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.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
Free | Both ends | Regular callers with WiFi on both sides | Best if both online |
|
|
Coming soon | No | UK landline callers, elderly relatives with no smartphone | 🔔 Notify me |
|
|
~1–3p/min | UK end only | UK mobile callers, no app needed on other end | Best for UK mobiles |
|
|
Free / low | Both ends | If your contact already uses the same app | Good if app matches |
|
|
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
💡 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.
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.
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
📞 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 |
