🇬🇧🇨🇳UK to China Rates

How to Call China
From the UK

Calling China from the United Kingdom runs on the +86 country code. Intercalling drops the dialing prefixes and the downloads, so you connect from any browser tab and pay low per minute rates.

How it works

  • Outbound: Dial out at per minute rates, no dedicated number needed.
  • Inbound: Add a US/Canada digital number to take calls ($2.14 to $5/month).
  • No apps: Runs in Chrome, Safari, Edge, and Firefox.

Pricing and access at a glance

  • Outbound calling: Reach any number worldwide on pay as you go pricing, with no dedicated number required.
  • Inbound calling: A unique US or Canada digital number routes calls to your browser ($2.14 to $5/month).
  • App-free: Opens straight in Chrome, Safari, Edge, or Firefox.
How to Dial
UK to China LineSecure
🇨🇳

How to Dial China from the UK

Reach mainland China in seconds and pay only for the minutes you use.

1

Dial 00

The UK Exit Code.
(Or hold '0' to get '+' on mobile)

2

Dial 86

The Country Code for China.
Current sequence: 00 86

3

Dial Number

Enter the area code and number.Drop the leading zero!

Example: Calling a Shanghai Office

00UK Exit
+
86China
+
21Shanghai
+
1234 5678Number

Doing Business with China?
Plan Around the Time Gap

China sits 8 hours ahead of the UK (GMT). So at 9:00 AM in London it is already 5:00 PM in Beijing.

Your strongest window from the UK falls between 8:00 AM and 10:00 AM UK time, which lands at the close of the Chinese working day.

London (UK)
09:00 AM
Beijing (CN)
05:00 PM

Secure VoIP

Calls are encrypted over WebRTC, keeping business conversations private.

Call Mobiles

Connect to China Mobile, Unicom, and Telecom subscribers with ease.

No VPN Needed

The browser based dialer connects directly, with no complicated setup.

Save 90%

Skip the steep international charges UK carriers tack on.

City Codes Across China

Remember to leave off the leading zero when you dial these from the UK.

Beijing10
Municipality
Shanghai21
Municipality
Guangzhou20
Guangdong
Shenzhen755
Guangdong
Chengdu28
Sichuan
Tianjin22
Municipality
Wuhan27
Hubei
Xi'an29
Shaanxi

UK to China Calling Questions

How do I reach a Chinese mobile number from the UK?

Dial 00 86 and then the 11-digit mobile number. Chinese mobiles normally begin with 1, for example 139 or 186, and no area code is needed for them.

Why won't my call to China connect?

First confirm you removed the leading zero from the area code, then double check the 86 country code. If you are calling an office, factor in the time difference, since they may already be closed.

Does calling China from the UK cost a lot?

On traditional carriers like BT, Virgin, and mobile networks it can run over £1.50/min. Intercalling uses VoIP to connect you for a small fraction of that per minute price.

Is any special app needed to call China?

Not with Intercalling. Calls go straight from your Chrome, Safari, or Edge browser on a phone or computer, with no WeChat or Skype install required.

Start Calling China Today

Dependable, secure calls to the PRC at low pay as you go rates.

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Call from any browser

No app and no SIM. Place the call from your computer or phone in seconds.

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Clear per minute pricing, shown before you dial. Pay as you go, no monthly fee.

Calling from a phone and a laptop

One balance, every device

Start on your laptop, continue on your phone, all at the same low rate.

Calling China from United Kingdom: what to know

China answers on the country code +86, with the capital in Beijing and most business concentrated around Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou. The working language for business is Mandarin Chinese (standardized as Putonghua), and local offices generally keep hours of 9:00 to 18:00 with a 12:00 to 13:30 lunch. Saturday work is still common in some industries; '996' (9 AM to 9 PM, 6 days) was widespread in tech until recent regulatory pushback.

From United Kingdom the outbound access code is 00, so a manual dial reads 00 then +86 then the local number. Intercalling removes that step: the call goes through your browser, so there is nothing to install and no SIM card to swap when you travel between United Kingdom and China.

Most mobiles in China sit on operators such as China Mobile, China Unicom, China Telecom. Mobile numbers are 11 digits starting with 1. Drop the leading 0 from area codes.

China runs on UTC plus 8, and it does not observe daylight saving, so the time difference stays constant through the year.

How to dial China from United Kingdom

  1. 1
    Dial the exit code 00

    00 is the international access code used when dialing out of United Kingdom. On a mobile you can press and hold 0 to enter the plus sign instead.

  2. 2
    Enter the country code +86

    +86 routes the call to China.

  3. 3
    Add the local number

    Dial the destination number without its leading 0. For Beijing that means including the area code 10.

Best time to call China

The destination is 8 hours ahead of you.

United Kingdom clock (UTC)
Early or late
China clock (UTC plus 8)
09:00 to 17:00

The two working days barely overlap. Aim for the very start or end of your day to reach someone in China during business hours.

Rates to China (+86)

Pay as you go, billed per minute with no connection surprises. A sample 10 minute call is shown for each line type.

Line typePer minute10 minute call
Mobile$0.9615$9.62
Landline$0.9054$9.05

Rates as of 2026-07-05, in US dollars, and subject to change. The exact rate is always confirmed in the dialer before you connect.

Frequently asked questions

How do I call China from United Kingdom?+

Dial 00 then +86 followed by the local number without its leading 0. From a browser on Intercalling you simply enter the number and press call, with no exit code to remember.

What is the country code for China?+

The country code for China is +86. Beijing uses the area code 10.

What is the best time to call China?+

The destination is 8 hours ahead of you. The working days barely overlap, so aim for early morning or late evening on your side to reach a person during business hours.

Do I need to install an app to call China?+

No. Intercalling runs in your browser on Chrome, Safari, Edge and Firefox, so you can place the call without downloading anything or buying a phone number for outbound calls.

Can I receive calls as well?+

Outbound calls need no number. To receive inbound calls you add a US or Canada digital number, billed monthly, and answer it in the same browser tab.

Last reviewed June 2026Reviewed by the Intercalling calling teamDialing rules cross checked against ITU international dialing procedures
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