Registration Policies Per Country

Prepaid SIM cards used to be fairly straightforward to acquire all over the world. Buyers needed simply to walk up to any place that sells them from convenience stores to vending machines to branded mobile phone stops.  However for security reasons, an increasing number of countries have started to require some form of personal registration from mobile phone users. In almost all countries, registration doesn't prohibit the direct sale of prepaid SIM cards to visitors, but it may still be cumbersome. 

This table shows a summary of countries that require registration, and if so where visitors should go to register their SIM cards, and what they need to bring.  Although some countries do not require registration but individual telcos do, this page focuses more on where compulsory SIM card registration is enshrined in national law or government regulations. In most cases, the registration happens at the point of purchase, meaning you will register the SIM at the same time you buy it (and will thus require identification at that point) but in some other cases, you may have to complete the registration yourself or go online.  

Africa

COUNTRY	Registration required?	Where to register	What to bring	Other Notes
Algeria	YES	point-of-sale	official ID such as ID card or passport and/or visa (original + copy) + an Algerian address such as hotel address
Botswana			passport
Egypt
Kenya
Malawi
Mauritania
Mauritius
Morocco
Rwanda
Seychelles
Swaziland/eSwatini
Tanzania
Tunisia
Madagascar			copy of passport
Burkina Faso			valid ID document such as passport
Djibouti			valid ID such as passport
Ghana			passport or national biometric identity card such as driver's licence or Ghana Card
Sudan			paper copies of passport + passport photos
Ethiopia		Ethio Telecom stores	copy of passport + one or two passport sized photographs
South Africa		RICA-accredited agent (i.e., most point-of-sales)	passport + accommodation address	-
Chad		telco-branded store (boutiques)	photo ID such as passport
Guinea			passport
Mayotte (France)			ID card or passport
Reunion (France)
Niger			ID document such as passport
Angola		telco-branded store	passport with a valid visa
Cameroon			ID such as passport	max. three SIM cards per operator per subscriber on one name
Equatorial Guinea			passport (original + copy) + two passport sized photos
Gabon			two copies of passport and visa
Gambia			ID such as passport
São Tomé and Príncipe				Registration is mandatory and it can take up to 3 hours for the SIM to activate after registration.
Uganda
Zambia			passport + hotel address
Mali			passport
Mozambique
Nigeria
Sierra Leone
Benin			ID such as passport
Burundi
Senegal
Togo
Zimbabwe
Liberia		telco-branded store or service point	official ID card or passport
Ivory Coast		telco-branded store or resellers	passport or any other valid ID
Lesotho	NO	n/a

America

COUNTRY	Registration required?	Where to register	What to bring	Other Notes
Argentina	YES	point-of-sale	ID card (DNI Argentino or Cédula del Mercosur) or passport	procedure varies slightly per operator
Brazil			passport	CPF (Cadastro de Pessoa Física) is asked for, but not mandatory.
Bolivia		telco-branded store
Canada	NO	n/a
Colombia	YES	point-of-sale	ID card or passport + address details + IMEI details of device with proof of purchase (if stay is 30+ days)
Costa Rica			photo ID such as passport	SIM cards need to be registered with Sutel, the national regulator: https://registroprepago.sutel.go.cr/, register your SIM card and wait for some hours to be activated.
Chile	NO - for stays shorter than 30 days using a device purchased overseas	online	for stays of 30+ days: copy of passport + info about device manufacturer and model + screenshot of IMEI device +completed registration form	devices bought in the country don't need to go through this process Chilean tax number (RUT number for Rol Único Tributario in Spanish) might be asked for, if they insist on it (e.g. on an online form) just give 9 times 9 (e.g. 999999999).
Trinidad and Tobago	Optional	point-of-sale	ID card or passport
Anguilla	YES		passport
Antigua and Barbuda
Bahamas
Dominica
Grenada
Honduras
Jamaica
Montserrat
Haiti			ID such as passport or a copy of it
Guatemala			ID such as passport
Belize		authorized dealers
Dominican Republic		telco-branded store	passport or national ID card (cedula)
Barbados			passport
British Virgin Islands (BVI, UK)				Prepaid SIM cards are unavailable at any airports in the BVI.
Ecuador				By law you have to be an Ecuadorian citizen to buy a SIM card. In practice it's easy to find a store that will activate it in someone else’s name, and then transfer it to you a few days later.
El Salvador
Uruguay			passport (original only)	Previously, the device was required to be declared at customs, but this is no longer obligatory. Formerly had to provide a local address (such as accomodation or hotel address) which is also not mandatory anymore.
Mexico	NO	n/a
Nicaragua
Panama
Paraguay	YES	point-of-sale	ID card or passport	You need to complete a form prepared by the country’s communications regulator Conatel and provide a fingerprint.
Bonaire (Netherlands)			government issued ID or passport
Curaçao (Netherlands)
Peru			passport	max. 10 prepaid lines per operator
Saint Kitts and Nevis
Saint Lucia
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Turks and Caicos Islands
USA	NO	n/a

Asia Pacific

COUNTRY	Registration required?	Where to register	What to bring	Other Notes
Abkhazia (Georgia)	NO	n/a
Australia	YES	point-of-sale or online through telco's website	passport or driving licence should be presented to sales point + Australian address (e.g. of accommodation)
Armenia		point-of-sale	passport
Azerbaijan		point-of-sales of the operators	passport and visa	max. 5 SIM cards per person for all operators, country greylisted; IMEI registration required
Bangladesh		point-of sale	passport and visa (original + copy) + one or two passport size color photographs
Bhutan			copy of passport and additional photo
Brunei Darussalam		telco-branded store	passport
Cambodia			passport with a valid visa
China, People's Republic of (PRC/Mainland China)		telco-branded store or service point	passport and proof of address in Mainland China such as hotel voucher, hotel address card, or temporary residence registration form	* proper termination of mobile service before leaving the country by visiting a telco-branded service point is required** Facial recognition will be required to register new SIM cards Greylisted due to Great China Firewall censorship.
East Timor (Timor-Leste)		telco-branded store	passport
Fiji			ID such as passport
French Polynesia (France)			ID card, passport or a driving licence
New Caledonia (France)			photo ID such as passport
Georgia (except Abkhazia and South Ossetia)			ID document such as passport
Hong Kong SAR (China)		point-of-sale	ID such as passport	Starting from September 1, 2021, carriers will start phasing in identity registration systems for mobile SIM cards, and then from March 1, 2022 to February 2023, the registration system will become mandatory.
Tonga	NO	n/a		No ID is required, but the store agent just asks for your name.
India	YES	point-of-sale	passport (original + copy) + visa page (original + copy) + passport photos + proof of address	Greylisted
Indonesia		telco-branded store	for foreigners & tourists: passport or e-KITAS (Electronic Limited Stay Permit, Kartu Izin Tinggal Terbatas Elektronik in Indonesian) or e-KITAP (Electronic Permanent Stay/Resident Permit, Kartu Izin Tinggal Tetap Elektronik in Indonesian) for Indonesians: Indonesian Identity Card (e-KTP for Kartu Tanda Penduduk Elektronik or KTP Elektronik in Indonesian) and Family Card (KK for Kartu Keluarga in Indonesian)	IMEI registration regulations is enforced since 18 April 2020
Iran		office of the providers	passport and visa	Greylisted: IMEI registration required within 30 days paying taxes.
Japan	NO YES - for voice-enable SIM cards	Greylisted because Japan does not permit the sale of most voice-enabled SIM cards to visitors.
Kazakhstan	YES	point-of-sale	ID such as passport of a foreign citizen, a foreigner's residence permit in the Republic of Kazakhstan, a certificate of a stateless person or a diplomatic card	IMEI registration required
Kyrgyzstan			photo ID such as passport
Kiribati	NO	n/a
Laos
Macau SAR (China)	YES	telco-branded store	ID such as passport	SIM cards are in Macau now require registration as of end of 2019.
Malaysia		point-of-sale	for Malaysians & Permanent Residents: NRIC (National Registration Identity Card) for Malaysians (MyKad for Kad Pengenalan Malaysia in Malay), NRIC for Permanent Residents, Malaysian Armed Forces or Police ID, or Temporary Identity Card (MyKas) for foreigners & tourists: valid passport (original only) or work permit ID (i-Kad), and mailing address in Malaysia such as E-Kad, Student ID Card, Hotel Reservation/Booking Form, or latest utility bill
Maldives			passport
Mongolia		telco-branded store or service point	ID card or passport or driving licence
Myanmar		telco-branded store	passport and visa (or passport stamp)
Nepal		point-of-sale	passport + passport-sized photo (if applicable)
New Zealand	NO	n/a
Cook Islands (NZ)
Pakistan	YES	point-of-sale	passport and visa	Greylisted: IMEI registration required, max. 5 devices per year
Philippines			photo ID such as passport	As on September 2021, Sim Card Registration Act of 2019, also known as Senate bill 693, has passed the Filipino Senate and is awaiting publication in the official Gazette.[1]
Singapore			passport (original only, a photocopy is not acceptable), work permit Identification Card (issued from 3 May 1999), SAF11 B, SPF11 B and SCDF11 B, S Pass, EntrePass, work holiday pass, dependant's pass, long term pass, student's pass, employment pass, or NRIC (National Registration Identity Card)	max. 3 SIM cards per person
South Korea			passport	-
Sri Lanka			passport + recent passport-size photograph (if applicable)
Republic of China (Taiwan/ROC/Chinese Taipei)			passport + second ID may be required such as driving licence, ID card etc.	max. 1 active SIM card per operator for visitor Second form of ID is no longer asked on Taiwan Mobile network.
Thailand			passport	max. 5 active SIM cards per operator
Uzbekistan			passport + temporary residence permit or hotel voucher	IMEI registration required since September 2019
Tajikistan		telco-branded store or service center	passport, visa, and hotel registration (or hotel voucher), or other official ID documentation
Vietnam		telco-branded store	passport	-

Europe

COUNTRY	Registration required?	Where to register	What to bring	Other Notes
Albania	YES	telco-branded store	photo ID such as passport + local address (such as hotel or accomodation address) in Albania
Austria		telco-branded store or partner shops + post offices + online verification (for some passport holders only)	passport or ID card + fee (at some partner shops or post offices)	-
Belarus		point-of-sale of the operators	passport	Be aware that some local shops don't know, how to deal with foreign (= not Belarusian or Russian) passports. So better stick to stores in railway stations or airports.
Belgium		telco-branded store or independent store at point of purchase (delays are possible)	passport or ID card	-
Bulgaria		telco-branded store + big supermarkets		max. 10 SIM cards per person
Bosnia and Herzegovina	NO	n/a
Croatia
Cyprus
Czech Republic
Denmark
Estonia
Finland
France	YES	point-of-sale	passport, ID card, or driving licence
Germany		telco-branded store (for larger telcos) + agency-appointed stores (for smaller telcos) + independent mobile phone stores that sell SIM cards + online video verification (for selected passport holders only) + post offices	passport or national ID card + German address (accommodation address will suffice)	Registration is not required at the time of purchase but for activation and use. Some stores will only take requests to register SIM cards purchased from them. Results of online verification and at post offices may take some hours to process; in-store verification usually instant.
Greece		point-of-sale	passport or national ID card
Hungary		telco-branded store	passport	prepaid subscribers are required to have their subscriptions verified annually to keep prepaid SIMs active, max. 10 SIM cards per user
Iceland	NO	n/a
Ireland
Isle of Man (UK)
Italy	YES	point-of-sale	passport or ID card	Codice fiscale (tax code) might be asked for, but not a legal requirement.
Channel Islands (UK)	NO	n/a
Latvia
Lithuania
Luxembourg	YES	point-of-sale	ID card or passport
Montenegro
Malta	NO	n/a
Netherlands
North Macedonia	YES	point-of-sale	photo ID (ID card or passport)
Northern Cyprus		telco-branded store	ID such as passport
Norway		telco-branded store + electronics stores that sell SIM cards	passport (all foreigners) or national ID card (EU/EEA citizens only)	Supermarkets and non-electronics stores do not always activate SIM cards.
Poland		telco-branded store + Ruch kiosks + post offices	residence permit, passport (all foreigners), or national ID card (Polish, EU/EEA citizens only)	Independent electronics stores may sell SIM cards but they won't register them and will hence remain deactivated.
Portugal	NO	n/a
Romania
Moldova (except Transnistria)
Transnistria	YES	IDC stores	passport	pay in Transnistrian rubles
Russia		telco-branded store	passport with visa and stamp	-
Slovakia		telco-branded store + online	passport or national ID card	-
Serbia	NO	telco-branded store	ID such as passport (if applicable)	ID such as passport may be required at the branded stores.
Slovenia		n/a
Spain	YES	for larger telcos: branded store for smaller telcos/MVNOs: agent store or branded store	passport or national ID card (DNI for Documento nacional de identidad in Spanish)	-
Sweden	NO	n/a
Switzerland	YES	point-of-sale	passport or national ID card	-
Turkey		point-of-sale in branded stores	passport or ID card for use of 120+ days: IMEI details of phone	Greylisted; IMEI registration required within 120 days paying taxes. Only 1 SIM can be linked per device In practice, this concerns users who will stay longer than 120 days as there is a grace period. However, a user may encounter problems if he/she visits Turkey again in the future and wants to use the same device.
Ukraine	NO YES (in Donetsk & Luhansk only)	point-of-sale post offices & Phoenix offices (in Donetsk only) post offices (in Luhansk only)	passport (in Donetsk & Luhansk only)	only 5 SIMs per person are allowed in Donetsk, and only 2 SIMs per person are allowed in Luhansk.
United Kingdom	NO YES (to disable the content lock)	point-of-sale in branded stores	ID such as passport

Middle East

COUNTRY	Registration required?	Where to register	What to bring	Other notes
Bahrain	YES	point-of-sale	passport	max. 10 SIM cards per provider
Israel	NO	n/a
Jordan	YES	point-of-sales of the operators	passport
Lebanon		telco-branded store		Greylisted: IMEI registration required within 90 days paying taxes.
Oman		point-of-sale
Qatar
Saudi Arabia		telco-branded store	passport with visa stamp	max. 2 SIM cards per user
UAE		point-of-sale

Hi Timmy. Thanks for your work.

I've made a format proposal for this category. You can check it out through this link.

I think it's very hard to navigate through 5 big tables in an article on a small mobile device. 68% of all users access this wiki on their phone. So it might be better to make 5 tables and link it to one manual page through the icons or thumbnails of the continents.

Check it on your phone what looks better and tell me.

Hi TIMMY. This is from the admin.

• please don't use bullet lists in tables. They get very broad in size. Don't forget that most users access this material on a small screen on a mobile device
• please follow alphabetical order of the countries within tables
• I removed "telco-branded stores" where there are "points of sale". This double calling doesn't make sense as a branded store is a point of sale.
• please follow the categories of the main wiki. Middle East belongs to Asia and Asia and Oceania are two separate continents.
• Japan is too negative. You get a SIM card, just not for voice, but for data from which you can VoIP calls.
• These tables get very long. We might use a picture gallery like on the main page of the wiki showing the 5 continents and link each table behind this continent. What's your opinion on that?

Thanks for your work.