In increasing number of countries require registration from mobile phone users for security reasons, visitors purchasing prepaid SIM card is no exception. It requires consumers to provide proof of identity in order to activate a prepaid mobile SIM card. Even through for the security reasons, the process may still be cumbersome. In some countries like China, people may even worry about whether the privacy data will be handled properly by the telcos and government.
Here is a list of countries that require registration, and points to note, so that you can prepare well before your trip.
AMERICA
| COUNTRY | Compulsory Registration? | Where to register | What to Bring | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Argentina | YES | Point of sale | Passport | Procedure varies slightly per operator |
| Brazil | YES | Point of sale | Passport | – |
| Canada | NO | Point of sale | Passport | – |
| Colombia | YES | Point of Sale | Passport /Address | – |
| Chile | NO – for stays shorter than 30 days and using a device purchased overseas | online | Copy of passport | |
| Mexico | NO | – | – | – |
| Peru | YES | – | – | – |
| USA | NO | – | – | – |
AFRICA
| COUNTRY | Compulsory Registration? | Where to register | What to Bring | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Egypt | YES | Point of sale | Passport | – | |
| Morocco | YES | Point of sale | Passport | – | |
| Kenya | YES | Point of sale | Passport | – | |
| Nigeria | YES | Point of Sale | Passport | – | |
| South Africa | YES | RICA-accredited agent (i.e., most point-of-sales) | Passport /Accommodation address |
ASIA
| COUNTRY | Compulsory Registration? | Where to register | What to Bring | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australia | YES | Online through telco’s website | Passport /Australian address | Passport or driving licence should be presented to sales point |
| China | YES | telco-branded store or service point | Passport | * proper termination of mobile service before leaving the country by visiting a telco-branded service point is required **Also, Facial recongition will be required to register new SIM cards for now on. |
| Hong Kong | NO | – | ||
| India | YES | Point of Sale | passport / visa page /passport photos/ proof of address | All document includes original & copy |
| Indonesia | YES | telco-branded store | passport | |
| Japan | YES （for voice enable SIM cards） | Japan does not permit the sale of most voice-enabled SIM cards to visitors. | ||
| Macau | NO | |||
| Malaysia | YES | Point of Sale | ||
| New Zealand | NO | – | ||
| Philippines | NO (legislation pending) | – | There is pending legislation to require IDs but it has not yet been passed. | |
| Singapore | YES | Point of Sale | Passport | – |
| South Korea | YES | Point of Sale | Passport | – |
| Taiwan | YES | Point of Sale | Passport-Second ID may be required such as drivers license,ID card etc. | |
| Thailand | YES | Point of Sale | Passport | – |
| Vietnam | YES | telco-branded store | Passport | – |
EUROPE
| Austria | YES | telco-branded store/ partner shops/ post offices/ online verification (selected passport holders only) | passportextra money for activation surcharge (for doing so at some partner shops or post offices) | – | – | |
| Belgium | YES | Point of Sale | passport | – | – | – |
| Croatia | NO | – | – | – | – | – |
| Czech Republic | NO | |||||
| Denmark | NO | |||||
| Estonia | NO | |||||
| Finland | NO | |||||
| France | YES | Point of Sale | passport ordriving licence | |||
| Germany | YES | telco-branded store (for larger telcos like Vodafone, O2, or T-mobile)/ agency-appointed stores (for smaller telcos/MVNOs)/ independent mobile phone stores that sell SIM cards/ online video verification (for selected passport holders only) | passport or national ID card german address (accommodation’s address will suffice) | Registration is not required when SIM card is purchased but required for activation and use.Most stores will only take requests to register SIM cards purchased from them. They may reject requests activating SIM cards for different stores or levy surcharges. Results of online verification may take days to process; in-store verification usually instant. | ||
| Greece | YES | Point of Sale | passport or national ID card | |||
| Hungary | YES | telco-branded store | passport | prepaid subscribers are required to have their subscriptions verified annually to keep prepaid SIMs active. | ||
| Iceland | NO | |||||
| Ireland | NO | |||||
| Italy | YES | Point of Sale | passport | |||
| Latvia | NO | |||||
| Lithuania | NO | |||||
| Netherlands | NO | |||||
| Norway | YES | Point of Sale | passport | |||
| Poland | YES | Point of Sale | passport | Independent electronics stores may sell SIM cards but they won’t register them and will hence remain deactivated | ||
| Romania | NO | |||||
| Russia | YES | Point of Sale | passport with VISA and stamp | |||
| Slovakia | YES | Point of Sale | passport | |||
| Spin | YES | Point of Sale | passport | |||
| Switzerland | YES | Point of Sale | passport | |||
| Sweden | NO | |||||
| Turkey | YES | Point of Sale | IMEI details of phone | Only 1 SIM can be linked per deviceIn 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 | |||||
| United Kingdom | NO |
Source Reference: https://prepaid-data-sim-card.fandom.com/wiki/Registration_Policies_Per_Country