1933
Gonda	0091 5262
Gondia	0091 7182
Gopalganj	0091 6156
Gorakhpur	0091 551
Gumla	0091 6524
Guna	0091 7542
Guntur	0091 863
Gurdaspur	0091 1874
Gurgaon	0091 124
Guwahati	0091 361
Gwalior	0091 751
Gyanpur	0091 5414
Hajipur	0091 6224
Haldwani	0091 5946
Hamirpur	0091 5282
Hanumangarh	0091 1552
Harda	0091 7577
Hardoi	0091 5852
Haridwar	0091 1332
Hathras	0091 5722
Hazaribagh	0091 6546
Hingoli	0091 2456
Hoshangabad	0091 7574
Hoshiarpur	0091 1882
Howrah	0091 33
Hugli-Chuchura	0091 33
Hyderabad	0091 40
Imphal	0091 3852
Indore	0091 731
Itanagar	0091 360
Jabalpur	0091 761
Jagatsinghpur	0091 6724
Jaipur	0091 141
Jaisalmer	0091 2922
Jalandhar	0091 181
Jalgaon	0091 257
Jalna	0091 2482
Jalore	0091 2972
Jalpaiguri	0091 3561
Jammu	0091 191
Jamnagar	0091 288
Jamshedpur	0091 657
Jamui	0091 6345
Jaunpur	0091 5452
Jehanabad	0091 6114
Jhabua	0091 7392
Jhalawar	0091 7432
Jhansi	0091 510
Jharsuguda	0091 6645
Jhunjhunu	0091 1595
Jodhpur	0091 291
Jullundur	0091 181
Junagadh	0091 285
Kalpetta	0091 4936
Kanchipuram	0091 44
Kannauj	0091 5694
Kanpur	0091 512
Kapurthala	0091 1822
Karauli	0091 7464
Karjat	0091 2489
Karur	0091 4324
Kasaragod	0091 494
Kathua	0091 1922
Katihar	0091 6452
Katni	0091 7622
Kavaratti	0091 4896
Kendrapara	0091 6727
Kendujhar	0091 6766
Khagaria	0091 6244
Khalilabad	0091 5547
Khandwa	0091 733
Kharagpur	0091 3222
Khargone	0091 7282
Khordha	0091 6755
Kishanganj	0091 6466
Kochi	0091 484
Kohima	0091 370
Kolhapur	0091 231
Kolkata	0091 33
Kolkata (Calcutta)	0091 33
Kolkatta (formerly Calcutta)	0091 33
Kollam	0091 474
Koraput	0091 6852
Kota	0091 744
Kottayam	0091 481
Kozhikode	0091 495
Krishnagiri	0091 4343
Krishnanagar	0091 3472
Kulti	0091 341
Lakhimpur	0091 5872
Lakhisarai	0091 6346
Lalitpur	0091 5176
Latur	0091 2382
Lucknow	0091 522
Ludhiana	0091 161
Madhepura	0091 6476
Madhubani	0091 6276
Madras	0091 44
Madurai	0091 452
Maharajganj	0091 5523
Mahoba	0091 5281
Mainpuri	0091 5672
Malda	0091 3512
Malkangiri	0091 6861
Mandla	0091 7642
Mandsaur	0091 7422
Manipal	0091 8252
Manjhanpur	0091 5331
Mansa	0091 1652
Margao	0091 8342
Mathura	0091 565
Mau	0091 5195
Meerut	0091 121
Midnapore	0091 3222
Mirzapur	0091 5442
Moga	0091 1636
Mohali	0091 172
Moradabad	0091 591
Morena	0091 7532
Motihari	0091 6252
Mount Abu	0091 2974
Muktsar	0091 1633
Mumbai	0091 22
Mumbai (Bombay)	0091 22
Mumbai (formerly Bombay )	0091 22
Munger	0091 6344
Mussooree	0091 1362
Muzaffarnagar	0091 131
Muzaffarpur	0091 621
Mysore	0091 821
Nabarangpur	0091 685
Nadiad	0091 268
Nagaon	0091 3672
Nagapattinam	0091 4365
Nagaur	0091 1582
Nagercoil	0091 4652
Nagpur	0091 712
Nalanda	0091 6119
Namakkal	0091 4286
Nanded	0091 2462
Nandurbar	0091 2564
Narsinghpur	0091 7792
Nashik	0091 253
Nasik	0091 253
Naugarh	0091 5544
Navi Mumbai	0091 22
Navsari	0091 2637
Nawabganj	0091 6324
Nawada	0091 6324
Nawanshahr	0091 1823
Nayagarh	0091 6753
Neemuch	0091 7423
New Delhi	0091 11
New Okhla Industrial Development Authority	0091 120
Nuapada	0091 6678
Ootacamund	0091 423
Orai	0091 5162
Osmanabad	0091 2472
Padrauna	0091 5564
Painavu	0091 486
Palakkad	0091 491
Pampore	0091 1933
Panaji	0091 832
Panchkula	0091 172
Panipat	0091 180
Panna	0091 7732
Panskura	0091 3228
Panvel	0091 22
Paralakhemundi	0091 6815
Parbhani	0091 2452
Pathanamthitta	0091 468
Patiala	0091 175
Patna	0091 612
Perambalur	0091 4328
Phulbani	0091 6842
Pilibhit	0091 5882
Ponnani	0091 483
Port Blair	0091 3192
Pratapgarh	0091 5342
Puducherry	0091 413
Pudukkottai	0091 4322
Pune	0091 20
Pune (formerly Poona)	0091 20
Puri	0091 6752
Purnia	0091 6454
Purulia	0091 3252
Pushkar	0091 145
Rae Bareli	0091 535
Raebareli	0091 535
Raiganj	0091 3523
Raipur	0091 771
Rajgarh	0091 7372
Rajkot	0091 281
Rajsamand	0091 2952
Ramanathapuram	0091 4567
Rampur	0091 595
Ranchi	0091 651
Ranthambhore Natl. Park	0091 7462
Ratlam	0091 7412
Ratnagiri	0091 2353
Rayagada	0091 6856
Rewa	0091 7662
Robertsganj	0091 5444
Roorkee	0091 1332
Rourkela	0091 661
Rupnagar	0091 1881
Sagar	0091 7582
Saharanpur	0091 132
Saharsa	0091 6478
Samastipur	0091 6274
Sambalpur	0091 663
Sangli	0091 233
Sangrur	0091 1672
Sariska	0091 144
Sasaram	0091 6184
Satara	0091 2162
Satna	0091 7672
Sawai Madhopur	0091 7462
Sehore	0091 7562
Seoni	0091 7692
Shahdol	0091 7652
Shahjahanpur	0091 5842
Shajapur	0091 7364
Sheikhpura	0091 6341
Sheohar	0091 6222
Sheopur	0091 7530
Shillong	0091 364
Shimla	0091 177
Shivpuri	0091 7492
Sibsagar	0091 3772
Sidhi	0091 7822
Sikar	0091 1572
Silchar	0091 3842
Silvassa	0091 260
Simla	0091 177
Sindri	0091 326
Sitamarhi	0091 6226
Sitapur	0091 5862
Sivaganga	0091 4575
Siwan	0091 6154
Solapur	0091 217
Sonepur	0091 6654
Sopore	0091 1954
Srinagar	0091 194
Sultanpur	0091 5362
Sundergarh	0091 6622
Supaul	0091 6473
Surat	0091 261
Suri	0091 3462
Tamluk	0091 3228
Tarn Taran Sahib	0091 1852
Thalassery	0091 490
Thane	0091 22
Thanjavur	0091 4362
Theni	0091 4546
Thiruvan	0091 471
Thiruvananthapuram	0091 471
Thiruvannaamalai	0091 4175
Thoothukudi	0091 461
Thrissur	0091 487
Tikamgarh	0091 7683
Tinsukia	0091 374
Tiruchirapalli	0091 431
Tirumala	0091 877
Tirunelveli	0091 462
Tiruvallur	0091 44
Tiruvarur	0091 4366
Tonk	0091 1435
Udaipur	0091 294
Udhampur	0091 199
Ujjain	0091 734
Unnao	0091 515
Vadodara	0091 265
Vadodara (Baroda)	0091 265
Varanasi	0091 542
Vasco da Gama	0091 832
Vellore	0091 416
Vidisha	0091 7592
Vijayawada	0091 866
Viluppuram	0091 4146
Virudhunagar	0091 4562
Virudunagar	0091 4562
Visakhapatnam	0091 891
Warangal	0091 870
Wardha	0091 7152
Washim	0091 7252
Yavatmal	0091 7232

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the cheapest way to call India from the UK?

If both ends have reliable internet, WhatsApp and FaceTime Audio are free. For UK mobile callers, Rebtel offers rates from around 1–2p/min with no app needed at the India end. For UK landline callers, PocketDial access numbers provide competitive per-minute rates with no account needed.

How do I dial India from the UK?

Dial 0091 then the full number without a leading zero. For a Delhi landline: 0091 11 + the 8-digit local number. For a mobile: 0091 + the 10-digit number (starting 6, 7, 8 or 9).

What time is it in India when it is noon in the UK?

At noon GMT in the UK it is 5:30pm IST in India. During UK BST (March–October) the gap narrows to 4 hours 30 minutes. India does not observe daylight saving time.

How can I send money to India cheaply from the UK?

Wise and Remitly consistently offer the best exchange rates for GBP to INR transfers. Both are significantly cheaper than banks — most UK banks add a 3–5% margin on top of the exchange rate before charging a fee. Wise uses the mid-market rate; Remitly focuses on fast delivery with an on-time guarantee.

What happened to Skype — and what should I use instead to call India?

Microsoft shut Skype down in May 2025. Microsoft Teams, its replacement, does not support outbound calls to regular phone numbers for ordinary users. The best direct replacement for calling India landlines and mobiles is Rebtel, which works on any UK mobile and requires no app at the India end. For free app-to-app calls, WhatsApp is the natural alternative — it works on the same principle as Skype video calls and is now used by 87% of UK adults.

What if the person I'm calling in India doesn't have internet?

WhatsApp and other internet-based apps will not work if the person you are calling has no reliable data connection. For calling people without smartphones or internet access — including elderly relatives — your best options are PocketDial access numbers (from a UK landline) or Rebtel (from a UK mobile). Both connect as a regular phone call at the India end, with no internet or app required there.

Is it cheaper to send money or buy credit to top up a phone in India?

For supporting family in India, sending money via Wise or Remitly is almost always better value than buying international calling credit. A money transfer gives the recipient full control of the funds, arrives in minutes, and the transfer fees are lower than the per-minute costs that accumulate over regular calls. Many families use a combination: occasional calls via a VoIP app, with monthly transfers for living expenses.