What Happens If You Don't Register Your SIM?

As of writing, nearly 2 million subscribers of Globe, DITO, and Smart have completed their SIM registration, despite encountering technical issues with some registration portals. 

Globe has logged over 1.5 million SIM registrations as of 4 p.m. Wednesday, hours after the platform went back online after encountering technical problems with the Globe’s registration portal. 

 As of 4 p.m. of December 28, 2022, a total of 1,528,735 Globe and TM SIM users have completed their registration. “Our SIM registration platform is back up and running, and we’re happy to report that our customers are logging in to register. We shall continue to closely monitor the site’s performance using the 72-hour window from December 27 to check the stability and full optimization of the system,” said Yoly Crisanto, Globe Group Chief Sustainability and Corporate Communications Officer. 

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Meanwhile, Smart reported 388,522 successful registrations as of December 28. “Our postpaid subscribers were able to receive their registration confirmation within 2 minutes. Some of our prepaid subscribers, meanwhile, may have experienced initial difficulties in accessing our portal and in completing the registration process due to the heavy volume of registration traffic throughout the day,” said Atty. Kenneth Regañon, Smart regulatory affairs senior manager, told the National Telecommunications Commission. According to the report submitted by Smart to NTC, there were 244,840 Smart Prepaid, Smart Bro, and TNT users who completed the SIM registration as of December 28. It also logged 143,682 Smart Postpaid subscribers who registered. To access Smart’s SIM registration portal, follow this link. 

Finally, DITO, the country’s third player in the telco industry, logged 497,783 successful registrations as of December 28. DITO Subscribers may access the registration portal here. DITO is offering 2-gigabyte bonus data to subscribers who successfully register their SIM cards.

Deadline for SIM Registration

All SIM users in the Philippines, including businesses, companies, and foreigners, have until 28 April 2023 or 180 days from the effectivity of Republic Act No. 11934 or “Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) Registration Act”  to register their SIM cards. That law was signed by President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. in October. This deadline for registration may have 120 days extension. 

What happens if you don’t register your SIM?

If you fail to register your SIM, it will automatically be deactivated when the deadline passes. This means you will not be able to use features connected with your phone number, such as your GCash, and other services from apps that require two-step verification using your number. If you have linked your number with crucial accounts such as your Google account, you may have trouble accessing features linked to that account that require your number. 

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Punishments

If your SIM is deactivated because you fail to register, it can only be reactivated after registration not more than five days after its automatic deactivation. There is no fine for failing to register a SIM, but those who register under fictitious information, use falsified documents or use fraudulent identification face a fine of up to P300,000, imprisonment of up to two years, or both.

You may not sell or transfer your SIM registration unless this is compliant with the law. Anyone caught illegally transferring SIM registration faces up to six years of imprisonment and a fine of up to P300,000.