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I understand that for some years now there is an EU regulation which requires proper identification of the owner of a SIM card prior to its activation. I.e. in Germany, for example, one has to show an ID card to the vendor when buying in a shop or use a video ident system to identify.

So I was very suprised when I recently bought a SIM in the UK which "just worked", i.e. I put in in my phone and I was able to make and receive calls. Nobody asked me even for my name.

Did that regulation get loosened? Is it just the UK or also other countries in the EU?

TorstenS
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    Netherlands never had mandatory registration for SIM cards. Of course if you buy a contract you're going to need to identify yourself and supply bank information for billing, but for prepaid cards there's no such requirement. – jwenting Mar 21 '19 at 09:46
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    You can get sim cards from vending machines so I doubt there's any regulation for pay as you go sim cards in the UK, not sure about the rest of Europe – BritishSam Mar 21 '19 at 09:58
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    I'm voting to close this question as off-topic because it is a question about law, not about travel. (The only connection to travel is that the asker happens to have been travelling when they noticed it.) – David Richerby Mar 21 '19 at 11:50
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    I bought a SIM card yesterday in the Czech Republic, which "just worked" and I didn't give any details. I have done so many times in the UK, and have previously done so in Poland. I would say the premise of this question is incorrect. – JBentley Mar 21 '19 at 12:23
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    @DavidRicherby: It’s a legal and practical issue that’s often relevant to travellers, though — I’ve certainly wondered about these sorts of regulations in the past when buying short-term SIMs for travelling. – PLL Mar 22 '19 at 09:30
  • @PLL If there is a legal requirement to register a SIM, the retailler really ought to tell you that. Whether you're travelling or not. – David Richerby Mar 22 '19 at 09:36
  • @DavidRicherby: this actually is a real issue, because the UK govt is in 4/2019 introducing a registration-based opt-in age-verification system to block user access to adult content, using third-party companies. But that scheme has clear potential for monitoring and tracing all web use by individual participants, tied back to their identity document/ passport/ CC/ face scan, and SIM. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_Economy_Act_2017#Provisions. [More details] – smci Mar 22 '19 at 10:44
  • I know it's not an answer but this question asserts something that is not true and could be confusing. I don't know if it should be edited but it doesn't sit right with me. There seems to be a lot of people on here confused about European SIM cards and this only adds to the confusion. –  Mar 22 '19 at 11:42
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    @smci I never said it wasn't a real issue. I said it wasn't a travel issue. – David Richerby Mar 22 '19 at 12:04
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    @DavidRicherby: yes it potentially is a travel issue, that's why I said it was. It appears to be surveillance and monitoring of general web use, traceable to your SIM. So what do you now do if you're asked at the border control "Did you ever visit or post on XYZ site?" or "Did you watch or comment on the NZ video?" – smci Mar 22 '19 at 12:10
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    @DavidRicherby: this is as much a travel issue as Can browsing some websites cause someone to land on the US no-fly list? (that question is actually about the SSSS list rather than the no-fly list). – smci Mar 22 '19 at 12:20
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    "there is an EU regulation which requires proper identification".. it's always fascinating how national legislation that people might disagree with magically transform into "EU regulations", isn't it? – Voo Mar 22 '19 at 15:45

2 Answers2

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No (because there was no such requirement in the first place). You have never been required to register SIM cards in the UK. There is a trend towards this measure in other European countries, but there is no EU legislation on the matter.

MJeffryes
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    You are right; there is indeed no EU legislation on this, I was mislead but the fact that indeed most (but not all) of the EU countries have imposed such rules lately, but indeed the UK did not. – TorstenS Mar 21 '19 at 11:01
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    Actually in 4/2019 the UK is introducing age-verification for adult content, per the Digital Economy Act (2017). It doesn't directly mandate registering SIMs, but users' web use will be traceable back to their identity documents/ face scans, and potentially also their SIMs. – smci Mar 22 '19 at 10:51
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    @smci This is not relevant to the question. – MJeffryes Mar 22 '19 at 11:54
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    @MJeffryes: yes it is, for reasons stated above to DavidRicherby. You flatly claimed "You have never been required to register SIM cards in the UK", which will be incorrect as of 4/2019 for all users using the new incoming age-verification system for adult sites. The age-registration scheme will allow tracing mobile web use to the SIM. (Which parts of UK law enforcement may use that, for what purposes, is not public). – smci Mar 22 '19 at 12:27
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    That does not mandate registering SIMs, though. SIMs are not mentioned in the act. – pjc50 Mar 22 '19 at 13:13
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    @smci I do not understand what you are getting at. The conditions under which you would be subject to age verification are purely voluntary. Furthermore, there is an anonymous procedure for completing it, involving buying a card from a convenience store. None of this has anything to do with registering SIM cards. If you want to advance this argument further, please write your own answer. – MJeffryes Mar 22 '19 at 13:19
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You’ll need an ID to enter a contract, not to buy a SIM card. The provider wants to make sure you’ll pay your bills and wants to know who you are. If you buy a pre-paid card no such ID is needed...

patrick
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