So… (as of 2018) the 2 providers who offered SIMs to foreigners were Airtel and Vodaphone. Check their coverage in your area before picking one as some states have better cover by one than the other. I was living in Tamil Nadu and chose Vodaphone (mainly due to being within walking distance of the Vodaphone shop, although I had the lucky benefit of still having amazing signal when visiting Uttarakhand on holidays).

SIM cards for foreigners can only be active for 90 days, so be prepared to have to get a new SIM and new number if staying for longer.

My process:

1) I had a place to stay (this is important as you will be asked for address, etc)
2) I went to the local printing shop and queued for 2 mins to have some photos taken (cheapest package cost about $2 for 20 photos, a CD, and a few photos with a randomly photoshopped castle background…)
3) I went to the Vodaphone shop, filled out some forms, waited 10 mins, then the assistant came back, inserted a SIM card, set everything up (involving some phoning/texting from my phone to Vodaphone) and then handed the phone to me, fully working and authorised

The SIM card deal required paying up front approximately $10 for 3 months of calls and an allowance of 1GB of data per day. It is worth noting that the calls were only free while in the state where I bought the SIM and that I would have had to top up/add a package for a different state if I wished to make calls. However, the data allowance was avalable in all states.

It was actually really easy! And really useful as things are changing constantly so being able to look at Google reviews for a shop and find where it had moved, etc was really helpful. Lots of Indian apps were also amazing (e.g. Ola for cabs and various local apps for reviews of restaurants, etc).

You can get a SIM card for your iPhone if it has a slot for a sim. Until recently not many had slots as in the US their weren’t SIMs the # was with Verizon or whoever – my iPhone 4 and my parents 5 from Verizon have no slots for SIM. I think now it’s changing at Verizon and there is a SIM card. As long as you have one and it’s unlocked then it’s fine.

Hey Jodie – sorry you are confused! So, if your iphone is unlocked then that is the best way to travel in India (unlocked phone, get a SIM here). Some people find getting a SIM too difficult as they get cut off sometimes and there are scams so if that is the case then you might like Trabug. Trabug is best though for people who do not have an unlocked phone and are going to have to buy one anyway – then in that case just buy a trabug as it’s cheaper and then you don’t have to go through SIM card process. I hope that makes sense. If you can unlock your iphone 7, def take it – they are expensive so to sell it I imagine you’ll lose a lot of money

Is my iphone 7 plan to stressful an option? I am a first time solo traveler with no contacts in India
Can use an i-phone with an Indian sim?
Or would it be better to sell my iphone and get a trabug?
Thank you

As an Indian, I would suggest anyone to “not” use recycled sims. This is because a number of sim cards (used by drug dealers, thieves from stolen phones, pimps, illegal traders, terror sponsors/helpers, etc) are circulated in the grey market. As long as they are not reactivated by using, its ok. But once it is inserted into a phone and switched on, it might get guys into serious trouble for no reason. Buy one on your name or friend’s if you couldn’t get in on your name. Stay safe..

First open ur phone and Check if it has Sim card slot… if it does then u shld be good..In india Airtel usually has the largest coverage so thats best to go for..As far as speeds are concerned it will be decent you get good 3g/4g speeds in the citiies but in the interiors its bit difficult to get the best coverage hence affects the net speed.

I have heard of this but haven’t done it. I would imagine the prices would be a lot higher than the prices of local sim.

I have just come across this post and your blog- really interesting as heading to India for a couple of months in a few weeks! I just wondered, I have come across a couple of companies where you can order a prepaid sim before hand- have you heard of this? Or is it better to wait and just buy when you land in the country?

Thanks :)

This was written four years ago when most people in the US didn’t know what SIM cards are. In fact even now when I got one while in the US none of my friends with Verizon iphones knew what one was. SMH :)

you don’t have to change cards but you will be roaming outside the state you bought it in- it’s not that much more expensive

I would wait to get the SIM in Goa anywhere if you’re moving here because you want a local #. My SIM was purchased over 3 years ago so things may have changed – I really don’t know :( sorry! you get the SIM handed to you right away though it just takes time to get it legally set up