Fortunately, this is not common, but in some countries vendors may surprise us when they ask us to leave our fingerprints on the scanner. This kind of request is bound to cause anxiety among tourists. That's why we encourage you to think of another alternative when going, at least to Pakistan, that will allow you to access the Internet at all times.

 

 

 

Compared to the first point, the SIM card registration requirement can be found in a great many countries outside the European Union. Registration involves showing proof of identity (passport). Unfortunately, in many places vendors require you to leave with them a copy of your passport and visa, take a photo on the spot/provide a photo in the format as for a passport, and confirm your address of residence in the country. Certainly not everyone will be happy about such difficulties.
Wanting to buy a local SIM card abroad, take into account the need for registration. Such an obligation applies to a growing number of countries: Africa (e.g., Algeria, Kenya, Madagascar, Zambia); Asia (e.g., Bangladesh, Indonesia, India, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Nepal, Sri Lanka); Caribbean Islands (e.g., Dominican Republic); South America (e.g., Argentina, Bolivia, Guatemala, Costa Rica); Middle East (e.g., Bahrain, Saudi Arabia).

In many countries, you may encounter vendors who will purposely try to mislead you and offer a higher price. Wanting to buy a SIM card abroad, it is advisable to look for information about the average price beforehand, as well as whether it is better to buy a card at the airport, in an official store or somewhere else. Despite appearances, it is not so obvious. For example, in Egypt, the safest option is the airport, because in the city, in small stores, they cheat. Meanwhile, in Ghana at the airport prices are several times more expensive than in the city.
In many countries it is mandatory to register a SIM card, but vendors do not observe this, so you have to be careful. In Indonesia, for example, you can buy a SIM card without even knowing that it is not registered.
Sellers may also try to persuade you to cheat. This is especially worth watching out for in Ecuador, where by law only an Ecuadorian citizen can buy a local SIM card. Sellers often circumvent this law and sell cards registered to other people - this is illegal.

Fraud leads to the fact that one can buy an unregistered card without even knowing it. Such a card can be deactivated at any time - without any specific reason or prior information about the planned deactivation. This is certainly risky - especially for people who depend on constant Internet access.

Buying a SIM card abroad will certainly be quite a challenge for anyone who can't handle foreign languages. This includes even English. Unfortunately, nowadays, even people who are able to communicate in English may have trouble talking in more exotic countries. For example, in Madagascar they actually use only French. In Kazakhstan, too, it is difficult to find English speakers. In this respect, almost all of Africa and Asia can present some communication challenges.
Even if one manages to buy a SIM card, registering them can be a problem in some countries. In Mongolia, for example, one operator does not have a website or support phone in English - only in Mongolian. Meanwhile, in Morocco, the card can only be activated by calling 888 (French or Arabic only).
Also worth mentioning is the cultural barrier. In Peru, for example, you may encounter a situation where you ask to buy a SIM card and the vendor responds that he can't sell it to you because he won't know that legally he can do so after the buyer shows his passport.

If you're only going abroad for a few days, you may find that buying a SIM card is simply not cost-effective and very inconvenient. Records are being broken in India, where after filling out the registration form, you have to wait for the card to be activated. In larger cities this can take about 3 hours, meanwhile in smaller cities it can take several to several days! In Ecuador, you have to wait several days for the card. In Costa Rica, after registration (in French only), the SIM card is activated after a few hours. Meanwhile, in Peru, the paperwork alone can take up to 30 minutes.
This can discourage people. Who would like to spend as much time as possible on sightseeing and enjoying the trip :)

In some countries, a SIM card can be used only after registering one's phone. Such an obligation has been introduced in Kazakhstan.
Also in Pakistan, it is necessary to register a device that supports a local SIM card. However, here it is not necessary if the trip does not last more than 15 days. After that time, the phone will be deactivated. The same is true in Colombia - only here you need to register your phone after 30 days.

If you do not want to be exposed to the difficulties described in this article, it is worth considering an alternative. That's why we suggest renting an XOXO WiFi router for the duration of your trip. It's a small, mobile device that allows you to access the Internet in more than 140 countries around the world. Most importantly - you will get the Internet in Poland, even before you leave. Once you land at the airport, you don't have to worry about anything. You don't have to look for a SIM card store or worry about all the paperwork and language blocking issues. Moreover, XOXO WiFi is fully secure and very easy to use :)