So we are off to India for the first time on holiday.
Anyone recommend taking a sim card from here or buy one there?
Need data too
Sim Card for India
grabngo on 13/07/2015 - 15:27
Comments
Also, if OP wants/needs data then definitely get a sim there. Data costs are reasonable if I remember correctly from a few years ago. (Less than $5aud for a GB).
Buy an airtel/vodafone sim card in india.
or if you have the $5 roaming on vodafone like these that'll do too.edit: india is not on the list of countries with $5 roaming.From memory, Indian airports have sim card shops located near the baggage counters, or you can ask their airport staff, they were very helpful and courteous last time I had been there.
Yes take a passport copy and photos as rxjb mentioned.
If you are on short stay may not be worth it and it may take upto 24 hours to activate your sim.
Option 1 #
To get a local sim card you need to provide photo copy your details to vender (who sell you a sim card)
- 2x Indian passport size photo (different size than Australian passport photo)
- Fill out application form
- Copy of your passport and valid visa
- Copy of document showing your permanent address (Drivers License)
- Proof of your address in India (Hotel booking detail or relative's address)Most cost from vodafone.in (Mumbai):
- All incoming calls are free
- All national calls are about 1.0 INR/min
- Internatioal Calls 12.0 INR to Australia (https://shop.vodafone.in/shop/prepaid/prepaid-talkPlan-isd-t…)
- SMS are about 1.0 INR
- Internet recharges : 1GB (2G) 199INR, 2GB (2G) 295INR, 1.5GB (3G) 397INR, unlimited 3G (28 days) 697INRApplication form look like (for Mumbai/Bombay) : http://www.vodafone.in/documents/pdfs/enrollement/enrollment…
Option 2#
- Get international travel card from Australia Post, Woolworth or GlobalSim reduce all paperwork after long flight.
Hope it helps.
it does not cost much if u buy from india its cheaper to buy from local. and in india roaming charges are also applied if you travel to different states.
SIM cards are much much cheaper in India.
However, almost every state has different telcos. Even Vodafone is "Vodafone Rajasthan" and "Vodafone Utter Pradesh" and so on. Recharging from a state that you didn't buy the card in can be difficult.Also, the big companies do ask for all that annoying paperwork (Airtel seem to be the worst). But in most places, if you see a guy on the street selling sim cards, chances are he won't care about your paperwork. Just do what the locals do, it will make your life easier.
If you have an iPhone 5 or newer, or any phone that uses a nano-sim, make sure to take your own cutter, as no-one seems to have these.
Is there any mobile carrier that can be used throughout india with having to change etc?
I believe that Airtel and Vodafone are national, and you can recharge inter-state. But I found it difficult to find someone to recharge a service that was from another area.
Also, depends on the length of your trip, and where you're going.
All sim cards for foreigners only last 3 months.
depends - do you want people from australia to call you?
If yes:
- get a global sim which allows you to attach a local AU mobile number. Some providers have free incoming calls in india. others charge a nominal amount to receive calls on the AU number.
If no:
- go with a local provider like airtel. 2g plans from memory were much cheaper than 3g. When i was there 3 years ago, 2g speeds were quite usable. I was able to have a voip call over 2g!
EDIT: Remember to take a photocopy of your passport and a spare 2 passport pictures as they are required when applying for a mobile service there.