How to Make International Phone Calls in Colombia

Staying in touch with family and friends at home is an important aspect of extended travel, and living abroad.

Since arriving in Colombia, I’ve called home on quite a few occasions, but not often enough to remember the exact steps required to make international phone calls.

To make staying in touch a little easier, I’ve put together a cheat sheet for making phone calls to and from Colombia, using both landlines and cell phones.

Calling A Landline in Colombia from the United States

Dialing Format: 011 + 57 + area code + ??? ????

011 – Exit code required to dial internationally from the United States or Canada

57 – Country code for Colombia

Area code –

• 1 = Bogota
• 2 = Cali
• 4 = Medellin
• 5 = Cartagena, Barranquilla and Santa Marta

7-digit landline phone number

Calling A Cellular Phone in Colombia from the United States

Dialing Format: 011 + 57 + 3?? ??? ????

Cellular phone numbers in Colombia all begin with “3” and are 10 digits long.

Calling a cellular phone is easier because you do not need to include an area code.

Calling the United States from Colombia

Dialing Format: 00X + 1 + ??? ??? ????

X – Phone carrier code –

• 444 = Comcel
• 5 = Orbitel
• 7 = ETB
• 9 = Telefonica

1 – Country code for United States

10-digit landline or cellular phone number

These same dialing formats can be applied for other countries, besides the United States. Simply substitute the appropriate country code when making your call.

Voice Over IP (VoIP)

If you have access to a computer and the internet, you can also make calls to the United States or any country using Skype.

The software is free, as are calls to other Skype users, however you will need to purchase Skype Credit if you want to make international calls to mobile phones or landlines.

Rebtel is another inexpensive option for making international phone calls, though instead of using your computer, you use your mobile phone or landline.

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This post was written by Dave, and brought to you by Rebtel.