To call the USA from China, dial 00 (China's international prefix), then 1 (the US country code), then the 10-digit US number. On a mobile you can type +1 and the 10 digits instead, which works on a Chinese SIM and on a US SIM that is roaming in China.

So a San Francisco number written as (415) 555-0123 becomes 00 1 415 555 0123 from a Chinese landline or hotel phone, and +1 415 555 0123 from a mobile.

The dialing is the easy part. What makes China different is that many of the apps you would normally use to call home do not work on Chinese networks, and the US is asleep for most of the Chinese day. Both are covered below, along with what each option costs.

The dialing sequence, step by step

Dial 00. This is China's exit code for international calls. China's official government portal gives the same rule: dial 00, then the country code, then the area code and number (english.gov.cn).
Dial 1. The US country code. Canada and most of the Caribbean share it.
Dial the 3-digit area code. For example 212 or 646 for New York, 415 for San Francisco, 312 for Chicago.
Dial the 7-digit local number.

On a mobile, steps 1 and 2 collapse into +1. Press and hold the 0 key to get the plus sign. The plus version is the safest one to save in your contacts, because it works from any country and on any SIM.

You are calling from	Type this	Example
A Chinese landline or hotel room phone	00 1 + 10 digits	00 1 415 555 0123
A Chinese mobile (China Mobile, Unicom, Telecom)	+1 + 10 digits	+1 415 555 0123
Your US phone roaming in China	+1 + 10 digits	+1 415 555 0123
A browser calling service	Choose United States, then 10 digits	415 555 0123

Will internet calling work from China?

This is the question that matters most on this route, and the honest answer is: test it, because it depends on your connection.

China blocks many foreign websites and apps on its domestic networks. Google services and WhatsApp are among the best-known examples, and plenty of other foreign services are blocked or unreliable. That affects calling in three ways:

On Chinese WiFi or a Chinese SIM, apps that depend on blocked services may not connect at all. WeChat works, and it is how most people in China make app calls, but it only reaches people who also use WeChat.
On your US SIM with roaming data, your traffic is usually routed back through your home carrier. Many travellers report that apps blocked on Chinese WiFi work over roaming data. That costs a daily roaming fee, and it is not something any carrier guarantees.
Carrier WiFi calling on a US phone is a separate system from the apps. Some travellers report that it works from China and others report that it does not. Do not count on it until you have made a test call.

The same caution applies to every internet calling service, browser or app. None of them can promise to connect from inside China. If you plan to rely on one, try a short call on your first day, on the actual WiFi or data connection you will be using, while you still have a backup.

That backup is the ordinary phone network: a Chinese SIM dialing 00 1, or your US SIM roaming. Those do not depend on any app.

Calling the US through China Mobile, China Unicom or China Telecom

China has three main mobile carriers that visitors deal with: China Mobile, China Unicom and China Telecom (a fourth, China Broadnet, is newer). All three let you dial international numbers directly with 00 or +, which the carriers call IDD (international direct dialing).

A few things are specific to Chinese carrier calling:

International calling may need to be enabled on your plan. Short-term and prepaid cards do not always have it switched on. Ask at the counter when you buy the SIM, and make a short test call before you leave the store.
Rates depend on the plan, and carriers do not publish one simple English price list. We could not verify a current per-minute rate to the US for any of the three, so we are not quoting one. Ask in store, or call the carrier's service line: 10086 for China Mobile, 10010 for China Unicom and 10000 for China Telecom (the Beijing government lists these with +86 for calls from abroad: Beijing SIM guide).
Your balance matters. On prepaid cards, an international call will fail or cut off when your credit runs low. Keep a margin before you call a bank or an airline that may put you on hold.

Getting a Chinese SIM: passport, counter, real-name check

China requires real-name registration for every SIM, so you buy one in person with your passport. The Beijing government's SIM guide says a valid passport is required, that one passport can register up to five SIM cards, and that China Unicom and China Mobile run "Beijing Service" counters for SIM collection at Daxing and Capital airports (Beijing SIM guide). Shanghai has offered short-term SIMs for foreigners through China Telecom, priced at 85 yuan for 7 days, 125 yuan for 15 days and 195 yuan for 30 days when the city announced them in 2024 (Shanghai government). Check the current price at the counter.

Two practical points:

Not every shop handles foreign passports. The city guides suggest calling the branch first, or using a main service hall or airport counter.
A travel eSIM is a different product. Many eSIMs sold to visitors are data only, with no Chinese phone number. They cannot place an ordinary 00 1 call. They are useful for maps and messaging, not for dialing a US landline.

Hotel phones and phone cards

Hotels in China offer international direct dialing, and the government portal notes that you can call from your room with the charge added to your bill (english.gov.cn). Hotels set their own prices, and some add a charge per call on top of the per-minute rate. Ask the front desk for the rate before you call, especially for a long call to a US bank.

The same portal mentions prepaid phone cards sold at post offices and newsstands. They still exist, but most visitors now find a SIM or a roaming pass simpler.

What a 10-minute call home costs

Prices below are as of October 2026. They change, so follow the links before you rely on them.

Option	Cost of a 10-minute call to a US number	What to know
US Verizon phone with TravelPass	$12 for that day	$12 a day in 210+ destinations, with unlimited talk, text and data (Verizon). Verizon's page does not name China, so check the country list
US AT&T phone with International Day Pass	$12 for that day	$12 a day, plus $6 for each extra line used the same day (AT&T). Check that China is on the destination list
US Verizon phone on WiFi calling	No extra charge, if it connects	Verizon says calling back to the US over WiFi is free (Verizon). Test it from China first
Chinese SIM dialing 00 1	Depends on your plan	Ask the carrier; IDD may need enabling
Hotel room phone	Set by the hotel	Ask before you dial
BoraPhone in a browser	From $0.40	From $0.04 a minute at the time of writing (October 2026), and the dialer shows the exact rate for the number. Test it on your connection in China first

A roaming day pass is fair value if you also need mobile data that day. For one call, it is expensive.

BoraPhone runs in Chrome, Safari, Edge or Firefox and calls real US landlines and mobiles, with no app and no SIM. You top up from $5 with no subscription, billing is per minute rounded up to the next full minute, and failed calls are refunded. Your first call is free, which makes it an easy thing to test on day one before you need it. The full country list is on the rates page.

China is 12 to 18 hours ahead of the US

All of China runs on one time zone, China Standard Time (UTC+8), and China does not use daylight saving time. The US does, so the gap changes when US clocks move. In 2026, US daylight saving time ends on November 1.

US time zone	Hours China is ahead, until Nov 1, 2026	Hours China is ahead, Nov 1, 2026 to Mar 14, 2027
Eastern (New York, Miami)	12	13
Central (Chicago, Houston)	13	14
Mountain (Denver)	14	15
Arizona (no daylight saving)	15	15
Pacific (Los Angeles, Seattle)	15	16
Hawaii	18	18

In practice: 8 pm in Beijing is 8 am in New York during US daylight time, and 7 am after November 1. A US business that opens at 9 am Eastern is reachable from about 9 pm in China until November 1, and from 10 pm after. Morning in China is evening in the US, which is often the best window for family calls.

Mistakes on the China to US route

Dialing 011. That is the exit code used inside the US. From China it is 00, or the + sign.
Adding an extra 1. Older guides write "001". That is simply 00 plus the country code 1, so 001 415 555 0123 is right. Adding the US long-distance 1 as well (00 1 1 415...) is not.
Assuming your usual app will work. If your plan is "I will just use WhatsApp", check it on the connection you will actually have in China. Have a carrier-network fallback.
Expecting a 1-800 number to connect. Many US toll-free numbers do not accept calls from abroad. Our guide to calling US toll-free numbers from abroad explains how to find the direct number instead. If it is your bank and your card has been blocked, see calling your bank from abroad.
Running out of prepaid credit mid-call. Top up before calls that may involve a long hold.

If you are moving to China for longer and want to keep your US number reachable, our guide on keeping your US phone number when you move abroad covers the options.

Frequently asked questions

How do I make a phone call from China to the USA?

Dial 00, then 1, then the 10-digit US number, for example 00 1 415 555 0123. On a mobile phone, type +1 and the 10 digits instead. This works from Chinese landlines, Chinese mobiles and US phones roaming in China.

Is +1 the same as 011?

No. The +1 is the plus sign (which stands in for any country's exit code) followed by the US country code, 1. The 011 is the exit code used when calling out of the US. From China the exit code is 00, so +1 and 00 1 do the same job there, and 011 does not work.

Do I get charged if I make an international call from China?

Usually, yes. A Chinese SIM charges its international rate, a US SIM charges roaming or a day pass, and hotels add their own price. Calls to the US over carrier WiFi calling are free on many US plans, if WiFi calling connects from where you are.

Do you still need to dial 011 for international calls?

Only when you are in the US or Canada and dialing out. Each country has its own exit code, and in China it is 00. On a mobile, the + sign replaces the exit code everywhere, so you never need to remember it.

Can I call the US for free from China?

App-to-app calls are free if both people use an app that works in China, such as WeChat. Calls to US numbers over WiFi calling are free on many US plans if the connection works. Calling a US landline, bank or airline from a Chinese number always costs something.

How to Call the USA from China: Dialing, Costs and What Works