As mobile phones have become essential electronic devices, a SIM card to connect to the network is equally important. Getting one in India is not difficult, as long as you have the right documents. Whether you are an Indian citizen or a foreigner, this guide will explain how to buy a SIM card in India.
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How to buy a SIM card if you are an Indian citizen
For Indian citizens, if you have an Aadhaar card, the process of getting a new SIM card is very simple.
- Take your Aadhaar card to the telecom operator’s store. You can download a copy of the Aadhaar card and print it or get the electronic copy through the mAadhaar app. Some of them may ask for a photocopy of the card or a copy sent via email. For the eKYC (online Know Your Consumer) process, you do not need a hard copy of your Aadhaar card, but some telecom operator stores may ask for this information even though it is not necessary.
- The store staff will enter your Aadhaar number and ask you to verify your identity through your fingerprint.
- Once you do this, you will get a new SIM card and it will be activated immediately or within 48 hours, depending on the telecom operator.
Aadhaar Card: How to verify your phone number using UIDAI website
If you don’t have an Aadhaar card, the process of buying a new SIM card in India varies from operator to operator, and some may even refuse to provide you with a new connection. If your operator allows you to get a new SIM card without Aadhaar, the following documents are required.
- Proof of address, copies (such as rent agreement, electricity bill, bank book, etc.)
- Government-issued photo ID and copy (e.g. driver’s license, passport, voter ID card, etc.)
- Two passport size photos
After submitting these documents, your application will take some time to process, upon completion the SIM card will be activated. Note that if you are a resident of Jammu and Kashmir or any state in northeast India, you may not be able to use prepaid connections or you may have to wait longer to get a SIM card – even if you have an Aadhaar card.
How to check Aadhaar authentication history
How to buy a SIM card if you are a foreigner
If you are not an Indian citizen but are visiting India, the process of obtaining a SIM card is different from that for Indian citizens. Firstly, foreign nationals do not have Aadhaar cards, so they need a different set of documents. technology shout visited two different stores of each of the three telecom operators – Airtel, Vodafone and Reliance Jio – to understand the process for foreigners. Since there is no Aadhaar for identity verification, foreigners have to fill in a paper form to get a SIM card.
If you want a prepaid (pay as you go) connection, please visit your nearest Vodafone, Airtel or Reliance Jio store in India with the following documents.
- Passport with copy
- Visa copy
- Passport size photo (usually only one is required, but just in case, bring four as telecom operators in some states in India require four photos)
For postpaid connections, you need the following files. Things vary slightly from carrier to carrier, but to be on the safe side, take these documents (and, if possible, an Indian national who can vouch for you) to the store.
- Passport with copy
- Visa copy
- Passport size photo (usually only one is required, but just in case, bring four as telecom operators in some states in India require four photos)
- Details of local reference
- Proof of local address
This means you will need to provide contact details of any Indian nationals you know (preferably friends or relatives) as well as proof of your Indian address, such as an electricity bill or tenancy agreement. For postpaid connections, telecom operators may also insist on verification at your local address, so a representative may visit your residence in India within a week of issuance of the SIM card. In some cases, like Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) card holders, you will need to present the card and submit a copy when purchasing a new SIM card.
While these processes are standard for telecom operators, we found some nuances in the fine print. Vodafone store representatives told technology shout that new connections typically take around two hours to activate. Both Airtel and Reliance Jio say it will take up to 24 hours to activate your SIM card.
Pre-activate SIM card
Normally, pre-activated SIM cards are not available in India, but the government recently announced that state-owned telecom operator BSNL will provide these cards for free with talk time worth Rs 10. 50 at various airports in India. This is only applicable to those who have obtained an Indian e-Visa. Unfortunately, we can’t independently verify that this feature is available, or that the SIM card works as advertised.
Another option to get a pre-activated SIM card in India is to use a service like Trabug, which allows you to rent a smartphone with a pre-activated SIM card for up to 80 days at a time. They also ship phones to your Indian address so you can stay in touch with friends and family. The downside is that it’s very expensive and you can’t use your own smartphone to use the SIM Trabug service. You must use a phone rented from Trabug. Trabug charges $60 (approx. Rs. 3,900) for unlimited calls and 3GB data per day, plus $1 (approx. Rs. 65) per day during the stay. If you buy a local SIM card and use it on your smartphone, you pay around Rs 100 and get 1GB data per day and unlimited free calls anywhere in India. 500 ($8) for three months. You can do the math yourself and figure out how much you could save by buying a local SIM card, even if it means you have to spend a little time going to a store and submitting some paperwork.
India roaming tariffs
Another thing that confuses many foreign citizens traveling to India is roaming charges. Services in India are spread across telecom circles, and moving from one circle (usually a state, but not always) to another requires roaming. Currently, almost all operators allow you to receive calls across India without paying any additional charges. When making a call, as long as you are in the same telecommunications circle as the one where you purchased the SIM card, there will generally be no additional charges. If you go outside the circle, you may have to pay per minute to make calls, but there are plans that let you avoid that fee entirely. Just ask your operator about free outgoing calls while roaming and you’ll get a pretty affordable plan. Finally, data roaming does not cost anything extra in India. You can continue to use mobile data with any telecom operator across India without paying extra charges.
SIM card validity period in India
Prepaid SIM cards in India have lifetime validity, so as long as you keep recharging and using the SIM card, it won’t be deactivated. If a SIM card becomes inactive, store representatives we spoke with said the SIM card will be discontinued within 90 days. For foreigners, telecom operators we spoke to said it is valid until their visa expires.
Do you still have questions about buying a SIM card in India? Let us know in the comments. For more tutorials, visit our how-to section.
