International Calling from UK: Brexit-Era Guide for 2025

International calling from the UK changed after Brexit. The “Roam Like at Home” benefits disappeared for EU travel. Calling rates shifted. The landscape is different in 2025.

Whether you’re calling the EU, USA, India, or anywhere else from the UK, here’s what you need to know.

How Brexit Changed International Calling

What Changed on January 1, 2021

Before Brexit:

UK was part of EU roaming agreement
“Roam Like at Home” - use your UK plan in EU countries at no extra cost
Free calls and data in France, Spain, Germany, Italy, etc.

After Brexit:

UK no longer automatically part of roaming agreement
Each UK carrier makes own deals with EU carriers
Some maintained free roaming, others added charges
Varies by carrier and plan

Current State (2025)

Good news: Most major UK carriers still include EU roaming

Details vary: Check your specific plan

Bad news: Some budget carriers charge extra, caps exist, not guaranteed forever

UK Carrier Landscape 2025

EE (Largest UK Carrier)

EU roaming:

Most plans include EU roaming
Fair use policy: 25GB data in EU
Calls to UK from EU included
Calling EU numbers from UK: Separate charges apply

International calling from UK:

USA/Canada: Around £1-1.50/minute without add-on
EU countries: £1-1.50/minute to call from UK
India: £1-2/minute
International packs available

Add-ons:

International Saver (500 mins to 50+ countries): £7/month
Specific country packs available

Who it’s for: Mainstream users, good coverage

Vodafone UK

EU roaming:

Included in most plans
European Roaming: 25GB fair use
Some older plans grandfathered with better terms

International calling from UK:

USA: £1.50/minute
EU: £1-1.53/minute
India: £1.50/minute

Add-ons:

International Roaming: £6/day for specific countries
Monthly international packs available

Who it’s for: Good option, competitive with EE

Three UK

EU roaming:

Go Roam: 71 destinations including most of EU
Use your plan like you’re home
Most generous of major carriers

International calling from UK:

Similar to EE/Vodafone
£1-2/minute to most countries

Add-ons:

International Saver: Various options

Who it’s for: Heavy travelers to EU

O2 UK

EU roaming:

Included in most plans
25GB fair use cap
O2 Travel available for beyond EU

International calling from UK:

Standard rates: £1-2/minute most countries

Add-ons:

International Bolt Ons available

Who it’s for: Solid mainstream option

Budget Carriers (giffgaff, Smarty, Lebara)

EU roaming:

Varies significantly
Some include, some charge extra
Check specific carrier

International calling:

Often competitive rates
Lebara specifically targets international calling
giffgaff: £1/minute most countries

Who it’s for: Budget-conscious, but check roaming terms

Calling Methods from UK

Method 1: UK Carrier Direct

How it works: Use your UK mobile to call international numbers directly.

Cost without add-ons:

USA: £1-1.50/minute
EU: £1-1.50/minute
India: £1-2/minute

30-minute call costs:

USA: £30-45
Absolutely not worth it

With international add-ons:

EE International Saver: £7/month for 500 minutes
Works out to £0.014/minute if you use all 500
Good value IF you use all the minutes

Pros:

Convenient
Your number shows up
Works immediately

Cons:

Expensive without add-on
Add-on only worth it if you use most of the minutes
Still pricey even with add-on

Best for: Heavy users who buy monthly pack and use it fully

Method 2: WhatsApp/FaceTime

How it works: Free calls over internet to other app users.

Cost: Free (uses data)

Data usage:

0.3-0.5 MB per minute
60-minute call: 18-30 MB
On unlimited data: Effectively free

Pros:

Completely free
Good quality on WiFi
Everyone has it

Cons:

Only works for app users
Can’t call businesses, landlines
Not professional

Best for: Personal calls to friends/family with smartphones

Method 3: Browser-Based Calling

How it works: Call from browser, pay per minute, reach any number.

Typical rates:

USA/Canada: £0.02-0.03/minute
EU countries: £0.03-0.06/minute
India: £0.06-0.08/minute

30-minute call costs:

USA: £0.60-0.90
EU: £0.90-1.80
India: £1.80-2.40

Pros:

Very affordable
No app needed
Works on any device
Calls any number

Cons:

Needs internet
Not free (but very cheap)
Your mobile number doesn’t show

Best for: Most international calling scenarios

Method 4: International Calling Apps

Popular in UK: Rebtel, Yolla, Localphone

Rates: £0.01-0.08/minute typically

Quality: Varies

Pros:

Often cheap
Some work offline (callback feature)

Cons:

Need app installation
Quality inconsistent
Updates required

Best for: If you find one with good quality/rates for your needs

Calling Common Destinations from UK

Calling USA from UK

Why it’s common:

Business ties
Family connections
Tech industry coordination

Cost comparison for 30 minutes:

UK carrier direct: £30-45
Carrier add-on: £0.42 (if using full 500 min pack)
Browser calling: £0.60-0.90
WhatsApp: Free (if they have it)

Best approach:

Personal: WhatsApp if possible
Business: Browser calling
Heavy use: Consider carrier add-on

Time zone:

UK is 5 hours ahead of EST, 8 hours ahead of PST
Call UK afternoon = US morning (good)
Call UK evening = US afternoon (good)

Calling EU from UK Post-Brexit

Why it’s common:

Frequent UK-EU business
Travel connections
Family across channel

Cost comparison for 30 minutes:

UK carrier direct: £30-45
Browser calling: £0.90-1.80
WhatsApp: Free

Roaming consideration: If you’re IN the EU with UK SIM:

Most carriers: Use your plan
Some: £2-6/day roaming charge
Check YOUR plan specifically

If calling TO EU from UK:

Need to pay international rates
Browser calling much cheaper

Calling India from UK

Why it’s common:

Large Indian diaspora in UK
Business process outsourcing connections
NRI (Non-Resident Indian) ties

Cost comparison for 30 minutes:

UK carrier: £30-60
Browser calling: £1.80-2.40
WhatsApp: Free (if they have it)

Specific considerations:

Time zone: UK is 5.5 hours behind India
Call UK evening = India night (okay for family)
Call UK morning = India afternoon (good for business)

Calling Within UK (for completeness)

Domestic UK calls:

Usually included in all plans
Mobile to mobile: Free on most plans
Mobile to landline: Usually free
Not our focus but good to know

Internet Quality in UK for Browser Calling

Home Broadband

Average speeds (2025):

60-100 Mbps typical
Fiber common in cities
Rural areas: 10-30 Mbps

For calling: Any of these speeds are more than enough (need 1+ Mbps)

Mobile Data

4G coverage: Excellent across most of UK

5G coverage: Growing in cities

Speed: 10-50 Mbps typical on 4G, plenty for calls

Public WiFi

Availability:

Costa, Starbucks, Pret: Free WiFi
Most pubs/restaurants: WiFi available
Trains: WiFi often available (variable quality)

Quality:

Major chains: Usually good enough
Small cafes: Test before important call
Trains: Can be unreliable

Real Cost Scenarios UK-Based

Scenario 1: Expat Calling Home (30 min/week)

Usage: 120 minutes/month to Poland

UK carrier (no add-on):

120 min × £1.20 = £144/month 😱

UK carrier (with £7 add-on):

£7/month (if within 500 min allowance)

Browser calling:

120 min × £0.04 = £4.80/month

WhatsApp:

Free (if family has it)

Best: WhatsApp first, browser calling backup = £0-5/month

Scenario 2: Business Calling USA (100 min/month)

UK carrier:

£100-150/month

Carrier add-on:

£7/month (using 100 of 500 minutes)

Browser calling:

100 min × £0.03 = £3/month

Best: Browser calling (professional, affordable) = £3/month

Scenario 3: Calling India Regularly (200 min/month)

UK carrier:

£200-400/month ❌

Browser calling:

200 min × £0.07 = £14/month ✓

WhatsApp mix:

100 min WhatsApp free + 100 min browser = £7/month

Best: Hybrid approach = £7-14/month

Brexit-Specific Tips

Traveling to EU

Before you go:

Check YOUR plan’s EU roaming policy
Don’t assume it’s included (even in 2025)
Some carriers charge £2-6/day
Fair use caps apply (usually 25GB data)

While in EU:

Your UK number still works
Calling UK from EU usually included
Calling OTHER EU countries might cost extra
Use WiFi calling when possible

Alternatives:

Buy local EU SIM if staying long term
Use browser calling over WiFi
WhatsApp for personal calls

Calling EU Numbers from UK

Post-Brexit, calling EU numbers from UK is “international calling” - it costs money.

Options:

Browser calling (cheapest)
Carrier international add-on
WhatsApp (free but limited)

EU Numbers Calling You

If someone in EU calls your UK mobile while you’re in UK:

They pay international rates (their problem)
You don’t pay to receive (usually)
Works like any international call

Recommended UK Setup

For most UK residents:

Domestic/UK calling:

Regular UK mobile plan (plenty include unlimited UK calls)

International calling:

Primary: Browser calling (affordable, reliable)
Free option: WhatsApp when possible
Emergency: Carrier direct (expensive but works)

EU travel (if you do it):

Check your plan includes EU roaming
If not, consider Three UK (most generous)
Or use browser calling + local SIM

Cost:

UK mobile plan: £10-30/month (standard)
International calling: £5-20/month depending on usage
Total: £15-50/month for everything

Common UK-Specific Questions

”Do I still get EU roaming?”

Depends on your carrier and plan. Most major carriers still include it as of 2025, but:

Fair use limits apply (25GB typically)
Could change in future (no guarantee)
Check YOUR specific plan

”Can I call EU numbers from UK for free?”

No. Even if your plan includes EU roaming, calling EU numbers FROM UK costs international rates.

”What about calling Northern Ireland?”

From Great Britain: It’s a UK domestic call (usually free on your plan)

From Republic of Ireland: It’s an international call

It’s complicated: Post-Brexit logistics

”Are there Brexit-proof calling methods?”

Yes: Browser calling doesn’t care about Brexit. Works the same whether calling EU, US, or anywhere else.

”Will roaming charges come back?”

Unknown. Carriers currently include EU roaming to stay competitive, but no legal requirement. Could change. Have backup plans.

The Bottom Line for UK

International calling from UK in 2025:

Don’t:

Use carrier direct international (£1-2/min is too much)
Assume EU roaming is free (check your plan)
Forget to check fair use caps

Do:

Use browser calling for affordable international calls
Use WhatsApp for personal calls when possible
Check your specific carrier’s EU roaming policy
Have backup calling method

The winning setup:

UK mobile plan (domestic)
Browser calling (international)
WhatsApp (free personal)
Know your carrier’s EU terms (travel)

Typical monthly cost:

Light international caller: £15-25 total
Moderate international caller: £20-35 total
Heavy international caller: £30-50 total

Much cheaper than paying £1-2/minute on carrier rates.

Based in the UK and need affordable international calling? NomaPhone works perfectly from anywhere in the UK - call the USA for £0.02/minute, EU for £0.03-0.05/minute, India for £0.06/minute. No app required, works in your browser. Join the waitlist to get access when we launch.