Before you start

Passport and valid visa
Proof of Chennai address
Passport photographs
An employer letter or local reference, depending on the operator

Step-by-step

1
Use an official operator store
Airtel, Jio and Vi company stores process foreign nationals routinely. Small kiosks often cannot, or do it incorrectly, which surfaces later as a deactivated number.
In personWho: YouWeek 1
2
Bring the full document set
Passport, visa, FRRO registration, address proof, photographs and an employer letter. Requirements vary by operator; a complete set avoids a second trip.
In personWho: You
3
Expect validity tied to your visa
SIMs issued to foreign nationals carry a limited validity linked to visa duration, extended once documentation is re-verified.
In personWho: You
4
Complete verification promptly
There is usually a verification call or address check after issuance; missing it deactivates the SIM.
In personWho: You
5
Link the number to your bank for UPI
Your Indian number is the key to UPI and bank one-time passwords, and it must be the number registered with your bank.
Mobile appWho: YouWeek 2
6
Keep a power bank charged from October
Cyclone season brings power cuts that can last days in affected areas, and a phone is how you get warnings and reach people. Every household here keeps a charged power bank through the north-east monsoon.
In personWho: YouBefore October

Documents you’ll need

Passport and valid visa
FRRO registration certificate
Proof of Chennai address
Passport photographs
Employer letter or local reference

Things most newcomers don’t know

In cyclone season a charged phone is safety equipment.

The north-east monsoon and Bay of Bengal cyclones bring extended power cuts to affected areas — days rather than hours after a severe storm. Warnings, evacuation information and contact with people all run through the phone. A charged power bank from October is standard practice in Chennai households.

Source: community-reported

Losing the number locks you out of payments, not just calls.

Indian financial life runs on the mobile number: UPI, one-time passwords, bank alerts. A deactivated SIM means you cannot pay for things or access your account.

Source: community-reported

This is among the strictest SIM regimes in this app.

India requires passport, visa, photographs, address proof and often a reference plus verification. Several other countries covered here require nothing at all for prepaid.

Source: Department of Telecommunications

Data is cheap enough to change how you live.

High-allowance plans cost a few hundred rupees a month, which makes tethering and video calling economically trivial.

Source: community-reported