How To Get a Local SIM Card in India

How To Get a SIM Card in India

As with everything in India, getting a mobile phone and a local sim card is not so straight forward but with a bit of a persistence you can get connected and get yourself a local sim card in India. It’s worth preserving too, outside the major cities wifi can be painfully slow or intermittent and, especially as a solo female traveler, I feel a lot safer with a phone and sim card in India and most of my work is done through my 3G hotspot as its often quicker and most reliable than wifi.

If you are just coming to India for a week or 2, or simply want to avoid the hassle of getting a local sim card there is now a much easier way to get connected. Trabug is a new service that lets you rent a smartphone and local sim card that is delivered to your hotel in India. Check out my review of the Trabug service – it’s so much more than just a sim card as the phone is packed with handy sightseeing and safety features especially for travellers! Also, Global Gallivanting readers can get 1GB of data for free by quoting the code GG1GBEXTRA. Visit their website for more.

Google maps can be so useful for navigating to a location or checking if the rickshaw driver is taking me the right way, (they never seem to know where they are going and I end up having to direct them most of the time) If I have a phone I can call and book a taxi or book online through apps like Ola, I can call ahead to make a hotel booking, ask them to pick me up from the station and I can call for help if needed.

I feel a lot safer when I have a local sim card in India not to mention I want to call my friends and update my Instagram with all the amazing things I’m seeing!

Seriously, everyone is connected in India – apparently there are more mobile phones in India than toilets! 

If, like me, being unconnected feels like you’ve lost a limb read on and I’ll guide you through the process of getting a local sim card in India.

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How to get a local sim card in India

Documents needed to get a local Sim Card in India

Due to fears of terrorism, getting a sim card in India is not simply quickly picking one up in the shop, instead it requires a lot of documents before you can get connected and having a friend in India will help a lot for the address and reference parts.

Mobile phone networks in India

The main mobile phone networks in India are Airtel, Vodafone and Idea. If you’re planning on being in one region a lot then it’s worth asking around to see what the best network for connectivity and value is in the area that you are in.

For example, Idea is good in Goa and Kerala but the coverage by Airtel is poor. Idea is poor in North India where Airtel is better. Idea is cheaper but can be a bit hit and miss in some areas. Vodafone generally has a pretty coverage across India but when I was in the mountains in the north of India (Himachal Pradesh etc) Vodafone hardly works at all so I had to get a new Airtel sim card. In the North East only Aircell had service so you can see it pays to ask around before choosing the network.

If you are planning to spend the majority of your time in one state then it’s also a good idea to buy a sim card in that state because you incur roaming charges when you are in a different state.

An Indian vegatable seller arranges vega

You will need to take the following documents with you to apply for a sim card in India:-

  • Original Passport
  • Photocopy of your passport
  • Photocopy of Indian visa
  • Local Indian Address (They may also ask for your landlords name and phone number, I’ve always rented an apartment or used a friend’s address but it should work with a guest house or hotel just make sure you ask them first)
  • Proof of home address (Not always required but I took a photo copy of my UK driving license with home address of it)
  • Passport Photo
  • Local Reference Name and Phone Number (For example you can’t apply for a Sim Card in Bangalore with a friend in Mumbai’s phone number – it has to be a local number. You could ask your guest house if they are cool with you using them for the reference)

Once you’re ready get your documents together then either go to the network’s store or a post office, general phone shop or even just a street shack. Look out for the Idea, Vodafone and Airtel billboards to find a shop that sells sim cards in India. It’s a good idea to go to one near where you are staying as chances are you may need to go back if it doesn’t go through smoothly first time. Some travel agents will be able to help you with the process and make it simpler but they usually charge a couple of hundred rupees for the service.

india-mobile

How to apply for a sim card in India

It’s best to go to a big Airtel, Vodafone or Idea store (whatever network you want, depending on which has better service where you are) to apply for the sim card. I found that sometimes the people who worked in the shops couldn’t really be bothered to get a tourist connected so it helps if you are assertive and come with all your documents prepared.

Choose a number, submit the documents and then you will be presented with a pretty long form but you only really need to fill in a few sections with your name, local address and reference, firmly ask the sales person to point out to you with parts of the form you need to fill in before you start to get confused.

If you go to a phone store or travel agent they will probably ask you for a few hundred rupees fee for their time and efforts to help you get connected but the process is often easier and the sim card should come with a package of calls and data. I have known some tourists to be able to get a pre activated sim card that works in a day or so but these are only valid for 1 month and I prefer to do things the proper way as theres less chance of something going wrong or getting cut off  in the long run.

Also, your sim card may expire when your visa expires or in 3 months, whichever is earliest and you may have to go through the process again to get another sim card.

Let your local reference know to expect a call

The person who sold the sim card will forward the paper work onto the network operator. Let your local reference know that the network provider will call them in about 24 hours after submitted the documents.

All your local reference needs to do is verify their name and that they know you. But the network provider will only call your local reference once, if your reference does not pick up the phone after a few days you will be frustrated that your phone still shows no signal and when you go back to the shop they will tell you that as your reference did not pick up the phone your application was rejected and now you need to submit a different number for a new reference and wait 2 more days again. So make sure your reference is expecting the call.

sadhu mobile

One they have done this your sim card should be activated. In theory it takes about 2 days to get the Sim Card activated and working but I was messing around with one of mine for a week, mainly because the reference did not answer the phone.

Verify and Activate

Once the network has called your local reference and your phone becomes active it should show a signal. You then need to call the activation line (the number should be in the sim kit) and make sure to confirm exactly the name and address details that you gave when applying for your sim card.

If you go through a travel agent they may sort out the local reference but for you and make the call to verify and activate the sim card making the process easier and simpler for you but you’ll usually have to pay a few hundred rupees for the service.

INDIA-ECONOMY-BUDGET

Congratulations you’re connected!

After 10 minutes of successfully verifying your details your sim card should be active, you can now go back to the shop and top up/ recharge your phone with the package of calls, texts and internet data that you choose.

You could also consider buying an internet dongle if you want to connect laptops to the mobile internet – wifi can be poor or non existent in budget guest houses and restaurants in India and I often find that the 3G is faster and sometimes more reliable than the wifi as long as you are in an area with a strong coverage.

Also, make sure that you make a call or use the dongle within 15 days and every 60 days or your line could be deactivated and you’ll have to go through the whole process again.

Now, an easier way to get an Indian sim card

If you are only visiting India for a short time, or simply want to avoid the hassle of getting a local sim card there is now another way to get connected. Trabug is a new service that lets you rent a smartphone that is delivered to your address complete with a sim card and a package of local and international calling minutes, texts and data. Check out my review of the Trabug service – it’s so much more than just a sim card as the phone is packed with handy sightseeing and safety features especially for travellers! Also, Global Gallivanting readers can get either 50% extra domestic minutes for free by quoting the code GG50EXTRA OR 1GB of data for free by quoting the code GG1GBEXTRA. Visit their website for more.

Tips for mobile roaming in India

Just be aware, as your traveling around India, if you go to a different state you will usually be considered to be ‘roaming’. It costs a little more, and it will also cost you a small amount to receive calls.

You may find it difficult to top up/ recharge your phone credit when in a different state as the tariffs are slightly different and the guy most likely won’t know the different tariffs. For example, I the Goa Vodafone tariff is 449 Rupees for 3 GB of internet but the tariff may be a couple of rupees different in another state and if I was to purchase 450 Rupees it would not work – the credit would just turned into talk time not the internet package. So I always take a photo of the tariff in the state where I obtained the sim card so that I can show this when topping up my phone outside the state.

Also, oftentimes when you enter a new state you may need to turn the phone off and on again and then in the settings manually search for select the network again. But don’t worry, you should still be able to use your phone all over India but let the sales person in the shop know which state your number if from when you are topping up or recharging your phone in a different state as the price plans and process is a little different.

Also be aware that your sim will usually deactivate when your visa expires so you will need to get a new sim with a new number and go through the whole process when you visit India again.

By the way  – this article was written from my experience of obtaining sim cards in India many times in the states of Goa, Karnataka, Kerala, Delhi and Himachal Pradesh with 3 different providers. But as always, terms, conditions and requirements can change and may vary depending on which state you are in but I hope this post can provide useful information for tourists applying for sim cards in India.

woman phone

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22 comments

Pavan Meshram February 8, 2015 at 8:24 pm

Its huge task getting a sim here in India. I have come across different travellers and their struggles to get that small chip have sounded monumental;-) Glad you’re finally connected. Cheers!

Reply
Anna Phipps February 9, 2015 at 7:33 am

Yes, it can be really frustrating and quite complicated and often the staff who work in the shop do not seem to want to help the tourists so I wanted to share my experience and hopefully help other travelers get connected in India

Reply
Nimal June 21, 2016 at 1:18 am

Hi Anna

Thanks for your valuable time to post the information to other travellers.

It was very helpful.

Thanks Again.

Reply
Anna June 29, 2016 at 9:56 pm

Hi Nimal. Thanks for commenting, I’m really glad that the post helped you as getting a sim card in India can be a bit of a hassle so I wanted to make it easier for other travellers.

Reply
Bharat K. Sharma September 12, 2016 at 8:48 pm

How about the ones who are travelling with an OCI Card instead of an Indian Visa? Will a copy of the OCI Card suffice as a substitute for a copy of the Visa?

Reply
Bharat K. Sharma September 12, 2016 at 8:50 pm

Can a copy of the OCI Card suffice as a substitute for a copy of the Indian Visa?

Reply
Anna September 14, 2016 at 11:44 pm

I think so but I’ve never tried it so I don’t know for sure but I guess that would work. Good luck 🙂

Reply
Hannah Fischer September 24, 2016 at 8:44 pm

Thanks for the great post! However reading it doesn’t make it sound easy to get a sim card, especially if one is moving around frequently.

I’ve found http://www.trabug.com and was wondering if you have any suggestions with going with such services vs. getting a local sim card?

Reply
Anna September 26, 2016 at 9:16 pm

Hi Hannah, yeah it can be a bit of a hassle! It depends how long you are coming for I guess whether its worth it although some friends of mine has 1 month e visas and managed to get a sim quite easily in 1 day ( i guess it must have been already registered) but I think it was only valid for 1 month.

I haven’t heard of Trabug before – it sounds interesting so I just had a quick look, the prices seem more expensive than the local rates but then you get to rent a phone. FYI I usually pay 650 rupees for 3G of data and spend maybe 150 rupees a month in calling credit – so thats like $12 a month.

If you decide to go for it let me know how it is as other travellers might be interested too! Happy Travels 🙂

Reply
sarah October 2, 2016 at 10:31 am

thank you so much for your blog! I am off solo to India tomorrow 🙂 Very helpful! Namaste xxx

Reply
Anna October 2, 2016 at 5:41 pm

Hey Sarah! Thanks so much – glad to have helped and hope you have a great trip! Where are you heading?

Reply
Sunny Mantri October 6, 2016 at 1:41 pm

Its a great post and I believe that you have covered everything as far as the procedure for procuring the SIM is concerned, quite comprehensively.

However, I disagree on the part when you say – its a hassle. It isn’t. It is as complicated as getting a SIM card anywhere else in the world. If you documents are correct, then generally it takes only 24 hours to get your SIM activated.

I have been living in Australia, and I must say the activation process was as easy or as hard as India.

I guess the reason that you find it a bit complex because its a different country, where people speak a language that you may or may not understand. 🙂

Reply
Anna October 7, 2016 at 7:18 am

Thanks for your comments – in the UK and many other places I’ve visited like Europe, Thailand, Indonesia, Australia I have always been able to simply walk into a shop pick up a pre paid or pay as you go sim card from the counter and put it in my mobile phone with them even asking for my name! So the process in India is complicated compared to any other country that I’ve been to and especially for a new tourist having a local address and local reference is not so easy. But then when we travel we have to be aware that the processes and systems in other countries are different. My hope is that this post will help people to be prepared with all the documents they need to make the process easier. 🙂

Reply
Karl December 19, 2017 at 7:01 pm

Well, in most parts of Eirope you just walk into any convenience store, buy a sim without showing any id or filling in any form. And the sim just works out of the box. I find anything else extremely complicated 😉

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Narayan A.K January 5, 2017 at 6:00 pm

Just saw your website and it was great. Appreciate the fact that you as a foreigner can keep an open mind about India in it’s chaotic beauty and take it in your stride !
Thanks from an Indian living in the USA

Reply
Anna February 3, 2017 at 5:00 pm

Hi Narayan

Thanks for your comment and thanks for the compliment – I love India and passionate about spreading the word and changing perceptions. 🙂

Reply
Arun Aravind April 29, 2017 at 4:31 am

What are your options if you want to continue using the Indian phone for services like whatsapp after you leave India. I am planning on being outside India for 6 months, I would like to continue to use whatsapp, primarily using my home wi-fi in US.

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Anna May 3, 2017 at 9:44 am

Hi Arun – I know that when the visa expires or with 3 months without use most Indian sim cards will be deactivated. Maybe if you check with your network provider it may be possible.

Reply
Sophia July 13, 2017 at 10:38 am

How many rupees did it cost because someone in the hotel ants to buy it for me for 800 rupees and i think its abit expensive

Reply
Anna July 16, 2017 at 11:07 am

It depends the sim card is very less like 20 rupees I think but often it comes with a package of calls and data and sometimes they agent will charge a fee to help you set it up – I’ve never paid more than 500 Rupees which included the commission fee and calls and data. It’s best to go to the store yourself as you’ll have to submit your passport, photo, local reference, address etc for verification. What you describe sounds like it might be dodgy.

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Vinod August 12, 2017 at 10:41 pm

Just come across this post, very detailed and informative. Yes I totally agree the procedure to obtain prepaid/pay as you go sim card is lengthy and complicated in India. As a traveller I would want to start using the local mobile phone right from the Airport, esp. for someone on a budget, so that I could make use of mobile apps to get around or contact friends who could come and help.

I live in UK, here anyone can pick a pay-as-you-go sim from airport or any shop and activate straight away, even top-up through the same sim card using a bank card.

Though one is willing to go through the lengthy process, another worry is how safe is our identity data? What’s the guarantee that our identity data not misused! There was this news article that says retailers misusing other customer’s identity data – http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/bangalore/your-documents-could-be-used-to-procure-multiple-sim-cards/article6828210.ece

I read somewhere the every photocopy must be clearly dated, signed and written the purpose for which the copy provided for. I guess it may be safe to go to the Network provider owned showrooms. Hoping for a simpler and a better process to obtain a pre-paid/pay-as-you-go sim in India soon.

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Anna August 14, 2017 at 12:49 pm

Thanks for the info Vinod. Yes, sadly getting a sim card in India is not as easy as it is in the UK but things are getting easier. With new services like Trabug travellers in India can easily get a local sim and phone that can be delivered to their hotel upon arrival in India. I reviewed their service you can find out more about it here – http://www.global-gallivanting.com/trabug-easiest-way-get-online-anywhere-traveling-around-india/

Reply

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