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To call a Mexican number from abroad, dial +52 followed by the 10-digit Mexican number. That’s it. +52 is Mexico’s country code, and it works the same for mobile and landline numbers, from anywhere in the world. If the call isn’t going through, it’s almost always a formatting issue, and this guide covers every scenario step by step.
We cover the full international dialing formula, LADA area codes for the main cities, how to call from the US, the UK, and other countries, and free internet-based alternatives when you don’t want to pay per minute. And if you also need to keep someone’s Mexican line topped up so they can pick up when you call, doctorSIM lets you do it in seconds from anywhere in the world.
How to call a Mexican number from abroad: the quick answer
To call any Mexican number internationally, use: +52 [10-digit Mexican number].
- Mexico’s country code is +52. It always goes before the number.
- All Mexican numbers are 10 digits long (LADA area code included). No extra prefixes needed.
- From a mobile phone, use the + symbol directly: +52 55 1234 5678 (example for Mexico City).
- From a US or Canadian landline: 011 52 [10 digits].
- From a UK or European landline: 00 52 [10 digits].
- You no longer need to add a 1 before Mexican mobile numbers. That format was eliminated in 2019.
If you want to understand why it works this way, find LADA area codes for the main cities, or learn how to call for free over the internet, keep reading.
What you’ll find in this guide
- How to call a Mexican number: the international dialing formula
- How to call a Mexican number from a mobile phone
- How to call a Mexican number depending on where you are
- LADA area codes for the main cities in Mexico
- Free and low-cost alternatives to call Mexican numbers
- Call not going through? Common fixes
How to call a Mexican number: the international dialing formula
Calling a Mexican number from outside the country always follows the same structure: three elements, one after the other, no spaces or dashes needed.
Step 1: The international exit code (+ or 00)
The first element tells your network you’re making an international call. From a mobile, the easiest option is the + symbol (hold down 0 on most phones), which works everywhere in the world. From a landline, you typically dial 00, with one key exception: in the US and Canada the exit code is 011.
Step 2: Mexico’s country code, +52
Mexico’s country code is +52. This number identifies Mexico within the international telecoms system and goes right after the exit code. Without it, the call goes nowhere. Don’t confuse it with the LADA area code, which identifies the city or region within Mexico — that comes after.
Step 3: The 10-digit Mexican phone number
Since 2019, all Mexican numbers (mobiles and landlines) have 10 digits. The first two or three are the LADA area code, and the rest is the local number. Before that reform, you had to add a 1 before mobile numbers when calling internationally — that requirement was removed by Mexico’s telecoms regulator (IFT). If someone gives you a number in that old format, just drop the leading 1 and dial the 10 digits straight.
The full formula: +52 [10 digits]. For example, a Mexico City number with LADA 55: +52 55 1234 5678.
How to call a Mexican number from a mobile phone
Good news: from a mobile, the process is exactly the same whether you’re calling a Mexican mobile or a landline. The 2019 numbering reform removed the distinctions that used to complicate things. Still, it’s worth knowing both cases.
How to call a Mexican mobile number
Dial +52 followed by the 10 digits. No extra prefixes, no leading 1. If the contact is saved in the old format (+52 1 xxx…), update it by removing that 1 — it’s likely been causing failed calls for a while.
How to call a Mexican landline
Exactly the same: +52 plus the 10 digits including the LADA code. There’s no format difference between calling a Mexican landline or mobile from abroad.
Practical example: calling a Mexican number in Mexico City from the US
Say you want to call a Mexico City number with LADA 55. From a US mobile: +52 55 1234 5678. From a US landline: 011 52 55 1234 5678. Both work — the only difference is the exit code.
How to call a Mexican number depending on where you are
The base formula is always the same, but the exit code changes depending on where you’re calling from. Here are the most common cases.
How to call a Mexican number from the US or Canada
From any mobile: +52 [10 digits]. From a landline, the exit code for the NANP (North American Numbering Plan, which covers the US and Canada) is 011, so you’d dial 011 52 [10 digits]. This is by far the most common origin for calls to Mexico, given the size of the Mexican community living in both countries.
How to call a Mexican number from the UK (and other European countries)
From the UK and the rest of Europe, the landline exit code is 00, so the full sequence is 00 52 [10 digits]. From a mobile, +52 works directly as always. Watch out for call costs: international calls to Mexico from a standard UK line can be expensive without an international calling add-on — worth checking your plan before you dial.
How to call a Mexican number from Colombia
From Colombia the exit code is 00 (or 009 depending on the carrier), so from a landline you’d dial 00 52 [10 digits], or +52 [10 digits] from a mobile. Colombia and Mexico are usually just one hour apart, so there’s little risk of calling at an inconvenient time.
How to call a Mexican number from Peru
From Peru the exit code is also 00: 00 52 [10 digits] from a landline, +52 [10 digits] from a mobile. The time difference with Mexico is typically zero to one hour depending on the time of year, so no major scheduling headaches.
How to call a Mexican number from other Latin American countries (Argentina, Guatemala, Honduras)
The same rule applies across the region: exit code 00 from a landline, + symbol from a mobile, always followed by 52 and the 10 Mexican digits. Argentina, Guatemala, and Honduras all use 00 as their exit code. The destination number format never changes — always the same 10 digits.
LADA area codes for the main cities in Mexico
The LADA code (Larga Distancia Automática) is the prefix that identifies the city or region within Mexico. It’s included within the 10 digits of the number, so you don’t dial it separately. Still, knowing them helps you spot where a Mexican number is from and catch incomplete numbers before you try to call.
LADA codes for Mexico City (CDMX), Guadalajara and Monterrey
The three largest cities use two-digit LADA codes, leaving eight digits for the local number:
- Mexico City (CDMX): LADA 55. Example: +52 55 1234 5678
- Guadalajara (Jalisco): LADA 33. Example: +52 33 1234 5678
- Monterrey (Nuevo León): LADA 81. Example: +52 81 1234 5678
Area codes for other popular destinations: Cancún, Tijuana and Puebla
All other cities use three-digit LADA codes, leaving seven digits for the local number:
- Cancún (Quintana Roo): LADA 998
- Tijuana (Baja California): LADA 664
- Puebla (Puebla): LADA 222
- Mérida (Yucatán): LADA 999
- León (Guanajuato): LADA 477
How to find the area code for any other Mexican number
Mexico’s telecoms regulator (IFT) keeps a public database with every LADA code in the country. A quick search for “LADA + city name” in any search engine also does the job. The key thing to remember: all Mexican numbers are exactly 10 digits. If the number you have is longer or shorter, something’s off with the format.
Free and low-cost alternatives to call Mexican numbers
Calling a Mexican number over the traditional phone network from abroad can get expensive without the right plan. Luckily, there are options that cut the cost drastically or eliminate it entirely.
How to call a Mexican number over WhatsApp
WhatsApp is probably the most common way to call a Mexican number from abroad for free. You just need the number saved in the correct international format (+52 and the 10 digits) and an internet connection on both ends. Voice and video calls are completely free — they use data, not minutes. If the person you’re calling has enough credit on their line to stay connected, the experience is practically identical to a regular call. Need to top up their phone via WhatsApp? That’s possible too.
Other apps to call Mexican numbers over the internet (VoIP)
Beyond WhatsApp, several other apps work well for calling Mexican numbers over the internet. FaceTime is the natural choice if both sides have an iPhone. Google Meet and Zoom work fine for more formal calls. For calls to landlines or mobiles directly from an app, Google Voice is a popular option in the US: it lets you call Mexican numbers at very low rates (around 3 cents per minute to Mexican mobiles). Skype offers something similar through its credit system. Neither requires the other person to have the app installed — they dial straight to the number. For more options, check our guide to international data plans for travel.
International calling plans with your carrier
If you call Mexican numbers regularly from a conventional line, many carriers offer add-ons or international calling plans that bring the per-minute cost right down. It’s worth contacting your carrier to see what’s available — sometimes the difference between the standard rate and a small monthly add-on is enormous.
How to call a Telcel number from abroad
There’s nothing special you need to do to call a Telcel number from outside Mexico — the process is exactly the same as for any Mexican mobile: +52 and the 10 digits. Telcel is Mexico’s largest carrier, so if the number you have is on Telcel, the call will go through as long as the format is right and the line is active. If you need to top up that Telcel line from abroad to keep it working, doctorSIM has top-ups for Mexican numbers available from any country. You can also explore all available mobile top-up payment methods to find the one that suits you best.
Can’t get through to a Mexican number? Common fixes
If the call won’t connect or you’re getting an error, it’s almost always one of these.
“The number you dialed does not exist”: checking the format
This message almost always means the number format is wrong or the number is out of date. First thing to check: does the number have exactly 10 digits (not counting the +52)? If the contact has been saved in the old format with a 1 before the mobile number, update it by removing that digit. It could also mean the person has changed their number or the line is inactive due to no credit.
Why isn’t my call to a Mexican number connecting? Carrier blocks and costs
Some carriers block international calls by default on their most basic plans, especially prepaid lines. If the call won’t even attempt to connect, call your carrier and ask whether international calling is enabled on your line. It could also be that you don’t have enough credit to cover the cost of an international call, which is typically higher per minute than a local one. In that case, VoIP alternatives like WhatsApp are your best bet.
Calling a Mexican number across time zones: get the hour right
Mexico eliminated daylight saving time in October 2022, so the Central Zone (Mexico City, Guadalajara, Monterrey) is fixed at UTC-6 all year round. Baja California and some border cities are the exception: they still follow the US time change. With that in mind, the difference with the UK varies between 6 and 7 hours depending on the season (because it’s the UK that changes, not Mexico); with Colombia it’s 1 hour; with Peru, zero. From the US, it depends on the state: from the East Coast it’s 1-2 hours, from the West Coast practically nothing at certain times of year. It’s not uncommon for a call to a Mexican number to go unanswered simply because it’s 3am in Mexico — before assuming the number is wrong, check the local time.
Why top up a Mexican number with doctorSIM?
If you need to keep someone’s Mexican line active so they can pick up when you call, here’s the quick comparison:
| Top-up service | doctorSIM | Other sites |
|---|---|---|
| Instant delivery | ✅ | ❌ Possible delays |
| No hidden fees | ✅ | ❌ Overcharging common |
| Many payment methods (crypto included!) | ✅ | ❌ Limited options |
| 100% secure payment gateway | ✅ | ❌ Not always guaranteed |
| Real 24h support (humans, not bots) | ✅ | ❌ Bots or no support |
To recap: to call a Mexican number from anywhere in the world, the formula is always +52 [10 digits]. No mystery. If the call isn’t connecting, check the number format and confirm international calls are enabled on your line. And if you need the Mexican line you’re calling to stay topped up so they can answer, do it from doctorSIM without leaving home. 📱🇲🇽
