Call China and make sure it rings.
China's country code is +86: after it, dial a mobile's 11 digits, or a landline's area code without its 0. From Shenzhen to Chengdu the price is $0.0150 a minute, counted by the second, on a phone app or a company PBX.
- 1,333 minout of $20 of credit
- 22 hoursof talking time on that $20
- Per secondbilling, never whole minutes
Calling China from
01186106234 5678
Beijing 北京$0.0150 a minute, billed by the second. 1,333 minutes for $20.--:-- in Beijing, all of ChinaNew York is 13 h behind
Start calling ChinaHow to call China
One look at the first digit tells you how to dial.
A Chinese number that starts with 1 is a mobile: dial +86 and all 11 digits. One that starts with 0 is a landline: drop the 0 and keep the rest. That is the whole rule.
Area codes, ready to dial
- +86 10Beijing 北京
- +86 21Shanghai 上海
- +86 20Guangzhou 广州
- +86 755Shenzhen 深圳
- +86 28Chengdu 成都
- +86 571Hangzhou 杭州
- +86 579Yiwu, Jinhua 义乌
- +86 27Wuhan 武汉
Two-digit codes are the largest cities and are followed by eight digits. The hero checker reads any other code.
Shanghai 21 or a 159 mobile, the price does not change. $0.0150 a minute.
Get 1,333 minutes for $20When to call China
All of China keeps one clock, and it never changes.
Beijing Time, UTC+8, runs from the coast to the far west, with no summer time. Your clock moves twice a year; theirs does not, so the gap does.
How far ahead Beijing is
- New York, TorontoYour summer12 h aheadYour winter13 h ahead
Your 8 pm is their 8 or 9 am.
- Los Angeles, VancouverYour summer15 h aheadYour winter16 h ahead
Your 5 pm is their 8 or 9 am.
- LondonYour summer7 h aheadYour winter8 h ahead
Your 1 pm is their 8 or 9 pm.
- SydneyYour summer3 h behindYour winter2 h behind
Your 8 pm is their 5 or 6 pm.
Call while they have breakfast. 1,333 minutes to China for $20.
Get 1,333 minutes for $20Why a correct number does not ring
Some phones in China turn off calls from abroad.
Since 2021 Chinese networks have fought phone scams by blocking texts from abroad and, on some networks, switching off international calls unless the customer turns them back on. They also filter calls that look like spam. Here is how to get through.
Will your call ring? Check in three taps.
Have they turned on calls from abroad?
How will you tell them you are calling?
How will you call?
- Ask them to switch on calls from abroad with their network. Some networks there turn them off by default.
A real call, from abroad, that they expect. $0.0150 a minute to every Chinese phone.
Get 1,333 minutes for $20International calls to China
$0.0150 a minute, Beijing to Chengdu.
A call to China is metered by the second from the moment they answer, with no fee to connect and none each month. If the phone in China just rings out, nothing is charged. $20 gives you 1,333 minutes.
- Sunday call to 妈妈
- Talked
- 41:08
- Billed
- 41:08
- Sample check with the factory
- Talked
- 5:44
- Billed
- 5:44
- Grandpa's birthday
- Talked
- 20:06
- Billed
- 20:06
How long $20 lasts
- SUNA long call home every Sunday45 minutes a week29 weeks
- DAYTen minutes every evening70 minutes a week19 weeks
- B2BFive supplier calls a week6 minutes each44 weeks
Bars are out of one year.
A 41-minute Sunday call to 妈妈 is $0.62. 1,333 minutes to China for $20.
Get 1,333 minutes for $20Calls to China for your business
Factories in Shenzhen, agents in Yiwu, suppliers everywhere.
Importers and online sellers live on calls to China. A factory in Shenzhen and an agent in Yiwu cost the same per minute. Ask suppliers for a mobile or landline: their 400 number may not take calls from abroad.
- 1sBilled by the second
A 5:44 sample check with a Shenzhen factory is billed 5:44, not six minutes.
- MAXPrepaid caps the spend
Calls to your agents in Yiwu are paid from credit you added first, so there is no bill at the end of the month.
- PBXYour PBX, one more trunk
Calls your buyers dial as 0086 go out over one more trunk, using the rule shown here.
- Calls to numbers starting with
- 0086
- Strip digits
- 2
- Prepend
- +
- Route
- LinkedSIP trunk
- 00 style
- exten => _0086X.,1,Dial(PJSIP/+${EXTEN:2}@linkedsip)
- E.164
- exten => _+86X.,1,Dial(PJSIP/${EXTEN}@linkedsip)
Full settings for each system: SIP trunk configuration.
Supplier calls that stop at your top-up. $0.0150 a minute to factories and agents.
Open a free accountIs LinkedSIP right for calls to China?
Built for families, students and buyers who call China.
For ringing a real Chinese phone number when WeChat is not an option.
- FAMFamilies and students abroadRinging 爷爷 and 奶奶 on the landline they actually pick up, from the US, Canada, the UK or Australia.
- B2BImporters and online sellersFactories in Shenzhen, agents in Yiwu and freight forwarders, on a softphone or the office system.
Choose something else if
- You want to get past a block. If their phone refuses calls from abroad, only they can switch it back on. We do not disguise calls.
- You need a company's 400 or 800 number. Many accept calls only from inside China. Ask for a landline or a mobile.
- What LinkedSIP does and does not do
Calling China: your questions
Reviewed 28 October 2026.
What is the country code for China?
China's country code is +86. After it, dial a mobile's 11 digits as they are, or a landline's area code without its 0: 010 6234 5678 in Beijing becomes +86 10 6234 5678.
How do I call China from the USA?
Press 011 86 and then the Chinese number: 011 86 138 1234 5678 reaches a mobile, 011 86 21 plus eight digits a Shanghai landline. A cell phone or SIP app takes +86 in place of 011 86. Beijing runs 12 hours ahead of New York while the US is on summer time, 13 the rest of the year.
How do I call China from the UK, Canada or Australia?
The UK exit code gives 00 86, Canada's 011 86 and Australia's 0011 86. Follow it with the mobile's 11 digits, or the city code minus its 0. Typing +86 on a smartphone skips the exit code anywhere.
How do I call a Chinese mobile?
Chinese mobiles have 11 digits starting with 1, such as 138 or 159. Dial +86 and all 11 digits. There is no area code and no 0 to add.
Do I drop the 0 when calling China?
Yes, for landlines. Area codes are written with a 0 inside China, such as 010 for Beijing or 0755 for Shenzhen. After +86, leave the 0 out. Mobiles never have a 0 in front.
Why does my call to China not ring?
Usually one of three things: the person's network has calls from abroad switched off, the number was dialled with an extra 0, or the call pattern looks like spam, such as many short calls and redials. The checker above shows what to fix.
What time is it in China?
All of mainland China uses Beijing Time, UTC+8, with no summer time. In Xinjiang many people also keep a local time two hours behind, so check which one your contact means.
How much does it cost to call China?
$0.0150 a minute to a 138 mobile or a Beijing 010 line alike, counted by the second and with nothing to connect. Half an hour with 妈妈 is $0.45; a $20 top-up runs to 1,333 minutes.
Can I call a Chinese 400 or 800 number from abroad?
Often not. 400 numbers are shared-cost company lines and 800 numbers are free inside China; many do not accept calls from abroad. Ask the company for a landline or a mobile.
Can I text a Chinese mobile instead?
Texts from outside China to Chinese mobiles are often blocked, and the rules differ by province. Use WeChat or another app to say you are about to call, then ring their number.
Do I need a China calling card?
No. Tap the contact and the call goes to +86 and a mobile's 11 digits, or +86 21 and eight digits for a Shanghai landline. Either one is $0.0150 a minute, billed by the second.
Ring China, not just WeChat. 1,333 minutes for $20.
You need an email address and $20 in crypto. After that, +86 and a mobile's 11 digits, or 10 and eight digits for Beijing, rings straight through. How sign-up and top-ups work.