Indian SIM Card for Foreigners: What You Need to Know

India is one of the best places to explore so many incredible tourist spots and that too at great pricing. Surely the blanket of lush greenery and the hustle and bustle of the city with rich tradition and culture being followed, India sets a perfect example of unity in diversity in all ways.

But being new to this place you might have to switch off your phone all the time if you don’t have the sim card of the country to stay connected with your loved ones at home.

But you surely can get the best card in India on a temporary basis and if you are wondering which could be the best Indian sim card for tourists then you will find all your answers here.

How to get a SIM card in India if you are a foreign national?

If you are a foreign national traveling to India, you may want to get a SIM card so that you can stay connected while you are in the country. Getting a SIM card is relatively easy and can be done at most major airports in India. To get a SIM card, you will need to show your passport and fill out a form. Once you have the SIM card, you will be able to activate it by putting it on your phone and following the instructions on the screen.

Using Sim Cards in India

By far, India is the cheapest country that has been some but challenging at times too. Consider the market of sim cards, the price is cheap and you may get into the wrong one if not chosen wisely. There are nearly 4 to 5 service providers in India that are popular. They offer 4G/LTE but considering the range, you might wonder which one could be the right choice since not the very network will have good coverage across the country.

However, Airtel Jio VI and BSNL are quite trending and surely if being a tourist you want to always stay connected then you may want to go with either of these options. Otherwise, some of the best-mentioned Network operators are given below

Which types of Indian SIM cards are available for foreign citizens and what documents are required?

Prepaid SIM Card:

This is the best option for foreigners if you are coming to India for a month. You simply have to pay the amount for the service. Such type of card in India is available for the foreigners as we well to use. The service like texting, data, and calls can all be availed The plan as compared to postpaid options are quite cheap too.

-Photocopy of your Visa
-Passport and its photocopy
-One Passport-sized photograph.

Postpaid SIM Card:

It is said to have a billing service. This means, that after every use of it is the calling, data usage, or texting, the bill of the usage will be sent to your location. There are many plans of postpaid which come in cost-friendly options and are unique too. The billing cycle is given to you at the end of the month and you need to pay it before the next billing cycle begins. However, this type of plan is only available for Indian residents and not foreign residents.

Above the same document is needed if you required a postpaid connection. You will also need the address and ID information of a local reference if you want a postpaid connection.

You will need to provide contact information for an Indian citizen and proof of residence, such as a rental contract or electric bill.

If you are getting a postpaid plan, your telecom company might visit your home within 7 days of issuing the SIM card. If you are an Overseas Citizen of India, they will require a copy of your OCI card.

5 Best SIM Card Service Providers in India

Most Indians prefer using prepaid sim cards and being tourists you have no other option but to choose the prepaid option only. If you are looking to opt for reliable sim services then listed are some that you may want to know:

Airtel

It is one of the largest mobile network providers in India today. More than 300 million subscribers are Airtel supporters. We can say almost 1 out of every 3 citizens in India might be using a Sim card of Airtel Network.

There are some mind-blowing options such as in Rs. 299 you can have unlimited calls and their validity is for one month. You also get 100 SMS each day free and the use of 1.5 GB of data each day is available. In case you want to extend the service, you can do it by additionally paying Rs. 499 and then enjoy the service for the next 84 days. For the latest plan detail visit their website: https://www.airtel.in/

There are some other regret features as well that Airtel offers such as Airtel Money which is a saving bank account connected to your Airtel number for online payment of the bill and internet broadband usage. It is surely a fast connection with a good coverage option.

Airtel is one of the largest telecom companies in India. It has been operating at competitive prices. In case of any issue, the customer service is efficient and quick too. However, there are extremer limited options when it comes to choosing the prepaid recharge.

VI (Vodafone & Idea)

VI (Vodafone & Idea) Cellular Company is one of the largest telecommunications companies in India. It is a joint venture between Vodafone and Idea. The company offers mobile voice and data services, fixed lines, broadband, and TV. It has over 300 million customers. The company has a wide network coverage and offers affordable tariffs. for the latest VI plan visit their website: https://www.myvi.in/

Vodafone

This is another fastest network providing an option that you may want to shortlist. It is said to be quite a in demand and has got good network coverage too. There are different prepaid recharge options at great pricing to enjoy if you become a Vodafone member. Earlier it was Hutch but a few years back it has been completely Vodafone itself. The after-sales service and customer support of the company are brilliant. This is a British multinational company and has been sorting in many countries all across the globe. With more than 2000 subscribers being a member of Vodafone in India surely being a tourist for this service will not be a disappointment to you at all. There are numerous packs that you can avail of. You may want to choose the 4GB or even the 6GB pack which is quite trending. If you are in India for a few days then probably the pack of 150MB can be sufficient for you. There are some super night packs as well.

Vodafone is the most trusted company you can choose to opt for. Besides, they have an easy using website to make the choice for the plans and get quick results too. With good speed and connectivity, using Vodafone will not be a complex thing for you at all. But yes, you might have to pay a little more over other network providers besides there are not many large plans too.

Idea Cellular

Currently, it is Vodafone and an idea that is planning to soon emerge itself. It may later turn out to be one of the largest network providers in the company then. It, however, is said that the idea of cellular will still be the network having its coverage platform. The revenue of the company over the past few years has declined considerably. It was quite popular earlier but right after the competition became tough, for the Idea of even stand become quite challenging. More than 200 million users still use this option for available 2G, 3G, and 4G mobile internet.

The network of Ideas works best in both rural and urban areas with good internet support too. But the signals don’t have widespread coverage.

Jio

In India, Jio started with a bang and so many people started choosing this option. Even to date, it is said that Jio is the popular brand that has been providing the best network to the country and at an extremely cheap price. The company has got its industrial sector called reliance which is undoubtedly the most profitable one in India. Jio offers 2G and 3G options in terms of data and is said to have the Long-Term Evolution (LTE) network too. This type of wireless communication has great speed and the website is simple enough to make the search pretty simple too.

There are all the latest offers and plans to use around the site and get instantly applied. You may want to go for a 4G data option as of all it is the benefits and fastest one in India. You don’t have to pay any amount for voice calling as it is free and there are many things associated with 4G to enjoy. However, the only problem is the quality of the voice call is not efficient.

Visit Website: https://www.jio.com/

BSNL

This is a popular government-owned mobile network provider that you may want to choose. It is said to be the most popular and privately owned option. These oldest network providers and communication services in India have got more than 200 million subscribers. Even though their venue for such service has declined over the past few years, there is no denying that those who have been using are quite satisfied with the service. Being tourists you might be traveling to rural areas and which is why having a BSNL connection can be the best option for you.

It has the largest broadband option and is said to be the fifth-largest mobile network provider. Although the website is not that upgraded yes there are 2G and 3G services for the people whose speed is efficient too. As compared to all the above-mentioned options, it’s very affordable and prices for 3 and 2G are the same. But again speed can be the problem and the customer care support is not strong too. No doubt that in a village area, it would just work the best but yes, this is also the fact that you may have to deal with the validity terms and coverage which may not be always promising.

Visit Website: https://www.bsnl.co.in/

Which Indian SIM Card Is The Best Choice For You?

There are many factors to consider when choosing an Indian SIM card. The three main carriers in India are Airtel, VI, and Jio. Airtel has the largest network coverage, but Jio has the fastest data speeds. Vodafone is the middle ground between the two, with good coverage and speeds. All three carriers offer different prepaid and postpaid plans. Prepaid plans are generally more flexible, but postpaid plans often have better value.

Surely, when you next time plans to choose, you will not run out of options in terms of choosing the right network for the sim card. But again, you must compare the networks wisely and as per your usage and requirement, you must make the choice. Calling Jio is fine; for the network in rural areas, VI and BSNL are the best. You can also consider the option of Airtel and VI for regular internet usage. Choose the right one and thus you can value the time and money of your trip.