If you live in the UAE, there is a good chance you call family or friends abroad every week — parents back in India or Pakistan, siblings in the Philippines, or business contacts in the UK and Egypt. International calls are a normal part of life here, but they are also one of the easiest ways to drain your mobile balance without noticing. A relaxed half-hour catch-up with home can cost several times more than you expect if you dial blind. That is why learning How to Check International Calling Charges is worth a few minutes of your time: once you know where the rate lists live, checking the price before you call becomes a habit that genuinely saves money.
In this guide, we will walk you through how to check international calling charges on Etisalat (e&) and du, how to read their rate lists without getting lost, and how international call bundles can cut your per-minute cost dramatically. The steps work for both prepaid and postpaid customers, so you can call abroad with confidence instead of crossing your fingers.
Quick Answer
To check international calling charges in the UAE, open your operator’s app (My Etisalat UAE or the du app) and look at the international rates section under your plan, or log in to the operator’s official website and find the international calling rate list for your specific plan. Rates vary by destination country and by plan, so always confirm the per-minute rate for the exact country you are calling — and double-check that you are looking at the rates for your own plan, not someone else’s.
What Are International Calling Charges?
An international call is any call made from your UAE mobile number to a phone number in another country. It is billed completely separately from your local minutes: your plan’s free local minutes almost never cover international calls, and the price depends on where you are calling. Calling a mobile number in one country can cost far more than calling a landline in another, and some destinations are dramatically more expensive than others.
Two details catch people out most often. The first is the connection fee (sometimes called flagfall): a small one-off charge applied the moment a call connects, on top of the per-minute rate. The second is billing increments: some plans bill per full minute, so a 61-second call is charged as two minutes, while others bill per second. Both details are listed in the rate tables — which is exactly why knowing how to check international calling charges properly matters more than just glancing at a headline rate.
How to Check International Calling Charges on Etisalat (e&)
Etisalat, now branded as e&, lists its international rates in a few places. Use whichever is easiest for you:
- Use the My Etisalat UAE app. Log in, go to your plan or account details, and look for the international calling rates or add-ons section. This is the fastest option because the app shows the rates tied to your actual plan.
- Check Etisalat’s official website. The international calling pages list rates by destination country for each plan type. Because plan names and rates change from time to time, always confirm you are viewing the page for your current plan — prepaid and postpaid rate lists are different.
- Ask customer service. Call 101 from your Etisalat line and ask for the per-minute rate to the country you call most. This is useful if the website feels confusing, and the agent can also tell you about current international bundles.
- Visit a store. If you prefer face-to-face help, any Etisalat store can pull up your plan’s international rates and explain them in plain language.
When you check, note three things: the per-minute rate to your destination, whether there is a connection fee, and whether the rate differs for mobile versus landline numbers. Keep a screenshot of the rate list on your phone so you can glance at it before long calls.
How to Check International Calling Charges on du
du works the same way in principle, and its rates are just as easy to find:
- Use the du app. After logging in, head to your plan details or the international calling section to see the rates that apply to your line.
- Check du’s official website. du publishes international calling rates by destination for its prepaid and postpaid plans. As with Etisalat, make sure you are looking at the list for your own plan.
- Call customer service. Dial 155 from your du line to ask about rates to a specific country and about any international calling add-ons available on your account.
- Review your bill. Postpaid customers can look at past international call charges on their monthly bill, which helps you spot whether you are consistently overpaying — a clear sign you need a bundle.
One du-specific tip: du frequently runs promotional international rates to popular destinations, so the rate you paid last month may not be the rate on offer today. Rechecking every few months is worth the two minutes it takes.
How to Read an International Rate List
Rate lists look intimidating at first, but they all answer the same five questions:
- Which destination? Rates are listed per country, and sometimes per network within a country.
- Landline or mobile? Calling a mobile number abroad is usually priced differently from calling a landline in the same country.
- What is the per-minute rate? The headline price — but never the whole story on its own.
- Is there a connection fee? A flat charge added once per call, on top of the per-minute rate.
- How is the call billed? Per minute, per 30 seconds, or per second — this changes what a short call really costs you.
If any of these are unclear on the page you are reading, ask customer service before you rely on the number. A rate you misunderstand is worse than no rate at all.
International Call Bundles: The Cheaper Way to Call Abroad
Both Etisalat and du sell international calling bundles — monthly add-ons that give you a chunk of international minutes at a much lower effective per-minute price than the standard rate. If you call the same country regularly, a bundle almost always beats paying the standard rate call by call.
To check what is available, look for “international bundles,” “IDD bundles,” or “international minutes” in your operator’s app or on its website. Before you subscribe, check three things: which countries are included, how many minutes you get, and whether the bundle renews automatically each month. An auto-renewing bundle you no longer need is just another quiet drain on your balance.
International Calling vs Roaming: Don’t Mix Them Up
People often confuse these two, and the confusion is expensive. International calling means calling abroad from inside the UAE on your normal UAE plan. Roaming means using your UAE SIM card while you are physically in another country — different charges, different rules. If you travel often, it is worth learning how to check roaming charges as well, understanding the difference between roaming and local mobile data before your next trip, and reading our tips to avoid unexpected roaming charges while you are away.
Tips to Keep International Calling Costs Down
- Check the rate before long calls — it takes a minute and removes all guesswork.
- Use a bundle if you call the same country every month; the savings add up fast.
- Prefer landlines when the rate list prices them lower than mobile numbers.
- Watch the clock on per-minute billing — keeping calls just under whole minutes matters on such plans.
- Use Wi-Fi-based calling for casual chats where call quality is less critical.
- Recheck rates every few months — promotions and plan changes move prices in both directions.
- Review your bill monthly if you are postpaid; repeated international charges are the clearest signal you need a bundle.
If you regularly call home and also send money to family abroad, our guide to international money transfers from the UAE compares the cheapest transfer options side by side. And if you are visiting the UAE on a tourist visa and need to call home, picking up a local prepaid SIM with an international bundle is usually far cheaper than roaming on your home country’s SIM.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Why was my call charged more than the listed per-minute rate?
The most common reasons are a connection fee added to the call, per-minute billing rounding (a 61-second call billed as two minutes), or calling a mobile number when you checked the landline rate. Check the full rate list — not just the headline number — and compare it against the call details on your bill.
Do I pay for incoming international calls?
No. When someone abroad calls your UAE number and you answer while you are in the UAE, you are not charged for receiving the call — the caller pays. Charges for incoming calls only become an issue when you are roaming outside the UAE.
Are international text messages charged separately?
Yes. International SMS has its own per-message rate, separate from calls, and it is not included in most local SMS bundles. If you text abroad often, check the SMS rate in the same rate list — and consider whether a messaging app over Wi-Fi would do the job for free.
Can I check international calling rates while I am abroad?
Yes, through your operator’s app or website over Wi-Fi, but remember that calls you make while abroad are billed as roaming calls, not standard international calls. The rates are completely different, so check the roaming rates for your destination instead.
Do international call bundles renew automatically?
Many do, and the renewal date and terms are shown when you subscribe. If your calling habits change — say you stop calling a particular country — cancel the bundle before the next renewal so you are not paying for minutes you will never use.
What is the cheapest way to call abroad from the UAE?
For most people, it is an international calling bundle matched to the country they call most, checked against the standard rate first. For infrequent or very long casual calls, Wi-Fi-based calling is usually cheaper still. The expensive option is always the same: dialing the standard rate without checking it first.
The Bottom Line
Checking international calling charges is a small habit with an outsized payoff. Find your plan’s rate list on your operator’s app or website, learn to read the connection fees and billing increments hiding behind the headline rate, and switch to a bundle if you call the same country regularly. Do that, and international calls go back to being what they should be — an easy way to stay close to the people who matter, not a monthly surprise on your bill.
Last Updated: 8 October 2026
About the author: Zaviyar Sultan is a UAE-focused writer at Paxi, covering driving, visas, banking, insurance and everyday UAE life. His guides are researched from official UAE government and regulator sources and updated regularly.
Paxi is an independent informational website, not affiliated with the UAE government or any agency mentioned; content is general information only, not legal, immigration or financial advice; verify critical details with official sources before acting.