YANGCHEN LHAMO
Thimphu
In a significant development for Bhutanese travelers, the government of India has amended its Know Your Customer (KYC) instructions, allowing Bhutanese nationals to obtain SIM cards in India.
This change addresses a long-standing issue faced by Bhutanese citizens, who had previously struggled to secure SIM cards due to insufficient identification documentation. Bhutanese travelers have found it inconvenient to secure Indian SIM cards, hindering their ability to communicate effectively and access various services while in India.
Despite the ease of travel between Bhutan and India, with no visa requirement for Bhutanese citizens, telecom companies in India had previously declined to issue SIM cards to Bhutanese nationals. The primary reason was the inadequacy of Bhutanese Citizenship Identity Cards (CID) and passports as valid identification for the issuance of SIM cards.
This situation created significant limitations for Bhutanese travelers, restricting their ability to order ride-sharing services like Uber, surf the internet, and stay connected with friends and family. The lack of a local SIM card made it difficult for them to navigate daily tasks and access essential services while in India.
In response to these challenges, the Government of India issued a circular in February 2024, amending the KYC instructions for the issuance of SIM cards to Bhutanese citizens. The new policy, implemented by the Department of Telecommunications of India, now permits Bhutanese nationals to use SIM card services by presenting one of several valid identification documents.
The accepted documents now include the Bhutanese Citizenship Certificates, Voter Identification Cards issued by the Election Commission of Bhutan, and limited validity photo-identity certificates issued by the Royal Bhutanese Embassy in India.
To facilitate this change, the government has actively collaborated with Indian authorities. The government provided sample copies of the voter identification card, limited validity photo-identity certificate, and the citizenship certificate to the Indian government.
These samples were shared to help familiarize Indian telecom operators with the new identification documents and ensure smooth implementation of the policy. On 22 May the Royal Bhutanese Embassy in New Delhi submitted the original specimens of the Citizenship Identity Card and limited photo-identity certificate to the Indian Department of Telecommunications. This submission aimed to standardize the identification process and ensure that all Indian telecom operators recognize and accept these documents.
The Election Commission of Bhutan (ECB) ceased issuing voter identification cards as of January 2023. Consequently, the Royal Bhutanese Embassy notified the Ministry of External Affairs in India of this change. Bhutanese nationals traveling to India can now rely on their CID cards or limited-validity photo-identity certificates as valid identification for obtaining SIM cards.
However, the notification further states that if a citizen of Bhutan enters India from a location other than their origin country, they must provide a copy of their passport along with a valid visa stamp.
The notification states that the Government of India has also specified that the validity of mobile connections issued to citizens of Bhutan should not exceed the maximum time permitted for their stay in India or the validity of the visa, whichever is applicable.
Additionally, the validity of such connections will not exceed three months at a time, even if the allowed duration of stay in India or the visa validity extends beyond three months. International roaming is not permitted on these mobile connections.
