Privacy reference
SIM registration laws by country
A single sortable reference for which countries force you to hand over a passport, biometric scan, or national ID number just to activate a prepaid mobile SIM - and which don't. Every row cites its primary source. Last audited 2026-07-14.
Mandatory SIM registration has spread quietly since the mid-2000s. The stated goals are counter-terrorism, fraud prevention, and lawful intercept; the practical result is that in most of the world your phone number is now permanently tied to a named individual, an ID document number, and often a biometric template. For a traveller this shows up as queues at airport kiosks, passport photocopies handed to strangers, and occasionally IMEI blocks if you use a local SIM for longer than the tourist window allows (Turkey is the most-cited example).
The table below covers the 30 countries we run programmatic pages for. Anon eSIM sidesteps all of them: because you attach as a foreign roamer through our partner networks, the destination country's point-of-sale registration rules never apply to you. You pay by card or crypto, install from a QR code, and stay off the local carrier's identity database entirely. That's not a legal grey area - it's how international roaming has worked since GSM launched.
| Law / regulation | Source | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ๐ฆ๐ท Argentina | ID / Passport | Decreto 764/2000 + ENACOM Res. 3358 - DNI required | 2016 | ENACOM Argentina โ |
| ๐ฆ๐บ Australia | ID / Passport | Telecommunications (Service Provider - Identity Checks) Determination 2017 | 2017 | ACMA โ |
| ๐ง๐ท Brazil | ID / Passport | Anatel Resolution 477 - CPF required | 2007 | ANATEL โ |
| ๐จ๐ฆ Canada | None | No statutory prepaid SIM registration requirement | 2000 | CRTC โ |
| CZ | None | No statutory prepaid SIM registration requirement | 2000 | ฤTร โ |
| ๐ช๐ฌ Egypt | ID / Passport | NTRA regulation - national ID or passport required | 2014 | NTRA Egypt โ |
| ๐ซ๐ท France | ID / Passport | Loi nยฐ 2006-64 (anti-terrorism), art. 5 - ID at activation | 2006 | Lรฉgifrance โ |
| ๐ฉ๐ช Germany | ID / Passport | Telekommunikationsgesetz ยง111 - passport/ID required | 2017 | TKG ยง172 โ |
| GR | ID / Passport | Law 3917/2011 - ID at point of sale | 2011 | EETT โ |
| IE | None | No statutory prepaid SIM registration requirement | 2000 | ComReg โ |
| ๐ฎ๐ณ India | Biometric | DoT circular - Aadhaar/passport + biometric verification | 2017 | DoT India โ |
| ๐ฎ๐ฉ Indonesia | ID / Passport | Ministerial Regulation No. 12/2016 - KTP or passport required | 2018 | Komdigi Indonesia โ |
| ๐ฎ๐น Italy | ID / Passport | Codice delle comunicazioni elettroniche art. 55 - Codice Fiscale + ID | 2005 | AGCOM โ |
| ๐ฏ๐ต Japan | ID / Passport | Mobile Voice Communications Act - passport/residence card required | 2006 | MIC Japan โ |
| ๐ฒ๐ฝ Mexico | Biometric | Padrรณn Nacional de Usuarios de Telefonรญa Mรณvil (2021, partially suspended by SCJN 2022) | 2022 | IFT Mexico โ |
| ๐ณ๐ฑ Netherlands | None | No statutory prepaid SIM registration requirement | 2000 | ACM Netherlands โ |
| ๐ณ๐ฟ New Zealand | None | No statutory prepaid SIM registration requirement | 2000 | Commerce Commission NZ โ |
| PL | ID / Passport | Anti-terrorism Act 2016 - passport/PESEL required | 2016 | UKE โ |
| ๐ต๐น Portugal | ID / Passport | Lei n.ยบ 32/2008 - NIF (fiscal number) + ID required | 2008 | ANACOM โ |
| ๐ธ๐ฌ Singapore | ID / Passport | Info-communications Media Development Authority code - passport required | 2005 | IMDA โ |
| ๐ฟ๐ฆ South Africa | ID / Passport | RICA (Regulation of Interception of Communications Act) - ID + address | 2011 | ICASA โ |
| ๐ฐ๐ท South Korea | ID / Passport | Telecommunications Business Act - ARC/passport required | 2012 | KCC Korea โ |
| ๐ช๐ธ Spain | ID / Passport | Real Decreto-ley 13/2012 - DNI/passport required | 2012 | BOE โ |
| ๐จ๐ญ Switzerland | ID / Passport | Fernmeldegesetz (FMG) art. 12b - ID required since 2017 | 2017 | BAKOM โ |
| ๐น๐ญ Thailand | Biometric | NBTC facial-recognition rule - passport + selfie required | 2019 | NBTC Thailand โ |
| ๐น๐ท Turkey | ID / Passport | Law No. 5809 + IMEI registration mandate | 2009 | BTK Turkey โ |
| ๐ฆ๐ช UAE | Biometric | TDRA - Emirates ID + biometric capture | 2012 | TDRA UAE โ |
| ๐ฌ๐ง United Kingdom | None | No statutory prepaid SIM registration requirement | 2000 | Ofcom โ |
| ๐บ๐ธ United States | Optional | No federal mandate; carriers require US address/ID in practice | 2005 | FCC consumer guide โ |
| VN | Biometric | Decree 49/2017/ND-CP - photo + ID required | 2017 | MIC Vietnam โ |
Table last updated 2026-07-14. Sources link to primary regulators or published legislation where available. Corrections: email support and we'll refresh the row within a business day.
FAQ
Why do some countries require ID to buy a local SIM?+
Governments cite counter-terrorism, fraud prevention, and lawful-intercept obligations. In practice mandatory SIM registration creates a permanent link between a phone number, the IMEI it first registered on, and a named individual - which is why it's a privacy concern independent of the security case.
Does Anon eSIM require ID in any of these countries?+
No. Anon eSIM attaches as a foreign roamer through partner networks, so the local point-of-sale registration rules do not apply to you. You buy the eSIM with card or crypto, install from a QR code, and never register your identity with the destination carrier.
Which countries have biometric SIM registration?+
As of 2026: Thailand (facial-recognition + passport), India (Aadhaar biometric), Vietnam (photo + ID), UAE (Emirates ID with biometric capture), and Mexico's PANAUT rule (partially suspended by the Supreme Court in 2022 but still enforced at some retailers).
Where can I still buy a local SIM anonymously?+
In 2026 the shrinking list includes the UK, Ireland, Netherlands, Czech Republic, Canada, and New Zealand. The US technically has no federal rule but carriers require a US address in practice, which is a functional barrier for visitors.
How often is this table updated?+
We audit the sources quarterly. The last review was 2026-07-14. If you spot an out-of-date row, email support and we'll refresh it within a business day.
Next step
Skip the registration desk entirely
Anon eSIM works in every country in the table above. Pay with card or crypto, install from a QR code, and land online - no ID, no biometric, no local carrier account.