Cheapest Way to Call Russia 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 Russia 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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Free | Both ends | Regular callers with WiFi on both sides | Best if both online |
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Coming soon | No | UK landline callers, elderly relatives with no smartphone | 🔔 Notify me |
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~1–3p/min | UK end only | UK mobile callers, no app needed on other end | Best for UK mobiles |
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Free / low | Both ends | If your contact already uses the same app | Good if app matches |
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From £3 | For data calls | Travelling to Russia | Travel only |
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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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Calling from Your UK Mobile
Your standard mobile network will charge 50p–£1.50 per minute for international calls to Russia. 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 Russia 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 Russia?
Microsoft shut Skype down in May 2025. The best direct replacement for calling Russia 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 Russia?
Many people calling Russia 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–Russia 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 Russia? Avoid Roaming Charges
If you're visiting Russia, 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 Russia. 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 Russia from the UK
📞 Dialling format
Dial 00 + the country code + the full local number (omitting any leading zero).
Dialling code for Russia
The dialling code for Russia is +7.
When calling Russia from the UK you must dial 007 followed by the Russia number in full.
When using our service to make cheap calls to Russia, you need to:
- Dial the access number
- When you hear the voice prompt, dial the Russian number starting with 007
- When you have finished inputting the number, wait to be connected.
That’s it….easy!
Best time to call Russia from UK
Being such a big country, Russian time spans from 3 to 12 hours aead of the UK (GMT +3 to +12).
Moscow is 4 hours ahead of the UK (GMT +4). On this basis, the best time to call Moscow from the UK is 8am to 5pm UK time. All other Russian city time zones are calculated relative to the time in Moscow:
| Time Zone | Moscow Time | Time Zone Name | GMT | Best time to call from UK |
| Europe/Kaliningrad | Moscow -01 | Kaliningrad | GMT+3 | 8am to 6pm |
| Europe/Moscow | Moscow +00 | West Russia | GMT+4 | 8am to 5pm |
| Europe/Volgograd | Moscow +00 | Caspian Sea | GMT+4 | 8am to 5pm |
| Europe/Samara | Moscow +00 | Samara, Udmurtia | GMT+4 | 8am to 5pm |
| Asia/Yekaterinburg | Moscow +02 | Urals | GMT+6 | 8am to 3pm |
| Asia/Omsk | Moscow +03 | West Siberia | GMT+7 | 8am to 2pm |
| Asia/Novosibirsk | Moscow +03 | Novosibirsk | GMT+7 | 8am to 2pm |
| Asia/Novokuznetsk | Moscow +03 | Novokuznetsk | GMT+7 | 8am to 2pm |
| Asia/Krasnoyarsk | Moscow +04 | Yenisei River | GMT+8 | 8am to 1pm |
| Asia/Irkutsk | Moscow +05 | Lake Baikal | GMT+9 | 8am to 12pm |
| Asia/Yakutsk | Moscow +06 | Lena River | GMT+10 | 8am to 11am |
| Asia/Vladivostok | Moscow +07 | Amur River | GMT+11 | 8am to 10am |
| Asia/Sakhalin | Moscow +07 | Sakhalin Island | GMT+11 | 8am to 10am |
| Asia/Magadan | Moscow +08 | Magadan | GMT+12 | 8am to 9am |
| Asia/Kamchatka | Moscow +09 | Kamchatka | GMT+12 | 8am to 9am |
| Asia/Anadyr | Moscow +10 | Bering Sea | GMT+12 | 8am to 9am |
Travel Information (provided by the FCO)
Russia Area Codes
| City | Dialing Code from UK |
| Amursk | 007 416 |
| Anadyr | 007 42722 |
| Arkhangelsk | 007 8182 |
| Astrahanka | 007 8512 |
| Astrakhan | 007 8512 |
| Barnaul | 007 3852 |
| Belgorod | 007 472 |
| Bryansk | 007 483 |
| Cheboksary | 007 8352 |
| Chelyabinsk | 007 351 |
| Cherepovets | 007 820 |
| Cherkessk | 007 87822 |
| Chita | 007 302 |
| Ekaterinburg | 007 343 |
| Gorno Altaysk | 007 388 |
| Groznyy | 007 871 |
| Irkutsk | 007 3952 |
| Ivanovo | 007 493 |
| Izhevsk | 007 3412 |
| Kaliningrad | 007 401 |
| Kaluga | 007 484 |
| Kazan | 007 843 |
| Kemerovo | 007 3842 |
| Khabarovsk | 007 4212 |
| Kirov | 007 833 |
| Kostroma | 007 494 |
| Krasnodar | 007 8612 |
| Krasnoyarsk | 007 3912 |
| Kurgan | 007 352 |
| Kursk | 007 471 |
| Lipetsk | 007 474 |
| Magadan | 007 41322 |
| Mineral nyye Vody | 007 879 |
| Moscow | 007 495 |
| Murmansk | 007 8152 |
| Naberezhnye Chelny | 007 8552 |
| Norilsk | 007 39152 |
| Novgorod | 007 81622 |
| Novorossiysk | 007 86117 |
| Novosibirsk | 007 383 |
| Omsk | 007 3812 |
| Orel | 007 8262 |
| Orenburg | 007 3532 |
| Penza | 007 8412 |
| Perm | 007 3422 |
| Petropavlovsk Kamchatskiy | 007 4152 |
| Petrozavodsk | 007 814 |
| Rostov | 007 863 |
| Ryazan | 007 491 |
| Samara | 007 8462 |
| Saransk | 007 834 |
| Saratov | 007 8452 |
| Smolensk | 007 481 |
| Sochi | 007 862 |
| St. Petersburg | 007 812 |
| Stavropol | 007 8652 |
| Surgut | 007 3462 |
| Syktyvkar | 007 821 |
| Tambov | 007 475 |
| Tomsk | 007 3822 |
| Tula | 007 487 |
| Tura | 007 39113 |
| Tver | 007 482 |
| Ufa | 007 3472 |
| Ul’yanovsk | 007 8422 |
| Ulan Ude | 007 3012 |
| Ulyanovsk | 007 842 |
| Vladikavkaz | 007 867 |
| Vladimir | 007 492 |
| Vladivostok | 007 4232 |
| Volgograd | 007 8442 |
| Vologda | 007 817 |
| Voronezh | 007 473 |
| Yakutsk | 007 4112 |
| Yaroslavl | 007 485 |
| Yekaterinburg | 007 343 |
| Yoshkar Ola | 007 836 |
