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, most notably to facilitate law enforcement operations, 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 make the process cumbersome.
This table shows a summary of countries that require registration, and if so where visitors should go to register their SIM cards, what they need to bring, and other restrictions (e.g. maximum number of SIM cards). 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 many 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 by going to the TelCo's website or branded store. This variety in SIM registration policies is due to various factors such as the cost and complexities of having registration infrastructure, differing attitudes and prioritisations given to data privacy, etc.
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 | An official Kenya ID or Passport.
(No Copies allowed only Original) |
|||
Malawi | Passport | |||
Mauritania | ||||
Mauritius | ||||
Morocco | ||||
Rwanda | ||||
Seychelles | ||||
South Sudan | Designated as Warzone | |||
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 | ||||
Somalia | passport or any other form of approved ID document | Designated as Warzone (excluding Somaliland) | ||
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 | No ID necessary, but the store agent only asks for your name. | |
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 |
Greylisted: IMEI registration required for longer stays (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). |
Cuba | YES | ETECSA offices | foreign passport or Cuban ID card (Cuban passport is not applicable) | Greylisted as there are many strings attached. |
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 to activate general service? | Registration required at point-of-sale (i.e. to take SIM card away or download eSIM) | Where to register | What to bring | Maximum number of active SIM cards at a given time | Other Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Abkhazia (Georgia) | NO
|
n/a | ||||
Afghanistan | YES | telco-branded store | passport | Designated as Warzone | ||
Australia | 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 | 5 SIM cards across all operators | 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 (for Tourist SIM)
Bhutanese ID Card/NRIC (for regular prepaid SIM) |
UPDATE October 2023: While some Travel Agencies claim it is possible to obtain a regular SIM as a tourist, store clerks informed that you need a Bhutanese Identity Card in order to purchase a regular SIM and Foreign Passports are only able to get you one of the Tourist SIMs. Please be aware of this possible restriction before purchasing. | ||||
Brunei Darussalam | telco-branded store, sometimes also possible in telco app | 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**
Greylisted due to Great China Firewall censorship.
Facial recognition will be required to register new SIM cards. | |||
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) | NO | TelCo’s website or TelCo branded store | Hong Kong residents: Hong Kong Identity card
Non-Hong Kong residents: passport |
10 per TelCo | 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.
But registration isn’t always immediately required to use data outside of Hong Kong, | |
Tonga | NO
|
n/a | No ID is required, but the store agent just asks for your name. | |||
Guam (USA) | No prepaid registration required similar to the USA and Canada. | |||||
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI, USA) | ||||||
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/Residence Permit, Kartu Izin Tinggal Tetap Elektronik in Indonesian)
for Indonesians: Indonesian National Registration Identity Card (NRIC, e-KTP for Kartu Tanda Penduduk Elektronik or KTP Elektronik in Indonesian) and Family Card (KK for Kartu Keluarga in Indonesian) + IMEI details of phone (for mobile devices bought overseas) |
IMEI registration regulations is enforced since 18 April 2020 (devices bought in the country don't need to go through this process) | |||
Iran | office of the providers | passport and visa | Greylisted: IMEI registration required within 30 days paying taxes. | |||
Japan | Voice-enabled SIM cards are NOT possible to acquire for short-term visitors
NO (for data-only SIM cards only)
|
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 | NO
YES (for Unitel Data Roaming services) |
telco-branded store | ID such as passport | Unitel requires your ID (such as passport) to be registered to your SIM to enable data roaming. | ||
Macau SAR (China) | YES | SIM cards in Macau now require registration since the end of 2019. | ||||
Malaysia | point-of-sale, sometimes also possible in telco app | 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 | NO | point-of-sale and online through the Telco’s website | for foreign tourists: copy of passport with entry stamps or visas, return ticket out of the Philippines, and proof of address in the Philippines (such as hotel booking confirmation or letter from the hotel or affidavit of family and/or friends staying or residing in the Philippines)
for Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW), long-term visa or residence permit holders: ACR card or DOLE cards |
none | Republic Act 11934, or the SIM Registration Law makes SIM card registration compulsory in order to facilitate criminal investigations involving mobile phones and deter crimes involving the same. The deadline to register an existing prepaid SIM card is 26th April 2023, unless extended. Tourist SIM cards automatically expire 30 days unless proof of visa extension is provided. | |
Singapore | YES | point-of-sale | 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) | 3 across all TelCos | ||
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. |
1 per TelCo | Second form of ID is no longer asked on Taiwan Mobile network; no ID required for FET Travel SIM. | |||
Thailand | point-of-sale and telco apps | passport | 5 per TelCo | |||
Uzbekistan | YES | point-of-sale | passport
+ temporary residence permit or hotel voucher |
Greylisted: IMEI registration required since September 2019 when using longer than 30 days. Use USSD *1170# and have your uzbek phone number, IMEI and Passport number ready. You can pay the registration at one of the "PAYME" payment terminals, where change will be add to your SIM. | ||
Tajikistan | telco-branded store or service center | passport, visa, and hotel registration (or hotel voucher), or other official ID documentation | Greylisted: IMEI registration required since February 2023 for use with a local SIM beyond 30 days. If the device has been declared at the border on the T6 form, the import and registration into the IMEI database is free of charge. | |||
Turkmenistan | TM CELL shops | passport, visa and address confirmation (registration) in Turkmenistan | 2 active SIM cards | Greylisted because of the many uncertainties about the 2nd provider and actual subscription regulations | ||
Vietnam | telco-branded store or large chain store such as Thegioididong, Fptshop, Hoanghamobile etc. | passport | 3 per TelCo |
Europe[]
COUNTRY | Registration required to activate general service ? | Registration possible online ? | Where to register | What to bring | Maximum number of active SIM cards at a given time | Other Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
🇦🇱 Albania | ✅ | telco-branded store | photo ID such as passport
+ local address (such as hotel or accomodation address) in Albania |
|||
Andorra | ✅ | telco-branded store or online at sign-up (eSIM) | Photo ID such as passport or ID card | |||
🇦🇹 Austria | ✅ | ✅
(Online verification for common passports) |
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) + enrollment confirmation, a long-term employment contract or a declaration of main residence (to enable Magenta Prepaid and S-Budget Mobile Roam Like at Home services) |
On Magenta Prepaid and S-Budget Mobile Roaming without surcharges in EU, EEA and UK is only available for people with a permanent residence in Austria. If you work, study or primarily life in Austria you can bring the enrollment confirmation, a long-term employment contract or declaration of main residence (=Meldezettel) to a Magenta store to get access to roam like at home. In other words, this means that tourists can't use roam like at home on Magenta Prepaid and S-Budget Mobile, but roaming add-ons can be used by tourists. | |
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 | ❌ | n/a | ||||
Croatia | ❌ | |||||
🇨🇾 Cyprus | ❌ | |||||
🇨🇿 Czech Republic | ❌ | |||||
🇩🇰 Denmark | ❌ | |||||
🇪🇪 Estonia | ❌ | |||||
🇫🇮 Finland | ❌ | |||||
🇫🇷 France | ✅ | ✅
Some operators accept online submission of ID. |
point-of-sale | passport, ID card, or driving licence | ||
🇩🇪 Germany | ✅ | ✅
(Online verification for common passports) |
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 | 10 | prepaid subscribers are required to have their subscriptions verified annually to keep prepaid SIMs active,
max. 10 SIM cards per user | |
Iceland | ❌ | n/a | ||||
Ireland | ❌ | |||||
Isle of Man (UK) | ❌ | |||||
Italy | ✅ | point-of-sale | passport or ID card | Codice fiscale (tax code) might be asked for, but not a legal requirement. | ||
Channel Islands (UK) | ❌ | n/a | ||||
Latvia | ❌ | |||||
Lithuania | ✅ | point-of-sale | ID (such as passport) and address in Lithuania | On December 19th, 2023 the Lithuanian parliament passed an update to the Electronic Communications Law which would make registration for new prepaid SIM cards mandatory from 2025. (Source: https://www.lrt.lt/en/news-in-english/19/2153782/lithuania-adopts-compulsory-registration-of-sim-cards) | ||
Luxembourg | ✅ | ✅ Submission of ID per e-mail possible | ID card or passport | |||
Montenegro | ✅ | |||||
Malta | ❌ | n/a | ||||
Netherlands | ❌ | |||||
North Macedonia | ✅ | point-of-sale | photo ID (ID card or passport) | |||
Northern Cyprus | ✅ | telco-branded store | EU ID card or 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 | ❌ | n/a | ||||
Romania | ❌ | |||||
Moldova (except Transnistria) | ❌ | |||||
Transnistria | ✅ | IDC stores | passport | pay in Transnistrian rubles | ||
Russia | ✅ | telco-branded store | passport with visa and stamp, as well as the migration card with an entry stamp on it, or certificate of registration at the place of temporary/permanent residence (so called "temporary/permanent propiska") | - | ||
Slovakia | ✅ | telco-branded store
+ online |
passport or national ID card | - | ||
Serbia | ✅ | telco-branded store | ID such as passport (if applicable) | ID such as passport may be required at the branded stores. | ||
Slovenia | NO
YES (to enable international roaming for most offers) |
point-of-sale | ID such as passport, Slovenian address and a Slovenian Tax ID Number (TIN) | From summer 2019 most providers require registration of a Slovenian address and a Slovenian Tax ID Number (TIN) to prove stable ties in order to roam abroad. So stay away from most offers for international use. | ||
Spain | ✅ | 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 | ✅ | ✅
A few operators accept online verification for foreigners |
point-of-sale | for foreigners & tourists: foreign ID document such as passport
for local citizens: local ID document such as Swedish personal number (personnummer), bank ID, or a proof of residence in Sweden (work permit, study permit, residence permit, or proof of property ownership in Sweden) |
Registration with Swedish personnummer (available only to Swedish residents) applies to online top-up and prepaid SIM (Kontantkort) purchase transactions.
Those without a Swedish personnummer (i.e. non-Swedish residents) may only purchase prepaid cards at brick-and-mortar outlets like TelCo shops and 7-Eleven. | |
Switzerland | ✅ | ✅
For e-SIM some operators do online verification |
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) | Luhansk greylisted, Ukraine overall designated as Warzone; 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 | ✅ | point-of-sale | passport | max. 10 SIM cards per provider |
Israel | ❌ | n/a | ||
Jordan | ✅ | 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 |
Syria | ✅ | personal identification such as passport | Designated as Warzone | |
UAE | ✅ | point-of-sale | passport with visa stamp |
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.