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re: needing an ID for SIM cards, that's interesting! Here in New Zealand, I can freely purchase any prepay SIM without ID and use it straight away. Most, if no

re: needing an ID for SIM cards, that's interesting! Here in New Zealand, I can freely purchase any prepay SIM without ID and use it straight away. Most, if not all dairies carry them too.

est31 7y ago
In europe it's mixed: https://www.reddit.com/r/europe/comments/9ziqfi/european_countries_requiring_registration_of/ https://www.reddit.com/r/europe/comments/9ziqfi/european_cou...
- vinay427 7y ago
  I recently visited what is apparently a prepaid-SIM-without-ID island of the Czech Republic, accustomed to places where registration is required. The person in the telecom store selling me the SIM looked at me with an almost disarming "this is the Czech Republic" look when I asked if she needed to see my passport. In Germany you now apparently need to show ID and provide an address, though no proof of residence so any address seems acceptable.
  - n_ary 7y ago
    In Germany, I need to do PostIdent or handover my address+copy of my ID/passport to buy a SIM card. To further check things, telecom sends letters to corresponding address too sometimes.
dannyw 7y ago
Not over the border in Australia.
terrywang 7y ago
Not the same crossing the Tasman sea. It's mixed in Australia. One can only have 5 pre-paid mobile numbers under 1 name (activation limit). However, you can still buy SIM packs from supermarkets or convenient stores, not sure if activation requires ID, it may depend on provider. NZ is obviously loose due to large number of tourists, I reckon. So easy to get SIM cards, I've got 2 (spark and 2 degrees). US also requires ID to get SIM last time I was in bay area (2016).
- paranoidrobot 7y ago
  > not sure if activation requires ID Pretty sure they all do. I've used prepaid on all the major carriers and bigger MVNOs and I needed to give some form of ID to the signup process.
codedokode 7y ago
In Russia one cannot (in theory; actually it's possible sometimes). In Japan an ID is required as far as I know.
- inferiorhuman 7y ago
  In Japan ID is required for voice service, but I think not for data only.
  - ubercow13 7y ago
    You can't sign up for Signal with a data only SIM
    - PTcartelsLOL 7y ago
      Yes, you can. Data only SIM cards can receive SMS's. At least in Portugal they do.
      - ubercow13 7y ago
        Oh, interesting. I don’t think they can in Japan
  - hiq 7y ago
    I can confirm that you don't need an ID for data only in Japan.
ddeck 7y ago
The same is true in Hong Kong, no ID required. You can even purchase cards without ID that also work in Mainland China and aren't subject to the great firewall.

re: needing an ID for SIM cards, that's interesting! Here in New Zealand, I can freely purchase any prepay SIM without ID and use it straight away. Most, if not all dairies carry them too.

est31 7y ago

In europe it's mixed: https://www.reddit.com/r/europe/comments/9ziqfi/european_countries_requiring_registration_of/ https://www.reddit.com/r/europe/comments/9ziqfi/european_cou...

vinay427 7y ago
I recently visited what is apparently a prepaid-SIM-without-ID island of the Czech Republic, accustomed to places where registration is required. The person in the telecom store selling me the SIM looked at me with an almost disarming "this is the Czech Republic" look when I asked if she needed to see my passport. In Germany you now apparently need to show ID and provide an address, though no proof of residence so any address seems acceptable.
- n_ary 7y ago
  In Germany, I need to do PostIdent or handover my address+copy of my ID/passport to buy a SIM card. To further check things, telecom sends letters to corresponding address too sometimes.

dannyw 7y ago

Not over the border in Australia.

terrywang 7y ago

Not the same crossing the Tasman sea. It's mixed in Australia. One can only have 5 pre-paid mobile numbers under 1 name (activation limit). However, you can still buy SIM packs from supermarkets or convenient stores, not sure if activation requires ID, it may depend on provider. NZ is obviously loose due to large number of tourists, I reckon. So easy to get SIM cards, I've got 2 (spark and 2 degrees). US also requires ID to get SIM last time I was in bay area (2016).

paranoidrobot 7y ago
> not sure if activation requires ID Pretty sure they all do. I've used prepaid on all the major carriers and bigger MVNOs and I needed to give some form of ID to the signup process.

codedokode 7y ago

In Russia one cannot (in theory; actually it's possible sometimes). In Japan an ID is required as far as I know.

inferiorhuman 7y ago
In Japan ID is required for voice service, but I think not for data only.
- ubercow13 7y ago
  You can't sign up for Signal with a data only SIM
  - PTcartelsLOL 7y ago
    Yes, you can. Data only SIM cards can receive SMS's. At least in Portugal they do.
    - ubercow13 7y ago
      Oh, interesting. I don’t think they can in Japan
- hiq 7y ago
  I can confirm that you don't need an ID for data only in Japan.

ddeck 7y ago

The same is true in Hong Kong, no ID required. You can even purchase cards without ID that also work in Mainland China and aren't subject to the great firewall.