International phone numbers: how to provide local presence without a physical office

If your company is taking the leap into new markets, you’ll run into a key question: How do I make a customer in Mexico, Portugal, or France call me as if they were calling a store down the street? The answer, in most cases, is having an international virtual number.

In this guide, we look at how VoIP numbers are an almost essential tool for any business (whether they are looking to expand or not), how to choose the right number, and what you can do once your number is up and running.

Why do companies need an international phone number?

The answer is simple: people trust what they recognize, so if the goal is to reach a new audience, users are more likely to answer a call from a local number than from a foreign one. But trust is not the only reason; there are at least four other reasons why a company should have an international number:

• Presence without a physical office. This significantly reduces costs when expanding the business into a new market.
• Lower cost of international calls. Since it is VoIP telephony working through the cloud, call handling is much cheaper than with traditional telephony.
• Better customer service experience. An international virtual number is not just a phone line; it can also be an advanced customer service tool. It allows you to configure smart call routing, welcome menus (IVR), schedules, and AI voice agents, improving the user experience and reducing waiting times.
• Scalability for distributed teams. Thanks to VoIP telephony and virtual numbers, teams can be spread across different countries while still managing calls from a single platform, making it very easy to add or remove users when needed.

How to get the most out of international phone numbers

Having the number is just the first step; now it’s about making it profitable by configuring it and integrating it into the daily operations of the business. This is achieved with a virtual PBX (cloud-based phone system) where the number can be connected to unlock its full potential through:

1. Call routing. Setting up forwarding rules based on schedules or agent availability, for example, helps prevent a potential customer from hanging up after several unanswered rings.
2. Call recording and analysis. Enabling call recording is always a good option, as it allows you to review conversations and extract valuable insights for the business.
3. Multi-platform management. A virtual number that can only be answered from a fixed location loses much of its value. The advantage of it being virtual is that it can be accessed from a mobile phone, computer, or app, allowing the team to handle calls from anywhere.
4. CRM integration. When every call is logged in the CRM, the sales team gains visibility into which markets are generating more interest, which time slots concentrate the most calls, and which agents perform better.
5. Artificial intelligence in the PBX. Thanks to AI, we can obtain call transcriptions derived from recordings, allowing us to analyze conversations in detail. It also gives us access to virtual agents, who can handle calls as part of the team, reducing the workload for human agents.

How to choose and contract a local number

This is where practical decisions come into play: which country you want your business to reach and at what cost.

At Megacall, the range of virtual numbers available is wide, with numbers from more than 100 different countries. Below, we’ll look at some of the most popular countries to get an idea of the available options and pricing.

• List of popular countries for international phone numbers

• Legal and regulatory aspects by country

As expected, you must comply with the legislation in force in each country and provide the required documentation to contract virtual numbers. Each country requests different documents, which may include: a copy of a passport or national ID card, a company registration certificate, proof of address, a utility bill, among others.

This depends on the country: some are more strict, such as Germany, while others are more straightforward, such as the United States. For example, for a UK virtual number, a company registration certificate or a copy of an ID (DNI/NIE/passport) is required, along with a valid address (street, number, postal code, and city).

At Megacall, this information is provided at the moment you contract the international virtual number.

• Pricing and rates for virtual numbers

One of the first questions that arises when considering international numbers for a business is how much it will cost. This always depends on the provider, the number itself, and the cost of inbound calls.

Megacall is known as a VoIP provider that offers virtual numbers at affordable prices for all types of businesses.

As shown in the table above, the monthly fee varies depending on the country but starts from around €2/month with annual billing. However, it is necessary to maintain sufficient credit in your account to make outgoing calls, as outbound calls have a per-minute cost that also varies by country. In the case of Megacall, a top-up is made every three months so that the PBX remains active.

There is also the option of subscription plans, which include outbound minutes and virtual numbers, making it more cost-effective. For example, if you choose the Lite plan with up to 5 users, it costs around €20/month with annual billing. If divided among users, that’s about €4/month per user. Additionally, all Megacall plans include the virtual PBX and CRM.

How to get a local number in less than 5 minutes

First, you should compare providers to understand which options best fit what you are looking for, both in terms of features and pricing.

But we’ll make it easy for you: one of the most affordable and also fastest options to get up and running is Megacall virtual numbers. It’s as simple as:

1. Sign up on the Megacall platform
2. Top up your account so you can make calls
3. In your personal area, under Settings – Virtual phone numbers, select the country where you want to expand your business and choose the number
4. Configure your number according to your business needs (routing, call forwarding, schedules, welcome menu, etc.)

Activation is carried out immediately after document and data verification. Once you have your number, you can start making and receiving calls on your international number and take full advantage of everything a virtual PBX offers.

FAQs – International phone numbers

Can I use the same number on multiple devices at the same time?

Yes. This is one of the advantages of VoIP telephony. The same number can be used on multiple devices simultaneously. It can also be configured to forward to another number or follow rules based on schedules and availability.

Do I need a local address to get an international number?

In some countries, yes. Some numbers require a local address or registration document, while others do not have this requirement. The requirements depend entirely on the country. At Megacall, this information is available at the time of contracting the number.

Are incoming calls charged?

Incoming calls are free for the company. This changes in the case of 800/900 numbers (or their equivalent in each country), where there is a cost per call for the business, since the company assumes the charge instead of the customer.

Can I integrate my international number with a CRM?

Yes. In general, virtual numbers can be integrated with a CRM, allowing all customer and call information to be centralized in one place. Additionally, you gain the advantage of automatically logging interactions, tracking leads, and maintaining a full user history.