How to Save an International Number on WhatsApp

To chat with a foreign number on WhatsApp, save it in your contacts with a plus sign and country code, and drop any leading 0. For example +880 1812 345678.

The format

1. Start with +.
2. Add the country code, for example 880 for Bangladesh, 62 for Indonesia, 92 for Pakistan.
3. Add the number without its leading 0.

Then refresh WhatsApp

Open WhatsApp, start a new chat and pull down to refresh the contact list. The contact appears if the number is on WhatsApp.

Without saving the number

Open wa.me/ followed by the number in international format without + or spaces, for example wa.me/8801812345678, to start a chat.

Not showing up?

• Check you removed the leading 0.
• Check the country code in the country codes list.
• The person may not use WhatsApp on that number.

Numbers that start with +1

The USA, Canada and many Caribbean countries share +1. Save these as +1 followed by the 10-digit number, for example +1 212 555 0143. Leaving out the 1 is a common reason a US contact does not show up on WhatsApp.

FAQ

How do I add a foreign number to WhatsApp?

Save it with + and the country code, without the leading 0, then refresh contacts.

Why does a saved number not appear on WhatsApp?

Usually a leading 0 or missing country code, or the person is not on WhatsApp.

Can I message without saving the number?

Yes, with a wa.me link.

Related: country codes list · international numbers on WhatsApp · how to write a phone number.