How to Call the Netherlands From the United States

Calling the Netherlands

Figure out how you will be billed. Most phone companies charge extra for international calls, including those to the Netherlands. Find out if your company makes calls to the Netherlands before trying to dial, and don't let yourself be surprised when those rates appear on your bill. Check with your phone company to see if you will be able to make these calls. Some companies require you to sign up for international minutes in addition to your regular charges. Other systems make international calls part of your service, though with an extra cost per minute.

Check the time difference. Make sure you know what time it is in the Netherlands before calling someone there. It is a substantial difference, so you want to make sure the person will be awake and available. No one likes being called late at night or early in the morning. The Netherlands is in the Central European Time Zone, one hour ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT +1:00). The United States' Eastern Time Zone is GMT -5:00, so it is 6 hours behind the Netherlands. Therefore, at 12:00 noon in New York City, it is 6:00 pm in Amsterdam. As you move west in the United States, add hours. 6:00 pm in Amsterdam would be 11:00 am in the Central Time Zone (GMT -6:00), 10:00 am in the Mountain Time Zone (GMT -7:00), 9:00 am in the Pacific Time Zone (GMT -8:00), 8:00 am in Alaska (GMT -9:00), and 7:00 am in Hawaii (GMT -10:00.

Dial 011 31. The first three numbers are the US exit code, and the last two are the specific country code for the Netherlands. This will let your phone know that you are making an international call, and what location you are trying to reach. For any international call out of the United States, begin by dialing 011. The country code is more specific, and will depend on where you are trying to call.

Dial the Dutch phone number. All phone numbers begin with an area code, which will be the first 2 to 3 numbers. One notable exception is for a cell phone, which will have the area code 6.

Calling the Netherlands Antilles

Figure out how you will be billed. Most phone companies charge extra for international calls, including those to Curacao and Sint Maarten (St. Martin), the main islands in the Netherlands Antilles. Find out if your company makes calls to the Netherlands Antilles before trying to dial, and don't let yourself be surprised when those rates appear on your bill. Check with your phone company to see if you will be able to make these calls. Some companies require you to sign up for international minutes in addition to your regular charges. Other systems make international calls part of your service, though with an extra cost per minute.

Check the time difference. The Netherlands Antilles is GMT -5:00, the same as the United States' Eastern Time Zone. Therefore, at 12:00 noon in New York City, it is also 12:00 noon at Willemstad on the island of Curacao. Add an hour as you move west in the United States. For 12:00 noon in Willemstad, it would be 11:00 am in the Central Time Zone (GMT -6:00), 10:00 am in the Mountain Time Zone (GMT -7:00), 9:00 am in the Pacific Time Zone (GMT -8:00), 8:00 am in Alaska (GMT -9:00), and 7:00 am in Hawaii (GMT -10:00).

Dial 011 599. The first three numbers are the US exit code, and the last three are the specific country code for the Netherlands Antilles. This will let your phone know that you are making an international call, and what location you are trying to reach.

Dial the phone number. Like one from the Netherlands, an Antilles number will have 9 digits. The phone number itself will be 6 or 7 digits long, with a 2 to 3 digit area code in front of that.

Calling in Other Ways

Use an international calling card. If you don't want the international charge to appear on your phone bill, consider using a pre-paid calling card. These convenient cards allow you to pay for the phone call before you make it. Buy a card at a convenience or grocery store. Make sure the card will actually cover calls to the Netherlands. Keep an eye out for hidden fees or restrictions on use before you buy the card as well. You don't want to be surprised by additional charges you receive. Dial the card's access number. This will probably be an 800 number, which will connect you to the calling company. Enter the PIN on the card. This will activate your card, and begin the clock on your minutes. Dial the number you want to reach. Include the exit code (011) and the appropriate country code before dialing the local area code and number, as if you were calling without the card. Be sure to note how many minutes the card will give you so your conversation isn't cut short.

Use Skype to call the phone number. The internet calling service Skype will allow you to make calls to Dutch phone numbers. Use the dropdown menu to select the country you are calling, or enter the country code directly (31 or 599). If you want to enter the country code directly, hold down the “0” button for 2 seconds to make a “+” sign appear. You need the “+” sign in order to enter the country code. International calls using Skype will cost money, so make sure you have enough credit to make the call. If not, you'll need to purchase some more.

Make a Skype-to-Skype connection. Calling someone directly through Skype is free, just like in any other country. Make sure you have the right contact information, and that your caller is expecting you.

Make a call using Google+. Open up a hangout and click the search button. Click the phone icon on the right side, which will let you enter a phone number in the search bar. The left side of the search bar should include a country flag icon on the left side of the search bar. Click that and search for the Netherlands to make a call. Enter the phone number you want to call, and press dial. International calls using Google+ will charge a small per-minute rate. For the Netherlands, a call to a landline is $0.01, a mobile phone is $0.04, and a pager is $2.29. Calls to the Netherlands Antilles are $0.14 per minute for both land and mobile lines.

Use Viber to place your call. You can also use the Viber app to make international calls to others who have it. When you open the app, dial the number you want to call, including the proper country code. Make sure you have enough credit on your account, and that the person you are trying to reach has Viber.