SIM card registration in the Philippines begins on December 27, 2022. Check out how you can register your new or existing SIM card, whether Globe, TM, Smart, TNT, DITO, GOMO, or Cherry Prepaid.
SIM Registration Overview
Cellular service users in the Philippines must register their existing SIM cards or risk having them deactivated.
The National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) has published the implementing rules and regulations (IRR) for the SIM Card Registration Act, which will go into effect on December 27, 2022.
After the law goes into effect, subscribers will have 180 days or six months to register their SIM cards. The registration can be extended for a maximum of 120 days.
It is the responsibility of telco operators or public telecommunications entities (PTEs) to maintain the database of the users.
SIM Registration Process
For New Users
On December 27, 2022, new SIMs will be sold in "deactivated mode."
Registration is free of charge.
The registration includes SIMs, embedded SIMs, broadband modems, and internet-of-things devices.
On a secure website provided by the telecommunications provider, an online registration form will be filled out.
Here are the online SIM registration websites of each telco:
- Smart/TNT/Sun Cellular - smart.com.ph/simreg
- Globe/TM - new.globe.com.ph/simreg
- GOMO - via the GOMO PH app
- DITO - via SMS link sent after SIM card insertion or via the DITO app
The following information will be collected by the online SIM registration platform:
- Full name
- Date of Birth
- Sex
- Present or official address
- Identification card and ID number
Any of the following IDs or documents with a photo can be presented:
- Passport
- Philippine Identification System ID or the Philippine Identification Card
- SSS ID
- GSIS e-Card
- Driver's license
- NBI Clearance
- Police Clearance
- Firearms' License to Own and Possess ID
- PRC ID
- Integrated Bar of the Philippines ID
- Overseas Workers Welfare Administration ID
- BIR ID
- Voter's ID
- Senior Citizen's card
- UMID
- Persons with Disabilities card
- Other valid government-issued ID with a photo
For businesses and organizations to utilize SIMs, the following information is required:
- Business name
- Business address
- Full name of authorized signatory
Moreover, businesses will be required to submit the following documents:
- Certificate of Registration
- In the case of corporations, a duly adopted resolution designating the authorized representative, and in the case of other juridical entities, a special power of attorney
For Existing Prepaid Subscribers
Existing prepaid users must register via their respective telco's website.
All existing SIM cards must be registered within 180 days from the effectivity of the law. Registration may be extended by an additional 120 days.
Failure to register will result in the SIM being deactivated automatically.
SIMs that have been deactivated may only be reactivated within five days of deactivation.
For Postpaid Subscribers
The data of postpaid subscribers are already possessed by telcos.
To complete registration, however, postpaid subscribers must confirm their information and data included in the SIM register via the telco provider's platform or website.
For Minors
SIM cards for minors will be registered under the name of the minor's parent or legal guardian.
To register the SIM, they will be required to present an ID and the consent of the minor's parent or guardian.
For Foreigners
Foreigners acquiring a SIM card from a Filipino telco provider are required to provide the following information:
- Full name
- Nationality
- Date of birth
- Passport
- Address in the Philippines
- The type of travel or admission document presented
- ID number or the number of the document presented
They are also required to submit the following documents:
- For foreign nationals visiting as tourists
- Passport (copy of the page where the visa is stamped)
- Proof of address in the Philippines (booking in hotel or another type of accommodation)
- For foreign nationals with other types of visas
- Passport (copy of the page where the type of visa is shown)
- Proof of address in the Philippines
- Other relevant document, whichever is applicable: (1) Alien Employment Permit by DOLE; (2) Alien Certificate of Registration Identification Card (ACRI Card) by Bureau of Immigration or other types of official ID issued by any other visa-issuing agency; (3) School registration and ID for students; (4) Type of travel or admission document validity issued by the DOJ for Persons of Concern (POC)
The validity of SIM cards issued to tourists will be limited to 30 days, after which they will be deactivated. It can only be extended upon the presentation of a visa extension that has been approved.
Meanwhile, foreigners with other types of visas are exempt from the 30-day SIM card limit.
For Remote Areas
The National Telecommunications Commission (NTC), Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), Department of Education (DepEd), Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), as well as all telcos, will assist SIM registration in remote areas and locations with limited internet connectivity.
What if my SIM card gets stolen?
For lost or stolen SIM cards, subscribers must notify the telco provider of the following details:
- Name
- Address
- Date of Birth
- Mobile number
- Other relevant and reasonable information required to establish ownership of the SIM
See also:
For stolen phones and SIM cards, users must immediately contact their respective telco provider's customer service hotline to report the incident.
Telcos must render the SIM card unusable and permanently deactivate it within 24 hours of issuing a new SIM to a verified user.
Penalties
The following penalties shall be imposed for violation of any provision of the law:
For providing false information or fraudulent identification documents to register a SIM:
- Six months to two years in prison or a fine between PHP 100,000 and PHP 300,000, or both.
For the sale or transfer of a registered SIM without complying with the required registration:
- Imprisonment between six months and six years, or a fine between PHP 100,000 and PHP 300,000, or both.
For spoofing (or imitating) a registered SIM:
- A minimum of six years in prison or a fine of PHP 200,000, or both.
For telcos who fail or refuse to register a SIM without valid reason despite compliance of the end-user:
- First offense – A fine not less than PHP 100,000 but not more than PHP 300,000
- Second offense – A fine not less than PHP 300,000 but not more than PHP 500,000
- Third and subsequent offenses – A fine not less than PHP 500,000 but not more than PHP 1,000,000
For selling stolen SIM cards:
- Six months to two years in prison, or a fine of at least PHP 100,000 and no more than PHP 300,000, or both.
For breach of confidentiality:
- Telcos, their agents, or their employees will face a fine between PHP 500,000 and PHP 4,000,000 if they disclose information about an end-user obtained during registration.
Source: NTC
COMMENTS