International calls were once associated with long-distance operators and the occasional headache. But with the rise of mobile phones and VoIP tech, reaching countries outside the US is easier than ever.
These days, you can make phone calls to Israel from the US in under thirty seconds — if you know the right code to dial, that is.
Let’s walk through each step of the calling process, including time factors to consider, current calling rates, and ways to save money while on the line.
Call Israel from the US in four easy steps
As long as you have a phone, laptop, or browser extension, you can make calls to Israel from virtually any device. 📲 However, there are different steps required depending on the type of number you’re calling. We’re going to break these down by mobile number and landline number, starting with the latter.
Calling Israeli mobile phone numbers
The dialing code for landline phones in Israel can be broken down into four parts:
- USA exit code
- Israel’s country code
- Local area code
- Customer telephone number
Let’s pick apart each step below.
1. Punch in the exit code
Exit codes tell carriers you’re preparing to make an international call.
You won’t necessarily need to dial this manually. If you’re calling from a mobile phone or a VoIP number, just hit the plus (+) symbol. On OpenPhone, this will instantly add the exit code to your string of numbers.
If you’re using a desk phone and calling from the United States though, you’ll need to dial the exit code 011.
2. Dial the country code
Every country has its own unique calling code — including Israel’s country code of 972.
3. Add the area code prefix
Just like the US, Israel breaks its country into smaller chunks with area codes routing to separate districts. But unlike the US (which typically has three-digit city codes), these are just one number.
Here’s what this looks like for Israel’s major cities:
| Location | Area Code |
|---|---|
| Ashdod | 8 |
| Beersheba (Be'er Sheva) | 8 |
| Eilat | 8 |
| Haifa | 4 |
| Jerusalem | 2 |
| Nazareth | 4 |
| Netanya | 9 |
| Tel Aviv | 3 |
If the area code you need isn’t listed here, tools like CountryCode.org provide a more exhaustive collection.
4. Enter the phone number
Almost done — now all you need is the specific phone number of your client, which will be nine digits long for a mobile number.
To recap, your string of numbers should look something like this if you’re calling someone in Tel Aviv:
+972 31-2345-6789 (fictional phone number)
Calling Israeli landline numbers
As we mentioned earlier, calling landline phones in Israel is different from calling someone’s mobile number — but only by a slim margin.
Let’s break this down in greater detail.
1. The exit code
No matter where you live, you’ll need to dial your country’s exit code to show carriers that you’re making an international call.
Here in the US, the exit code is 011. Dialing the plus symbol (+) instead of the US exit code also works if you’re using OpenPhone or dialing from your personal cell number (with most carriers).
2. The country code
Type 972 for Israel’s country code. No differences to worry about here!
3. The area code
This step stays exactly the same as dialing an Israeli mobile number. The area code will be a one-digit number depending on the city you’re calling.
4. The local number
Here’s where you’ll see the difference between dialing a landline number in Israel and a mobile number.
You’ll still dial the customer’s phone number as before. However, Israeli landline phone numbers have eight digits rather than nine, skewing your final results.
When you put all of the above steps together, you’re left with something like this:
+972 3 (one-digit area code) 1234-5678 (fictional phone number)
How to factor in the time difference when calling Israel from the US
As tempting as it is to call clients when it’s most convenient for you, there’s a significant time difference between the US and Israel to keep in mind. ⏰ The entire country follows the same time zone: Israel Daylight Time and Israel Standard Time (for when DST is not in effect).
Depending on your location, there may be more than half a day’s difference between yourself and your clients:
- Eastern Time: You are seven hours behind Israel (your 12 PM is their 7 PM)
- Central Time: You are eight hours behind Israel (your 12 PM is their 8 PM)
- Mountain Time: You are nine hours behind Israel (your 12 PM is their 9 PM)
- Pacific Time: You are ten hours behind Israel (your 12 PM is their 10 PM)
- Alaska Time: You are eleven hours behind Israel (your 12 PM is their 11 PM)
- Hawaii Time: You are thirteen hours behind Israel (your 12 PM is their 1 AM)
In most cases, it’s easier to use a conversion tool to compare time zones. Time and Date is relatively popular, as is Timebie.
How much does it cost to call Israel from the US?
The price you’ll pay to call Israel from the US largely depends on your carrier.
The FCC doesn’t regulate maximum fees, but sources indicate a range from a few pennies to a few dollars. You might end up paying $5 or $6 per hour of conversation or a whopping $200 for 60 minutes and some change. Other carriers expect you to pay through calling cards (think prepaid debits) or flat monthly rates.
These options aren’t without drawbacks. Calling cards that run dry will cut your line in the middle of a convo, while flat rates limit the international minutes you can use per month. In either case, none of these situations are convenient.
How to lower your calling costs to Israel
The results are in: traditional service carriers and old-school ‘solutions’ just aren’t cost-effective. Making free calls to Israel may not be possible, but it is possible to save big with OpenPhone’s VoIP for international calls and messages. Ditch calling cards and expensive contracts for good, and only pay for what you need — it really is that simple!
It just takes $0.04 per minute to make calls to Israel through OpenPhone. 💸 But there are other reasons why users can’t get enough of our solutions:
- Locate our calling rates at any time; text or call to Canada and anyone in the US for free
- Acquire all the local or toll-free numbers you need to serve different cities and team departments
- Port over any existing number over to OpenPhone for free
- Easily review call recording, voicemail transcripts, and other built-in features
- Create business hours and an away voicemail greeting that sets expectations on when your team is available to take calls
- Share a single number across your entire team or assign personal lines to each employee
- Connect your numbers with the tools you’re already using (including Zapier, HubSpot, Slack, Gmail, and more)
Call Israel for less with OpenPhone
No matter how frequently you make calls to Israel, OpenPhone is simply better — better for your team, better for your workflow, and better for your bottom line. 🙌
Add credits to your account and start reaching callers in any city, from Jerusalem to Tel Aviv to every place in between. With borderless calling and WiFi messaging, there’s a good reason why users made us the #1 business platform on G2.
Start making calls to Israel today with OpenPhone’s seven-day free trial.
Check out our other international calling guides:
How to call Turkey from the US
How to call Australia from the US
How to call the Philippines from the US
