How to call China
From the US, dial 011, then China's country code 86, then the number. For a landline, drop the 0 of the area code (010 becomes 10 for Beijing). From a mobile, dial +86 instead of 011 86.
Calling China from the US- 011Exit code from the US or Canada
- 86China's country code
- 10Area code, Beijing
- 1234 5678Local number
From a mobile: +86 10 1234 5678
Country code- +86
Dial from the US- 011 86 + number
Number length- 11 digits for mobiles, 10 or 11 for landlines
Time zone- China Standard Time, UTC+8 everywhere
Paste a number, get the digits to dial
Copied a Chinese number from an email or a website? Paste it as it is. You'll get the exact digits to dial from where you are, whether it's a mobile or a landline, and where it rings.
Any format works: with or without the country code, spaces, dashes or brackets. It's read in your browser and never sent anywhere.
- From any mobile phone+86 10 1234 5678
- From a US or Canadian landline011 86 10 1234 5678
- From Europe and most other countries00 86 10 1234 5678
- From an Australian landline0011 86 10 1234 5678
- Inside China010 1234 5678
How to call China from the US, step by step
From the US, dial 011, then China's country code 86, then the number. For a landline, drop the 0 of the area code (010 becomes 10 for Beijing). From a mobile, dial +86 instead of 011 86.
01Dial 011
The exit code for calls leaving the US or Canada. On a mobile, press and hold 0 to type + instead, which works from any country.
02Dial 86
China's country code. Together with the exit code: 011 86 from a US landline, +86 from a mobile.
03For a landline, add the area code without its 0
Chinese area codes are written with a 0: 010 Beijing, 021 Shanghai, 0755 Shenzhen. From abroad drop the 0, so a Beijing number starts 86 10.
04Dial the number
A landline is usually eight digits after the area code. A mobile is 11 digits starting with 1, and you dial it with no area code at all.
Dial formats for China, landline and mobile
The same two example numbers, written the way you dial them from each place. Swap in the number you need, or paste it into the formatter above.
Example numbers for illustration only.
Landline or mobile? How to tell in China
Chinese mobiles are 11 digits and start with 13 to 19 (138 1234 5678). Landlines start with an area code: 10 Beijing, 21 Shanghai, 20 Guangzhou, 755 Shenzhen. A mobile number doesn't tell you the city it's used in. 400 numbers are nationwide business lines and may not be reachable from abroad.
Main Chinese area codes
Best time to call a business in China
Avoid noon to 1:30 pm, when many offices stop for lunch. All of China runs on one time zone, 13 hours ahead of New York in the US winter and 12 hours in the US summer. A Beijing 9 am is 8 pm or 9 pm Eastern the day before. Avoid Chinese New Year (late January or February) and Golden Week (October 1 to 7), when businesses close.
Working days- Monday to Friday
- Typical office hours
- 9 am to 6 pm local time
- Time zone
- China Standard Time, UTC+8 everywhere
- From the US East Coast
- 8 pm to 11 pm ET, their next morning
The time in China right now
Worked out from your own clock, daylight saving included.
- Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen --:--
How much does it cost to call China?
It depends on what you call from. A US mobile plan without an international add-on bills every minute abroad, often at a high rate. Calling apps are cheaper but show their own number. With Allo you call from the business number you already have, at a published per-minute rate, without buying a Chinese number.
Calling China with Allo- To landlines
- $0.58
- per minute
- To mobiles
- $0.68
- per minute
No Chinese number to buy and no prepaid credit. The call goes out from your Allo number, from the desktop or mobile app, and the rate is public before you dial.
Call China from your existing business number, no local number needed- Per-minute rates published for every destination, checked before you call
- From the Allo desktop and mobile apps, over Wi-Fi or data
- An AI summary and transcript after every call
- 7-day free trial
From a US Allo number. Averaged estimates published on rates.withallo.com, October 2026: the final rate can vary slightly with your number and the prefix dialed. Special and premium numbers are charged differently.
Can you call China for free?
WhatsApp is blocked in mainland China, so the free option there is WeChat, which almost everyone uses, for work as well. A WeChat call needs both people on WeChat and online, and won't reach a landline or a company switchboard.
Free over Wi-Fi or mobile data, as long as both people have the app installed and are online.
Not for landlines or businesses
An app call can't reach a landline, an office switchboard or anyone who isn't on the app. Most businesses still answer on their phone line.
A real call, at a fair rate
For everything else, call the number. With Allo, China landlines are from $0.58/min and mobiles from $0.68/min.
More calling guides
Calling China: your questions
China's country code is +86. From the US, dial 011 86 before the number. From a mobile anywhere, +86 does the same job.
From a US or Canadian landline, dial 011 (the exit code), 86 (the country code), then the number: 011 86 10 1234 5678. From most other countries, the exit code is 00 instead of 011.
Press and hold 0 to type +, then 86 and the number: +86 10 1234 5678. The + works from any country, so it's the safest way to save a Chinese number in your contacts.
Chinese mobiles are 11 digits and start with 13 to 19 (138 1234 5678). A landline written 010 1234 5678 at home is dialed 011 86 10 1234 5678 from the US, or +86 10 1234 5678 from a mobile.
A mobile written 138 1234 5678 is dialed 011 86 138 1234 5678 from a US landline, or +86 138 1234 5678 from a mobile. Paste any number into the formatter to see which kind it is.
Offices are typically open Monday to Friday, 9 am to 6 pm local time. Avoid noon to 1:30 pm, when many offices stop for lunch. All of China runs on one time zone, 13 hours ahead of New York in the US winter and 12 hours in the US summer. A Beijing 9 am is 8 pm or 9 pm Eastern the day before. Avoid Chinese New Year (late January or February) and Golden Week (October 1 to 7), when businesses close.
It depends on what you call from. A US carrier without an international add-on can charge a high per-minute rate. With Allo, calls to China landlines are from $0.58/min and mobiles from $0.68/min from a US business number, and every rate is published before you call.
Yes, with an app: WhatsApp is blocked in mainland China, so the free option there is WeChat, which almost everyone uses, for work as well. A WeChat call needs both people on WeChat and online, and won't reach a landline or a company switchboard. To reach anyone else, place a regular call.
Not reliably. WhatsApp is blocked in mainland China. Use WeChat if the person has it, or call their number directly: with Allo, Chinese mobiles are from $0.68/min from a US number.