Guide
SIM registration laws by country
More than 150 countries require identification to activate a locally issued prepaid SIM. The table below covers the destinations travellers ask about most, what the counter will demand, and what that means in practice on arrival. Rules change often, so treat this as a starting point and check locally before you rely on a local SIM. If you would rather skip the question entirely, an anonymous eSIM is issued outside the country you visit.
The three broad regimes
Strict: a passport plus a local address, residency permit or tax number, common across the Gulf, parts of South and Southeast Asia and some of Latin America. A visitor often cannot satisfy these at all without a hotel letter or a local sponsor.
Standard: a passport scan taken at the point of sale and filed with the carrier, which covers most of Europe and much of Latin America. Light or unenforced: registration exists on paper and is applied inconsistently, which still means you cannot plan around it.
The table, and how to read it
Requirement describes what a local carrier must collect before the SIM works. The visitor column is the practical experience: queue length, whether an address is demanded, and whether activation is instant or delayed while the registration clears. None of it applies to a roaming profile, which is the point of the last section.
Why roaming data sits outside the rule
Registration laws bind the local carrier issuing a local subscriber identity. A visitor roaming on an internationally issued profile is not a local subscriber, which is the same legal position as arriving with your home SIM in your pocket. That is the mechanism, not a loophole, and the compliance reasoning is set out in full on the no KYC eSIM page.
The practical result: install the profile at home, land, switch on data and you are online without a counter, a photocopier or a local address. Per country pricing is on the rates page.
Registration rules by country
| Country | Local SIM requirement | What a visitor faces |
|---|---|---|
| Germany | Passport or ID, verified identity check | Video or in store ident check, often a same day delay |
| France | Identity document at point of sale | Straightforward in a carrier shop, harder at kiosks |
| Spain | Passport recorded against the number | Quick, but the scan is filed with the carrier |
| Italy | Passport plus tax code in many cases | Visitors are often refused without a codice fiscale |
| Poland | Identity document, registration before use | Activation blocked until the record is filed |
| Netherlands | No mandatory registration | One of the few EU states still allowing anonymous prepaid |
| United Kingdom | No mandatory registration | Anonymous prepaid still sold, though under periodic review |
| Switzerland | Passport, verified against the record | Enforced strictly, resellers check documents |
| Norway | Identity document required | Registration handled online at activation |
| United States | No federal registration requirement | Carriers may still ask for ID as their own policy |
| Canada | No mandatory registration | Credit check only for postpaid, not prepaid |
| Mexico | Identity data collected at sale | The biometric registry was struck down, ID is still taken |
| Brazil | CPF tax number required | Effectively closed to short stay visitors |
| Argentina | Passport or DNI at registration | Registration usually completed in store |
| United Arab Emirates | Passport plus biometric capture | Fingerprint or facial scan at an authorised outlet |
| Saudi Arabia | Passport, visa and biometric check | Tied to visa status and reverified periodically |
| Qatar | Passport and visa details | Airport counters handle tourists, queues are long |
| Turkey | Passport, plus device IMEI registration | Foreign handsets are blocked after about 120 days |
| India | Passport, visa, photo and local reference | Tourist SIMs can take 24 hours to activate |
| China | Passport plus facial recognition | Real name registration enforced at purchase |
| Japan | Passport for data and voice SIMs | Tourist data SIMs are easy, voice is restrictive |
| South Korea | Passport, prepaid limited for visitors | Rental SIM desks dominate the airport market |
| Thailand | Passport recorded at the point of sale | Fast at airport desks, the scan is kept |
| Vietnam | Passport and photo, real name rules | Unregistered numbers are cut off in periodic sweeps |
| Indonesia | Passport, registration before activation | Must be done at an official outlet, not a street stall |
| Singapore | Passport, limited number of SIMs per person | Quick, but capped and fully recorded |
| Malaysia | Passport at registration | Registration completed in store, activation is fast |
| Australia | Identity check before activation | Online activation with passport details |
| South Africa | Passport plus proof of address under RICA | Address proof is the usual obstacle for visitors |
| Egypt | Passport registered against the number | Handled at carrier shops, tourist SIMs are common |
Questions people ask
Which countries still allow an unregistered prepaid SIM?
A shrinking group, including the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Canada and much of the United States at the federal level. Even there, individual carriers may ask for identification as their own policy, and rules change without notice.
Does SIM registration apply to my roaming eSIM?
No. Those laws bind the local carrier issuing a local subscriber identity. A roaming profile issued internationally creates no local subscriber record, which is why no document is requested.
Are there countries where this does not work?
A small number of states restrict or block foreign eSIM roaming. Where that applies, the country page says so plainly rather than selling you data that will not connect.
How current is this table?
It reflects the position at the time of writing and is reviewed as rules change. Registration law moves quickly, so verify locally before relying on a local SIM for anything important.
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