SMS to United Kingdom.

Dialing code +44 · Europe. See which sender types, carrier registration timelines, and local compliance rules apply before you send transactional or marketing SMS to United Kingdom.

Get Started Contact Sales

Part of Bird SMS. Check sender eligibility, registration lead times, and local rules across every market you serve.

Policy last updated July 13, 2026

What you can send

SMS

Two-way messaging

Supported

Before you send

Carriers in United Kingdom require you to pre-register alphanumeric sender IDs before they will deliver branded traffic. Submit your sender name and supporting business documents in the dashboard, then confirm approval via the API before sending live messages.

How sender-ID registration works →

Sender types

Compare the sender types listed for this destination, their registration requirements and recorded setup estimates. Confirm availability, throughput and timing for your use case.

Sender	Activation	Setup time	Sender ID	Notes
Short code	Short-code provisioning	~40 business days	The submitted sender ID is preserved.	Supports two-way replies.
Alphanumeric Sender ID	Sender ID registration	~5 business days	The submitted sender ID is preserved.	One-way only.
Long code (phone number)	Number registration	~5 business days	The submitted sender ID is preserved.	Supports two-way replies.

Rules & regulations

Use this recorded country reference to prepare your launch. Requirements can depend on message purpose, sender type, network and recipient location; confirm the applicable rules before sending.

ConsentOpt-in required

Template approvalRequired

Quiet hoursApply

United Kingdom enforces strict segmentation between marketing and transactional messaging:
Each Sender ID can only be registered for one segment—either marketing or transactional. If your content spans both, you must register separate Sender IDs for each.
Generic senders (e.g. Verify), sub-variations of generic senders (verify), and senders which contain part of generic senders (VerifyCode), are not allowed.
Following special characters are allowed: "." (dot), "-" (dash), "_" (underscore), " " (space), "&" (ampersand). All other special characters are not supported.
Character replacement (e.g. A to 4, or B to 8, etc.) is not allowed.
If the company name and requested sender have different names, please make sure to specify what is the connection between them.
Sender IDs belonging to Russian companies can not be registered

What this market refuses

Gambling is legal and regulated in this market. All forms of online gambling require a license from the Commission. To register a Sender ID, you must include a copy of your gambling license with your request. Additionally, some senders are protected by UK operators, which may require an authorization letter for registration.

One API

Launch in new markets without changing your code

Send to every country from the same SMS API endpoint. Register or provision an eligible local sender, enable the destination country on your workspace allowlist so traffic can only reach approved markets, and track real-time carrier delivery receipts through signed webhooks.

Sending to United Kingdom, answered

Common questions about sender registration, two-way replies, and compliance when launching SMS in United Kingdom.

Do I need to register a sender before sending SMS to United Kingdom?

The reference requires registration for every listed sender type: a short code, an alphanumeric sender ID, and a long code. Work with Bird on short-code assignment, registration and costs. Short codes are country-specific. For an alphanumeric sender ID the name itself is registered. Confirm how the approved sender is presented on the destination networks. A phone number is registered for this country before it can send business messages. Each sender ID is registered for either marketing or transactional messages, not both. If you send both kinds you need one sender ID for each.

Can I use an alphanumeric sender ID in United Kingdom?

Yes, once the sender ID has been registered. The approved sender ID is preserved. Generic sender names, or names that contain one, are refused. The only special characters allowed are full stop, hyphen, underscore, ampersand, and space. A letter cannot be replaced with a look-alike digit.

How long does sender registration take in United Kingdom?

The recorded estimate for a short code is about 40 business days; confirm timing before launch. The recorded estimate for an alphanumeric sender ID is about 5 business days; confirm timing before launch. The recorded estimate for a long code is about 5 business days; confirm timing before launch.

Can I receive replies from United Kingdom?

Yes, if you send from a short code or a long code. Replies are delivered to you as signed webhooks.

Are there quiet hours for SMS in United Kingdom?

Quiet hours are recorded here. Confirm the applicable sending window for your message purpose and recipient location.

Do I need consent before messaging someone in United Kingdom?

Yes. The recipient must opt in before you send the first message. Provide an appropriate opt-out route and honor the recipient’s preferences.

What other channels can Bird reach United Kingdom on?

WhatsApp and Voice, from the same account and API.

The rest of the SMS platform

Provision compliant senders, lock down workspace destinations, and deliver SMS across global mobile networks from one API.

Sender-ID registrationRegister branded alphanumeric sender IDs and phone numbers ahead of launch in countries that require carrier approval.RoutingProtect your budget with default-deny destination allowlists, upfront sender checks, and real-time carrier delivery receipts.NumbersProvision local long codes, verified toll-free numbers, short codes, and branded alphanumeric sender IDs for your markets.SendingSend OTPs, transactional alerts, and bulk notifications with automatic segment inspection and idempotent retries.Two-wayReceive customer SMS replies on the same phone number via HMAC-signed webhooks for support and confirmations.All destinationsCompare sender rules, registration lead times, two-way support, and consent requirements across every country Bird reaches.

Scale without
losing control.

Organize teams in workspaces, control API access, and trace changes through audit logs.

HarborOrganization

WorkspacesProductionSandbox

Delivery agent

API key · Customer operations team

Active

PermissionsAccess

EmailRead & write

SMSRead & write

ALAlex Lee AdminPermissions updated

Audit log

Production

Workspace: Production
Resource: Delivery agent
WhatsApp: Read accessRead & write

Succeeded

Workspaces Team roles API authentication

Explore Enterprise

Start with SMS.
Build across channels with Bird.