If your business serves customers, partners, or other contacts in another country, giving them an international business phone number can make it easier for them to reach you.
The important point is that an international business phone number does not necessarily require opening an office or installing a traditional telephone line in that country. A virtual phone number can provide a local telephone presence while calls are routed to your existing mobile phone, landline, PBX, or VoIP system.
With AITelephone, businesses can select virtual phone numbers from a large international inventory and route incoming calls to destinations around the world. Current AITelephone information lists local and toll-free virtual phone numbers in more than 160 countries, although the specific number types available depend on the country and location.
What Is an International Business Phone Number?
An international business phone number is a telephone number associated with a country, city, or service area where your business wants to establish a telephone presence.
With a virtual number, the number itself does not have to be tied to the physical location of the person answering the call.
For example, a company based in the United States could obtain a business phone number associated with another country and have incoming calls forwarded to its U.S. office. Similarly, a company operating in Europe could use a phone number associated with a market in Asia and route those calls to its existing business phone system.
The caller reaches the international number, while the business determines where the call should be answered.
This is the basic idea behind international call forwarding.
Why Would a Business Need an International Phone Number?
There are several practical reasons a company may want a phone number in another country.
Establish a local telephone presence
A local business phone number can give customers and prospects in a particular market a convenient way to contact the company.
This can be especially useful when a business is testing a new market, selling internationally, or supporting customers in several countries.
Keep your existing phone system
Obtaining an international virtual number does not necessarily mean replacing your existing telephone service.
AITelephone’s current service information states that incoming calls can be forwarded to a mobile phone, landline, PBX, or VoIP destination.
This allows a company to add an international point of contact while continuing to use the communications equipment it already has.
Separate business calls from personal numbers
A virtual business number can also help employees avoid publishing their personal mobile numbers to customers and prospects.
Calls can instead be directed to the employee’s mobile phone while the customer sees and calls the company’s business number.
Support customers in multiple countries
A company with customers in several markets may use different country-specific numbers as points of contact.
For example, a business might use one number for customers in the United Kingdom and another for customers in Australia, while routing both numbers to the same support organization.
The numbers provide country-specific points of contact without requiring a separate physical telephone system in every market.
How Does an International Virtual Phone Number Work?
The process is straightforward.
1. Select the country or location.
First, choose the country where you want to establish your telephone presence. Depending on the location, different number categories may be available, such as local, national, toll-free, or mobile.
AITelephone’s current coverage database should be used to confirm the number categories available for a specific country. Availability varies by country and number type.
2. Select the phone number.
Once the desired country and available number type are identified, select an available number from the current inventory.
3. Enter the call destination.
Specify the phone number where incoming calls should be delivered.
That destination can be an existing mobile phone, landline, PBX, or VoIP system.
4. Configure the account.
After activation, the online account portal allows customers to manage their call-forwarding destination and other available features.
AITelephone states that customers can change their forwarding destination through the online account portal, with changes taking effect in real time.
5. Publish the number.
The new business number can then be used on your website, email communications, marketing materials, advertisements, and other customer-facing communications.
Do You Need an Office in the Other Country?
Not necessarily.
One of the principal advantages of a virtual international business number is that the telephone number can provide a local presence without requiring the business to establish a physical office in that country.
However, this is not universal. Number availability and documentation requirements vary by country and number type. AITelephone’s country-coverage database specifically instructs that requirements should not be inferred when they are not listed.
Therefore, businesses should check the current availability and requirements for the particular country and number type they need.
Can Calls Be Forwarded to a Phone in Another Country?
Yes.
The international number and the destination phone do not have to be in the same country.
For example, an international business number can be associated with one country while incoming calls are routed to a business office, employee, mobile phone, or VoIP destination in another country. AITelephone describes this as one of the core uses of its global call-forwarding service.
This makes the service useful for companies that operate internationally but centralize their customer service, sales, or administrative operations.
What Features Can Be Used With an International Business Number?
The exact features available can depend on the number and service selected, but AITelephone’s current service information includes several call-management capabilities.
These include:
- Call forwarding
- Voicemail-to-email
- Time-of-day routing
- Extension call routing
- Simultaneous ringing
- Call recording
- Call activity information
- Caller ID
- Local 2-Way Voice in supported countries
- SMS functionality for supported numbers
- Rates / registration
AITelephone also provides an online account portal for managing available features and call-routing settings.
Local 2-Way Voice
For businesses that need to make outbound calls as well as receive them, AITelephone offers a Geographic Local 2-Way Voice option in supported countries.
When available for the selected number, this feature allows the business to make calls using the virtual number as the caller ID. AITelephone currently describes the feature as being available in approximately 70 countries, rather than throughout its entire international coverage.
That distinction is important: not every international number supports the same capabilities.
What Does an International Business Phone Number Cost?
There is no single price for an international business phone number.
AITelephone states that pricing depends on the country or city of the virtual number and the destination where incoming calls are forwarded. Current rate options are displayed after the desired country and call destination are selected.
For that reason, businesses should check the current rate and availability for their specific country-to-country requirements rather than relying on a generic price.
Can You Try the Service Before Making a Long-Term Commitment?
AITelephone currently offers a free-trial option for its global call-forwarding service, subject to the selected number and destination.
The service is also described as being available on a month-to-month basis, making it suitable for both temporary and longer-term requirements.
This can be useful for a company that wants to test a new market before making a larger investment in local operations.
How to Choose the Right International Business Number
Before ordering, consider these questions:
Where are your callers located?
Choose a country or city that corresponds to the market you are trying to reach.
Do you need a local or toll-free number?
The appropriate number type depends on your business model and the expectations of your callers. Not every number type is available in every country.
Where will the calls be answered?
Determine whether calls should go to an office, employee mobile phone, call center, PBX, or VoIP system.
Do you need outbound calling?
If you want to make calls using the international number as your caller ID, check whether the Geographic Local 2-Way Voice option is available for the country and number you are considering.
Are there country-specific requirements?
Always check the current country coverage information before ordering. Documentation requirements can differ substantially between countries and number categories.
A Simple Example
Imagine a U.S.-based company begins marketing its products to customers in Australia.
Rather than asking Australian prospects to call a U.S. telephone number, the company could obtain an Australian virtual business number and use it as a local contact number.
When an Australian customer calls, the call can be forwarded to the company’s existing U.S. office, mobile phone, PBX, or VoIP system.
The business therefore gains an Australian telephone point of contact without necessarily establishing a physical Australian office.
The same basic concept can be applied to other international markets where the required number type is available.
Get an International Business Phone Number
An international business phone number can be a practical way to make it easier for customers in another country to contact your company.
The key is to select the right country, number type, and call destination for your particular requirements.
AITelephone provides international virtual phone numbers and global call forwarding, with current coverage information for more than 160 countries. Because availability and requirements vary by country and number type, the best place to start is by checking the current number inventory and rate options for the market you want to serve.
View current international phone number availability, rates, and trial options:
AITelephone Global Call Forwarding — View Rates & Try For Free
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I get a business phone number in another country without living there?
In many countries, a physical office is not required for a virtual phone number. However, requirements vary by country and number type, so current coverage and documentation requirements should be checked before ordering.
Where can my international business calls be forwarded?
AITelephone supports forwarding incoming calls to mobile phones, landlines, PBX systems, and VoIP destinations, including destinations in other countries.
Can I change where my calls are forwarded?
Yes. The online account portal allows customers to change the forwarding destination, with changes taking effect in real time.
Are international virtual phone numbers available in every country?
AITelephone’s current coverage database lists supported countries and the specific number categories available in each. Availability should be checked for the country and number type you require.
Can I use an international virtual number for outbound calls?
Outbound calling using the virtual number as caller ID is available through the Geographic Local 2-Way Voice option in supported countries. AITelephone currently lists this option in approximately 70 countries.
