Where are eSIMs blocked or restricted?

Are eSIMs blocked in Turkey?

Some eSIM sellers report website and app access restrictions in Turkey. UnlistedSIM access and activation from inside Turkey have not been tested. A historical BTK permanent-data-roaming rule and separate device rules must not be reduced to a single guaranteed duration. The Turkey evidence guide gives the source dates and current unknowns.

Can you install a foreign eSIM in mainland China?

No, according to Apple: "eSIMs from non-China mainland carriers can't be installed while located in China mainland" (article 123879, published 9 September 2026). Apple wrote this in a page about iPhones bought in China; the safe reading is to install any travel eSIM before you enter mainland China.

Phones bought in mainland China are a second trap. Apple lists eSIM support only on the iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, iPhone Duo, iPhone 17e and iPhone Air sold there; other iPhones sold in mainland China use two nano-SIM cards and have no eSIM.

Whether Google and WhatsApp work depends on how the eSIM routes traffic, not on the eSIM itself. We have not verified whether foreign eSIM sellers' websites, ours included, load from mainland China. Full detail: eSIM in China: do Google and WhatsApp work?

Are WhatsApp and FaceTime calls blocked in the UAE?

Yes, on UAE networks. VoIP calls through WhatsApp, FaceTime and similar apps are blocked on the local networks, according to eSIM sellers Jetpac and KnowRoaming; mobile data itself works. Sellers disagree on whether a foreign eSIM in roaming brings these calls back, so we do not promise it. A local SIM in the UAE needs a passport and visa (or an Emirates ID), and one source reports a limit of 2 SIMs per operator for visitors.

If calls matter, plan for regular calls on your home line, or for the call apps that are allowed locally.

Which countries limit foreign phones by IMEI, and does roaming count?

Device registration, subscriber identification and phone fees have distinct scopes. The current country registry gives the narrower primary evidence and marks foreign-roaming requirements Unknown when they have not been established.

Which countries limit local SIM cards for visitors?

Several countries tightened their rules for local SIM cards in 2025 and 2026. These rules target lines sold in the country; for travel eSIMs in roaming, we found no text that applies them, and no text that excludes them either.

• Thailand: registration in person with a passport, at most 3 SIMs per operator for foreigners, and activation within 60 days, since 16 May 2026 (Tilleke & Gibbins). A live face check for new lines has applied since 18 August 2025, according to the press.
• South Korea: since 6 July 2026, new lines and operator changes need face recognition, the government mobile ID app, or a certificate issued the same day (The Korea Times). The principle is one person, one line.
• Vietnam: identities are checked against the national population database (Decree 163/2024), and a face re-check is required at each change of device from 15 April 2026; another source gives 15 June.
• Philippines: the SIM Registration Act (RA 11934, 2022) covers eSIMs explicitly. A tourist SIM is valid for 30 days and can be extended only with a visa extension.
• United Arab Emirates: passport and visa; 2 SIMs per operator for visitors, according to a single source.

Country by country, with the roaming status: Travel eSIM ID Registry.

Which rules are changing?

The country registry records the evidence and its dates. Japan’s data-SIM amendment raises questions of commencement and profile scope. Mexico’s line-registration programme distinguishes local service and visitors; an exemption for an UnlistedSIM profile has not been verified. FCC 26-27 is a proposal and does not prove either an adopted US identification obligation or its absence. Vietnam’s older source summaries give different dates for device-change checks. These are questions to verify, not a determination of legal eligibility.

What does this mean if you buy from UnlistedSIM?

Check purchase, installation and network conditions before departure. We have not tested website access or current activation from Turkey or mainland China. No ID document or mandatory email is asked at our checkout, but this does not establish eligibility under local requirements.

The Turkey guide distinguishes historical permanent-roaming rules from device-registration rules. The country registry marks unknowns explicitly. Do not infer an exemption from a local SIM source, or a need to pay a phone fee solely from this tracker.

How is this tracker built?

Each row comes from a regulator, a manufacturer, a law firm or the press, read on or before 9 October 2026. When a source is a search snippet, a secondary source or an eSIM seller, we say so in the source list. When sources disagree, we show both and give no verdict. When we found nothing, we write "No rule found". We do not fill gaps.

This is not legal advice, and local laws apply. We sell eSIMs: we have an interest in the subject, so every fact here carries its source for you to check.

Reuse: the table is published under CC BY 4.0. Cite it as "eSIM Country Restrictions Tracker, UnlistedSIM, 9 October 2026" with a link to this page. Corrections with a source: [email protected].

Changelog: 9 October 2026, first version, 15 countries.