More than 150 countries now require identity registration for SIM cards sold on their soil. For a traveller, that turns "buy a SIM at the airport" into a passport scan at a kiosk, and in some places a good deal more. Here are ten destinations where the counter asks for the most, checked in October 2026. Rules change, so treat this as a snapshot and not as legal advice.
1. Thailand
A passport is required for every SIM, tourist packages included, and it has to be the original. Since August 2025 registration also includes a live face scan: you look into a camera so the system can match you to the passport photo. Thailand eSIM plans
2. Turkey
Passport at the counter, but the larger catch is the phone itself. A handset bought abroad works on a Turkish SIM for 120 days. After that the networks block it unless its IMEI has been registered and a registration tax paid. Foreign SIMs that are roaming are not affected, and that includes travel eSIMs. Turkey eSIM plans
3. India
A passport and a valid visa, with no exceptions for foreigners. Shops may also ask for a photo, a local address or a local contact. Then you wait: activation takes anywhere from half an hour to a full day while the paperwork is verified. India eSIM plans
4. Indonesia
Passport scan at the counter. Phones are tracked as well: a foreign handset on an Indonesian SIM works for 90 days, after which it must be registered with customs or it loses service. Short holidays never reach the limit. Long stays do. Indonesia eSIM plans
5. The Philippines
Under the SIM Registration Act of 2022, a tourist needs three things: a passport, an address in the Philippines such as a hotel booking, and a return or onward ticket. A tourist registration lasts 30 days. After that the SIM is switched off, whatever data is left on it, unless you can show a visa extension. Philippines eSIM plans
6. China
Real-name registration with a passport, plus a facial recognition scan that has been mandatory since 2019. It is the most involved process on this list. China eSIM plans
7. United Arab Emirates
Passport required. The process is quick, and airport kiosks handle it in minutes, but it is still a scan of your passport into a telecom database before you have left the terminal. UAE eSIM plans
8. Saudi Arabia
A passport and, since 2016, a fingerprint. Mobile numbers there are tied to biometric records by law. Saudi Arabia eSIM plans
9. Germany
Proof that this is not only an Asian habit. Since 2017 a prepaid SIM in Germany has to be verified against an identity document before it works, often through a video call in which you hold your passport up to the camera. Germany eSIM plans
10. Italy
A passport, plus a codice fiscale, the Italian tax number. Shops generate one for visitors from the passport details, so in practice it is one more form and not an obstacle. Your SIM still ends up filed under a tax identifier. Italy eSIM plans
And many more
Spain has required ID since 2007. Vietnam wants a passport and a photo. Singapore caps visitors at three prepaid SIMs. A few countries go the other way: the United States, for one, has no registration requirement for prepaid at all.
Why a travel eSIM skips the counter
Registration laws apply to SIMs issued in the country. A travel eSIM is issued by a carrier somewhere else and roams onto the local network, exactly as your home SIM does when you land. The local network sees a visiting device, not a local subscriber, so there is no local registration to do. Nothing is being dodged. It is ordinary international roaming.
What remains is the shop's own paperwork, and that part is a choice. Most eSIM apps ask for an account and an email address. We ask for nothing: no name, no email, no document. What that does and does not mean is in what "no KYC" actually means.
When the local SIM is still the right call
If you are staying for months, need a local phone number, or will use a lot of data, a local SIM is usually cheaper per gigabyte and the registration is a one-time cost. A travel eSIM is data only. For a trip of days or weeks, or for anyone who would rather not be in a foreign telecom database, the eSIM is the simpler choice. Find your destination.