There are eight days until the mandatory cell phone registration deadline expires. Thousands of users are looking for how to maintain the service without handing over their personal data. One of the most talked about options is to use a SIM card from another country. But the authorities were already clear: it does not work.
Why doesn’t a foreign SIM work?
The Telecommunications Regulatory Commission (CRT) warns that contracting a line abroad does not exempt from compliance with Mexican provisions. In addition, international operators often suspend or cancel lines that remain outside their country of origin for a long time. That means that even if your phone is unlocked, service could be interrupted. Added to this are higher costs and the lack of legal protection as a consumer in Mexico.
Exceptions to registration and how to do it
The obligation does not apply to everyone. Lines with devices without calls or SMS – such as tablets with data only – and government, emergency and citizen service lines are exempt. Minors must be registered by their guardian. Those who were already registered when contracting their line do not need to repeat the procedure.
For those who must register, the process can be done in branches or through digital platforms. Valid official identification (voter ID, passport) and CURP are required. In the case of companies, also the RFC. Most operators ask for biometric verification with the phone’s camera.
The deadline expires on June 30, 2026. Those who do not complete the registration will lose calls, messages and mobile data. Applications such as WhatsApp and banking services linked to the number will be unusable. Only emergency calls will be retained. To recover full service, the situation will have to be regularized.
