European Communcations Office

ECC Work Programme Database

   
Work Item details
Reference NaN2_06
Short Name SIM card registration and KYC
ETSI Workitem
ETSI Deliverable
Subject ECC Report on prepaid SIM-card registration and related KYC requirements.
Related WI
Scope The work item will examine the regulatory approaches applied in European countries to prepaid SIM-card registration and related Know Your Customer (KYC) requirements, with particular attention to the growing risk of fraud, misuse of anonymously or weakly registered SIM cards, and the resulting challenges for numbering related fraud case investigation. The work will map the current situation across Europe, recognising that not all countries have mandatory prepaid SIM-card registration and that, in many cases, KYC obligations for prepaid SIM cards in the electronic communications sector are relatively recent, still evolving, or implemented with differing levels of strictness.

The work item will compare national frameworks, implementation models and verification practices, including the extent to which identity checks are required at the point of sale or activation, whether remote or digital onboarding is permitted, and how regulatory obligations are supported by operators' operational procedures. It will also identify common gaps, practical enforcement issues and emerging good practices that may help CEPT administrations assess whether existing national measures are sufficient to address fraud risks linked to prepaid SIM use.  

The objective is not to harmonise national laws, but to provide a structured overview of the current European landscape and a basis for informed policy discussion on proportionate, effective and enforceable prepaid SIM-card registration and related KYC approaches.

Deliverable ECC Report
Responsible group WG NaN - NaN2
Start date 09-06-2026
Target date 07-11-2028
Public Consultation 06-06-2028
Permanent Work Item False
Comments Work item approved at WG NaN #32  (9-11 June 2026).
Keywords
Worked by
Contact
Status In Progress
Triggered By Latvia, Ireland, Germany, Luxembourg, Portugal, Netherlands
Progress Report