{
  "id": "communication/sim-registration-foreigners-passport-based",
  "signature": "AI tells a tourist that Indonesia's 2026 mandatory biometric face-scan SIM registration rule also requires foreign visitors to submit a facial scan when buying a prepaid SIM",
  "signature_zh": "",
  "regex": "(indonesia.*sim.*(biometric|face scan|facial recognition)|registrasi sim.*biometrik|foreigner.*sim card.*indonesia)",
  "domain": "communication",
  "category": "administrative_barrier",
  "subcategory": null,
  "root_cause": "Peraturan Menteri Komunikasi dan Digital (Permenkomdigi) No. 7/2026, in force since 1 July 2026, requires new prepaid SIM registrations by Indonesian citizens to use facial-recognition biometric verification matched against Dukcapil civil-registry records tied to their NIK (national ID number). Foreigners have no NIK/Dukcapil record, so this biometric mandate does not apply to them: they still register with a passport, KITAS, or KITAP at an operator outlet, with no face scan required. The pre-existing cap of a maximum of three prepaid numbers per identity per operator (Pasal 14 ayat 1) is unchanged.",
  "root_cause_type": "generic",
  "root_cause_zh": "",
  "versions": [
    {
      "version": "any",
      "introduced": null,
      "deprecated": null,
      "removed": null,
      "behavior_change": null,
      "status": "active"
    }
  ],
  "os_specific": {},
  "dead_ends": [
    {
      "action": "Tell a foreign tourist that news of Indonesia's July 2026 mandatory biometric SIM rule means they must also complete a facial scan to activate a prepaid SIM",
      "why_fails": "Permenkomdigi 7/2026's biometric requirement replaces NIK-only verification for Indonesian citizens; foreign nationals register differently and 'use alternative documentation without the biometric requirement' - a passport, KITAP, or KITAS instead.",
      "fail_rate": 0.6,
      "condition": "Reading news about the July 2026 biometric SIM mandate without realizing it targets citizens' NIK/Dukcapil records",
      "sources": [
        "https://justisio.com/blog/permenkomdigi-7-2026"
      ]
    },
    {
      "action": "Assume the new 2026 regulation changed or removed the old 3-SIM-per-operator cap for foreigners",
      "why_fails": "Permenkomdigi 7/2026 Pasal 14 ayat 1 keeps the limit: 'penyelenggara dilarang melakukan registrasi lebih dari tiga nomor prabayar untuk setiap identitas pelanggan pada satu operator' (operators may not register more than three prepaid numbers per customer identity per operator), carried over unchanged from the prior rule.",
      "fail_rate": 0.4,
      "condition": "Foreigner trying to register a 4th prepaid SIM on one operator with the same passport",
      "sources": [
        "https://justisio.com/blog/permenkomdigi-7-2026"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "workarounds": [
    {
      "action": "Register a prepaid SIM in person at an official operator outlet or airport kiosk using a passport (or KITAS/KITAP for residents) - no facial scan or NIK is required",
      "success_rate": 0.9,
      "how": "",
      "condition": "Foreign tourist or resident registering a first, second, or third prepaid SIM per operator",
      "sources": [
        "https://justisio.com/blog/permenkomdigi-7-2026"
      ]
    },
    {
      "action": "If an Indonesian citizen's own existing SIM stops working after the 1 July 2026 transition deadline, know it's the separate citizen-only biometric re-registration requirement, not a foreigner-document issue",
      "success_rate": 0.7,
      "how": "",
      "condition": "Existing citizen prepaid SIM flagged for re-registration",
      "sources": [
        "https://nasional.kompas.com/read/2026/06/30/20095131/registrasi-sim-biometrik-berlaku-besok-menkomdigi-harap-dapat-tekan-akun",
        "https://www.antaranews.com/berita/5634383/kemkomdigi-tegaskan-registrasi-sim-wajib-pakai-verifikasi-biometrik"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "workarounds_zh": [],
  "transition_graph": {
    "leads_to": [],
    "preceded_by": [],
    "frequently_confused_with": []
  },
  "official_doc_url": null,
  "official_doc_section": null,
  "error_code": null,
  "verification_tier": "ai_generated",
  "confidence": 0.65,
  "fix_success_rate": 0.75,
  "resolvable": "true",
  "first_seen": "2026-09-13",
  "last_confirmed": "2026-09-13",
  "last_updated": "2026-09-13",
  "evidence_count": 3,
  "tags": [],
  "locale": "en",
  "aliases": [
    "communication/sim-registration-foreigners-passport-based/id"
  ]
}