Before you start

Your passport — identification is a condition of the subscription now
An unlocked handset; dual-SIM is standard practice here
A Kisangani address for the registration form

Step-by-step

1
Buy from an operator shop, on your own passport
Identification is mandatory and systematic, so a SIM registered against your own passport at an agency is the only version that will keep working. A pre-registered SIM from a street table is registered to somebody else — which is what the reform exists to stop, and not something you want your mobile money attached to.
In personWho: YouUnder an hour at an agencySmall fixed cost; bundles are the real spend
2
Carry two networks, and check both before you travel
Coverage in Kisangani is reasonable; coverage in Tshopo outside it is patchy to absent. Which operator reaches which axis is local knowledge that changes, so ask before a field trip rather than assuming. Two SIMs from different operators is the minimum standard here.
In personWho: YouSame visitA second SIM and a standing bundle
3
Plan satellite communication for anything outside the city
Any journey into the province needs a communication plan that does not depend on a mobile network, because for long stretches there is none. Organisations working here treat satellite messengers or phones as standard field equipment, and an individual travelling independently should think the same way.
In personWho: You and your organisationBefore any field travelDevice plus airtime; far cheaper than the alternative
4
Set up mobile money and treat it as a bank account
M-Pesa, Airtel Money, Orange Money and Afrimoney handle salaries, rent, market payments and bills, and agent networks reach further into this province than bank branches do. The BCC's prohibition on foreign-currency cash from 9 April 2027 names mobile money as one of the replacement channels, so registering the wallet properly in your own verified name now pays off later.
Mobile appWho: YouMinutes at an agentFree to open; per-transaction fees
5
Sort home connectivity before you sign a lease
Data is expensive relative to the region and mobile bundles will not carry a household that works online. Ask what fixed or fixed-wireless service reaches the building before committing, and budget realistically — for a remote-working household in Kisangani, connectivity is a serious monthly line rather than an afterthought.
In personWho: YouDays to weeksCommonly around USD 10–100 a month depending on the package

Documents you’ll need

Passport, and your visa once you have one
A Kisangani address for the registration form
Your registration receipt — keep it

Things most newcomers don’t know

Coverage is a city fact, not a province fact.

Kisangani is served and Tshopo beyond it very often is not. The planning consequence is that a mobile phone is not a safety device outside the city, and treating it as one is the mistake that gets people into difficulty on a road that was already a bad idea.

Source: Local operator coverage; standard field practice

The RAM levy is dead and has been since 1 March 2022.

The Registre des Appareils Mobiles was a per-device charge taken from airtime, abolished by the Council of Ministers after both chambers of parliament demanded it. Any guide still warning about mysterious airtime deductions is describing a tax that no longer exists — a fast way to date a DRC guide.

Source: Conseil des ministres, February 2022; abolition 1 March 2022

SIM anonymity ended by security decision, not consumer reform.

The requirement came out of an urgent meeting between the security services, the PTNTIC ministry and ARPTC, with the stated aim of ending anonymity in electronic communications. The check is not a formality, and a line in someone else's name is a liability rather than a shortcut.

Source: Government SIM-identification measures, implemented by ARPTC

Mobile money is the financial infrastructure here, not a convenience.

Agent networks are denser than branch networks across provincial DRC, and the central bank's replacement for cash settlement in April 2027 names mobile money explicitly. In a city at the end of the river, the wallet is what actually works.

Source: BCC de-dollarisation package, April 2026