For a business entering an international market, establishing an international phone number presence can be an important part of making it easy for customers, prospects, suppliers, and partners to reach the company.
An international phone number can give a business a phone number in another country or city while allowing incoming calls to be routed to the company’s existing phone system, mobile phone, landline, PBX, or VoIP destination.
This approach can be useful for businesses that want to serve customers in another country without immediately establishing a separate telephone system at a physical location there.
AITelephone provides local and toll-free virtual phone numbers in more than 160 countries, with availability varying by country, location, and number type.
What Is an International Business Phone Number?
An international business phone number is a telephone number associated with a country or geographic market where a business wants customers to be able to reach it.
Unlike a conventional telephone line that is physically tied to a particular office, a virtual business number can be configured so that incoming calls are routed to another destination.
For example, a company based in the United States could obtain a business number associated with a market it serves overseas. Customers calling that number can then be connected to the company’s U.S. office, mobile phone, PBX, or VoIP system.
The physical location of the employee answering the call does not necessarily have to be the same country associated with the telephone number.
Why Businesses Use International Phone Numbers
Businesses may use international numbers for several different reasons.
Establishing a Local Phone Presence
A company expanding into another country may want customers there to have a familiar telephone number to call.
Publishing a local number on a website, advertising campaign, email signature, or other business communication can provide a more convenient contact method than requiring customers to call an overseas headquarters directly.
Supporting International Sales
A sales team targeting customers in several countries can use country-specific telephone numbers to make it easier for prospects to respond to marketing and sales efforts.
Instead of publishing only one headquarters number, a business can provide appropriate telephone contact options for different markets.
Supporting Customer Service
International numbers can also be useful for customer support.
Incoming calls can be routed to an existing support team, remote employee, office, or other designated destination rather than requiring the business to establish a separate traditional telephone line in every market.
Supporting Remote and Distributed Teams
A virtual number can also separate a company’s public business telephone number from the physical phone used by an employee.
For example, an employee working remotely could answer calls to a business number on a mobile phone or another designated destination.
Local vs. Toll-Free International Numbers
One of the first decisions a business should make is what type of number is appropriate for its intended callers.
Local Numbers
A local virtual number is associated with a particular geographic market, such as a city or region.
Local numbers can be useful when the objective is to establish a telephone presence in a particular community or market.
The availability of specific cities, area codes, and number types varies by country.
Toll-Free Numbers
A toll-free number is designed to provide callers with a toll-free calling option under the applicable country’s telephone system and carrier rules.
Toll-free numbers can be useful when a business wants to serve customers throughout a country rather than emphasize one particular city.
Whether a toll-free number is appropriate depends on the market, the type of customers being served, and the available number options.
AITelephone offers both local and toll-free virtual numbers in more than 160 countries, subject to current availability.
How International Virtual Numbers Work
The basic process is straightforward.
1. Choose the Country and Number
The business selects the country where it wants a telephone presence and chooses from the numbers currently available for that market.
Depending on the country, different number types and geographic locations may be available.
2. Designate the Call Destination
The business then determines where incoming calls should be delivered.
AITelephone supports forwarding incoming calls to destinations such as:
- Mobile phones
- Landlines
- PBX systems
- VoIP destinations
The destination can be located in a different country from the virtual number.
3. Configure Call Handling
The business can use its online account to manage supported call-handling settings.
Depending on the service and number, available capabilities can include voicemail, voicemail-to-email, simultaneous ringing, time-of-day routing, and other call-routing options.
4. Publish the Number
Once the number is ready, the business can publish it wherever customers need to find it.
Common locations include:
- Company websites
- Contact pages
- Email signatures
- Business cards
- International advertising
- Sales materials
- Customer-service documentation
The goal is simple: make it easy for customers in the target market to call the business.
Can an International Number Ring an Existing Phone?
Yes.
One of the main advantages of a virtual business number is that the company does not necessarily need to replace its existing telephone system.
AITelephone states that incoming calls can be forwarded to an existing mobile phone, landline, PBX, or VoIP destination.
That means a company can potentially establish an international telephone presence while continuing to use the communications equipment and systems it already has.
Can Calls Be Routed to More Than One Destination?
AITelephone supports simultaneous ringing, allowing an incoming call to ring multiple phones at the same time where supported.
Businesses can also use call-routing settings to determine how calls should be handled.
For example, a company could have calls ring a primary office first and then route calls differently depending on its operating schedule or other configured rules.
Available routing features vary by service and number.
Time-of-Day Routing for International Businesses
International businesses often have customers in several time zones.
Time-of-day routing can help a company handle that situation without requiring employees to manually change the forwarding destination every day.
For example, a business could configure calls to route to one destination during normal business hours and to another destination outside those hours.
AITelephone supports time-of-day routing with time-zone settings as part of its available call-management features.
The exact configuration should be based on the business’s operating schedule and the capabilities available for the selected number.
What About Making Outbound Calls?
Some businesses need an international number for incoming calls only. Others want to use the number for both incoming and outgoing business communications.
AITelephone offers a Geographic Local 2-Way Voice option in supported countries. This allows businesses to make outgoing calls using the virtual number as the caller ID.
AITelephone currently describes this option as being available in approximately 70 countries, but availability should be checked for the specific country and number before ordering.
This distinction is important: not every international virtual number necessarily provides the same inbound and outbound capabilities.
Do You Need an Office in the Other Country?
Not necessarily.
AITelephone states that in many countries a physical office is not required to obtain a virtual phone number.
However, this should not be interpreted as a universal rule.
Telephone regulations, documentation requirements, and number availability can vary according to the country and number type. Businesses should check the requirements for the specific number they want before placing an order.
How Much Do International Business Phone Numbers Cost?
There is no single price that applies to every international number.
AITelephone states that pricing depends on factors including the country or city of the virtual number and the destination where calls are forwarded.
Current pricing and availability should therefore be checked for the specific country-to-destination combination rather than relying on a general published price.
View AITelephone rates and number availability
What Should a Business Consider Before Choosing a Number?
Before ordering an international business phone number, consider the following questions.
Where Are Your Customers?
Start with the location of the customers you want to reach.
If most customers are concentrated in one city, a local geographic number may make sense. If customers are spread throughout an entire country, a national or toll-free option may be more appropriate where available.
Do You Need Inbound or Two-Way Calling?
If the number is primarily for receiving calls, standard call forwarding may be sufficient.
If employees also need to make outbound calls using the same business number as caller ID, investigate whether Local 2-Way Voice is available for the desired country.
Where Will Calls Be Answered?
Determine whether calls should go to:
- A company office
- A mobile phone
- A remote employee
- A PBX
- A VoIP system
- Another designated business destination
The answer can affect which service configuration is most appropriate.
Do You Need Different Routing Rules?
A company operating across multiple time zones may benefit from time-of-day routing, simultaneous ringing, voicemail, or other available call-management features.
Is the Specific Number Available?
International telephone numbering is not uniform.
The exact number types, cities, geographic areas, and features available can differ from one country to another.
Always verify the specific number and service configuration before making a marketing or operational commitment.
International Phone Numbers and Business Expansion
A telephone number alone does not create an international business presence.
It is one part of a larger communications strategy.
A company entering a new market may also need to consider:
- Website localization
- Customer support
- Local business hours
- Shipping and fulfillment
- Sales coverage
- Language requirements
- Regulatory requirements
- Payment methods
- Local marketing
The advantage of a virtual business number is that the telephone component can often be established without requiring the company to immediately build a conventional telephone installation in the target market.
A Simple Example
Consider a U.S.-based company that begins selling to customers in another country.
Rather than asking every prospective customer to call the company’s U.S. headquarters number, the company could investigate obtaining a virtual number associated with the target market.
Incoming calls could then be routed to the company’s existing U.S. office or another designated destination.
If the business later changes its operating model, the forwarding destination can be changed through the account portal.
The telephone number can therefore remain part of the company’s customer-facing presence while the people answering the calls change.
International Phone Numbers for Growing Businesses
International phone numbers can be useful for businesses at several stages of growth.
A company testing a new market may want a simple way for prospective customers to call.
A growing company may need separate numbers for several countries.
A larger organization may need multiple destinations, time-of-day routing, voicemail, and other call-management features.
The right configuration depends on the business’s customers, markets, call volume, employees, and communications systems.
The important point is that an international virtual number does not have to mean building an entirely separate telephone infrastructure in every country.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is an international virtual phone number?
It is a business telephone number associated with a particular country or geographic market that can be configured to route incoming calls to a designated destination.
Can an international business number forward to a U.S. phone?
Yes. AITelephone supports forwarding incoming calls to mobile phones, landlines, PBX systems, and VoIP destinations, including destinations located in a different country from the virtual number.
Can I use my existing phone?
Yes. AITelephone specifically supports forwarding calls to an existing mobile phone, landline, PBX, or VoIP system.
Are international phone numbers available in every country?
AITelephone currently states that local and toll-free virtual phone numbers are available in more than 160 countries. However, specific number types and availability vary by country and location.
Do I need a physical office to get an international phone number?
Not necessarily. AITelephone states that in many countries no physical office is required, although documentation and availability can vary by country and number type.
Can I make outbound calls using my international business number?
In supported countries, AITelephone’s Geographic Local 2-Way Voice option can allow outbound calls using the virtual number as caller ID. Availability should be confirmed for the specific country.
Can international calls be routed to more than one phone?
Yes. Simultaneous ringing is supported where available, allowing an incoming call to ring multiple destinations at the same time.
Can I change where my business calls are sent?
Yes. AITelephone states that customers can change their forwarding destination through the online account portal.
Get an International Business Phone Number
If your business needs a telephone presence in another country, the first step is to determine which country, city, and number type best match your customers and business requirements.
AITelephone provides international virtual phone numbers with call forwarding to mobile, landline, PBX, and VoIP destinations. Local and toll-free numbers are currently offered in more than 160 countries, with specific availability varying by location and number type.
Explore AITelephone international phone numbers and call forwarding
You can check current number availability and rates for the specific country and destination you need before making a decision.
