Yes, Google Voice can call most countries from the US, but those calls are not free. You pay a per-minute rate from prepaid Google Voice credit, starting at $0.01 a minute to places like UK and German landlines, and you need a US Google Voice number to do it (Google Voice calling rates, as of October 2026).

Calls to the US and Canada are free from the US, apart from a few places that cost 1 cent a minute. Everything else is billed by the minute.

What you need before your first international call

Google Voice has a few requirements that trip people up. Tick these off first:

A personal Google Account in the US. Google's own app listing says Google Voice "only works for personal Google Accounts in the US and Google Workspace accounts in select markets."
A Google Voice number. You pick one during setup, and Google texts a code to your phone to confirm it.
Calling credit. International calls come out of a prepaid balance, not a monthly plan. With no credit, the call will not go through Google Voice.
The right plan type. If you use Google Voice through a paid Voice Starter or Voice Standard business plan, Google says you cannot buy credit, and international calling works differently.

How to add Google Voice credit

From Google's credit help page, as of October 2026:

Go to voice.google.com and open Settings (top right).
Click Payments on the left.
Next to "Current balance", click Add credit, pick an amount, then choose a payment method and click Buy.

Two limits to know. Your balance cannot go above $70.00, and auto-recharge, if you turn it on, adds $10, $25 or $50 when your balance drops below $2.00. Google says credit covers long distance and international calls and texts, but Google Voice texts only go to US and Canadian numbers, so in practice you cannot text other countries.

Google Voice international rates, October 2026

Google publishes one long list at voice.google.com/rates, split by country and number type. Here are the lines most US callers need, as of October 2026, in USD per minute:

Destination	Number type	Rate per minute
Mexico	Landline	$0.01
India	All numbers	$0.02
United Kingdom	Landline	$0.01
United Kingdom	Mobile on EE, O2, Vodafone or Three	$0.01
United Kingdom	Mobile, other networks	$0.28
Philippines	Landline	$0.11
Philippines	Mobile	$0.12
Germany	Landline	$0.01
Germany	Mobile	$0.03
Colombia	Landline or mobile	$0.01

Google's help pages say rates can change at any time and are charged per minute. They do not say how partial minutes are rounded.

Three things the rates list does not tell you at a glance

Number type changes the price, sometimes a lot. UK mobiles on EE, O2, Vodafone and Three are $0.01 a minute, but "United Kingdom - Mobile - Other" is $0.28. UK non-geographic numbers are listed at $0.18 (NGN - Local) and $0.25 (NGN - National), and premium and special services numbers at $2.50. If you call a UK business on a number starting 03, 08 or 09, find its category on the list before a long call.

Not every country has a mobile line. Google's list has one Mexico entry, "Mexico - Landline", at $0.01. There is no separate Mexico mobile line on the list. Do not assume a price for Mexican mobiles: look at the cost message Google Voice shows when the call starts.

The cost message is your safety check. Google says that when you start an international call on your mobile, Google Voice shows a message with the cost, or says the call is routed through Google Voice. If you do not see that message, the call is not going through Google Voice and your mobile carrier can charge you for it (Make international calls with Google Voice).

How to call another country with Google Voice

The number format is the same on the web and in the app: + country code + number, with the domestic leading 0 removed.

On a computer:

Open voice.google.com and sign in.
Go to the Calls tab.
Type the full number with the country code, for example +44 20 and then the 8-digit number for a London landline, and press call.

On a phone:

Open the Google Voice app.
Tap the dial pad, enter + and the country code, then the number.
Wait for the cost message before you start talking.

Google's example: for Brazil, enter 55 before the phone number. A few more:

India: +91 then the 10-digit mobile number.
Mexico: +52 then the 10-digit number.
Germany: +49 then the number without its leading 0. Berlin 030 becomes +49 30.
Philippines: +63 then the number without its leading 0.

If a call fails, Google's own checklist is short: make sure Google Voice is open, restart it, and check you have enough calling credit. Google also notes that Chinese carriers may block calls to China.

What changes when you leave the US

Google's help pages are clear on this:

International calls use your phone plan. Google says that outside the US, "international calls use minutes from your mobile phone plan", and your carrier might add roaming fees on top.

Unstable connections push you onto carrier minutes. Google says that if your connection is unstable, the app may prompt you to use your phone plan minutes instead, which "may include carrier call charges."

It is a US product. Google's app listing says Google Voice for personal accounts is currently only available in the US. If you are outside the US without a number, our guide to Google Voice alternatives outside the US covers what works instead.

On Android you can tell the app to use the internet rather than your carrier: open the menu, go to Settings, then under Calls open Making and receiving calls and pick Prefer Wi-Fi and mobile data (Make Google Voice calls over the internet). Start calls from the Voice app, not your phone's dialer. Google warns that if a Wi-Fi call is not possible, Voice may fall back to your carrier and carrier charges may apply, so watch for the cost message on the first call.

Google Voice vs a browser dialer: 10-minute cost

Google Voice is cheaper per minute than most paid services, and that includes BoraPhone. The comparison below uses Google's rates (as of October 2026) and BoraPhone's rates at the time of writing (October 2026).

10-minute call	Google Voice	BoraPhone
Mexico landline	$0.10	$0.40
India	$0.20	$1.10
UK landline	$0.10	$0.40
Philippines mobile	$1.20	$6.50
Germany mobile	$0.30	$1.00

If you live in the US and already have Google Voice, use it for these calls. Where it stops helping is when you cannot get a Google Voice number at all: you are outside the US, you do not want to tie calls to a Google account, or the person making the call is a relative overseas. That is the gap BoraPhone fills. It runs in a web browser with no app, takes pay-as-you-go credit from $5, and shows the rate before every call. We compare the two in depth in Google Voice vs BoraPhone, and you can check any other country on the international calling rate index.

Not sure Google Voice is even the right Google tool? Our guide on calling a phone from Google covers the other options.

Frequently asked questions

Can I make international calls with Google Voice?

Yes, from the US to most countries. You need a US Google Voice number and prepaid calling credit, and each call is charged at the per-minute rate on Google's rates list. Calls to the US and Canada are free from the US, apart from a few places at 1 cent a minute.

What are the disadvantages of using Google Voice for international calls?

Personal accounts only work in the US, and you need credit before you dial. Calls placed through your carrier while abroad can trigger roaming charges, and texts only go to US and Canadian numbers. Some number types, like UK premium lines, cost far more than the headline rates.

What is a Google number?

It is the phone number Google Voice gives you. It works on the web, in the Google Voice app and on linked phones, separate from your carrier number. For personal accounts it is a US number.

Are Google Voice calls to Canada free?

From the US, almost all calls to Canada are free. Google says calls to a few places in the US and Canada cost 1 cent a minute. Canada shows $0.00 on Google's rates list as of October 2026.

Google Voice International Calls: Rates, Setup and What Fails Abroad