Permanent roaming rules for IoT devices, country by country
Updated
As of 26 October 2026, our survey of 36 countries finds 7 where permanent roaming of foreign IoT SIMs is not allowed (Belgium, Brazil, China, Egypt, India, Nigeria, and Turkey), 2 where it is allowed for a limited time (Qatar, 90 days and Saudi Arabia, 120 days), and 6 where it is allowed with conditions, including the EU/EEA. Elsewhere, access is set by mobile operators' commercial policies, or no reliable source has been found yet. Every row below cites its sources and their dates.
Key takeaways
- Check before you deploy, not after: rules are enforced by IMSI or IMEI detection, sometimes months after devices arrive.
- Laws and operator policies differ. Where we found no law (United States, Canada, Australia, United Kingdom), operators decide through their wholesale roaming agreements.
- Sources disagree often. We cite the regulator’s text where we found it, and say when a row rests only on secondary sources.
- The data is free to reuse: download the table as CSV.
Rules by country
| Country | Rule | Limit | What the sources say | Sources | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Belgium | Not allowed | none stated | A regulatory survey reports that Belgium generally prohibits permanent roaming, with exceptions such as eCall and certain nomadic services authorised by the minister, making it the most restrictive European country. | cullen-international.com 2025-10-14 | low |
| Brazil | Not allowed | none stated | Anatel has held since 2012 that roaming in Brazil may only be temporary, and in August 2026 its Board gave itself 90 days to decide specific permanent-roaming rules for IoT/M2M, so foreign IoT SIMs used permanently remain non-compliant pending that decision. | teletime.com.br, teletime.com.br, teletime.com.br 2017-03-10; 2026-08-06; 2024-10-17 | medium |
| China | Not allowed | none stated | Regulatory analysts and vendors report that permanent roaming for IoT is prohibited in China and that compliant service requires working with a licensed Chinese operator; no MIIT text stating the rule was found. | help.wirelesslogic.com, cullen-international.com, iot-now.com 2026-05-06 (Wireless Logic); 2026-04-09 (Cullen); 2024-11-21 (Transforma/IoT Now) | medium |
| Egypt | Not allowed | none stated | Secondary industry sources describe permanent roaming in Egypt as prohibited or effectively prohibited, but no NTRA document stating the rule was found. | counterpointresearch.com, eseye.com, com4.no 2023-08-23 | low |
| India | Not allowed | none stated | Regulatory analysts report that India prohibits permanent roaming for IoT/M2M; DoT's 2025 M2M eSIM instructions bind providers to government instructions on roaming of foreign M2M SIMs, and TRAI recommended in 2024 converting foreign eSIM profiles to Indian ones within six months. | cullen-international.com, dot.gov.in, khaitanco.com 2026-04-09 (Cullen); 2025-06-26 (DoT); 2024-03-27 (Khaitan, on TRAI 2024-03-21) | medium |
| Nigeria | Not allowed | none stated | Several IoT connectivity vendors list Nigeria among countries that ban permanent roaming, but no NCC regulation or guideline stating this was found. | eseye.com, help.onomondo.com, counterpointresearch.com 2025-07-30 | low |
| Turkey | Not allowed | 90 days | A device on a foreign IMSI (not 286) that uses Turkish networks for more than 90 days cumulatively within 120 consecutive days without voice calls or SMS is defined as permanent roaming, its IMEI is blacklisted and operators must cut its connection within 30 days. | resmigazete.gov.tr, lexpera.com.tr 2021-02-20 (consolidated text last amended 2026-07-02) | high |
| Qatar | Allowed for a limited time | 90 days | The CRA states that permanent inbound roaming will not normally be permitted and that an IoT device with a foreign IMSI is blocked after 90 days of weekly access attempts, for a further 90 days, unless the operator allows it commercially. | cra.gov.qa, cullen-international.com 2025-03-10 (PDF); published May 2025; Cullen 2026-03-24 | medium |
| Saudi Arabia | Allowed for a limited time | 120 days | CST's IoT Regulations require IoT SIMs to come from CST-licensed operators, but allow foreign SIMs for up to 120 days if they are replaced by local SIMs within that period and only serve specific predefined applications without open internet access. | cst.gov.sa, cst.gov.sa, help.wirelesslogic.com 2024-07-31 (CST IoT Regulations) | high |
| European Union / EEA | Allowed with conditions | none stated | M2M falls within the EU Roaming Regulation, which leaves permanent roaming for M2M to commercial wholesale agreements that may include clauses against it; BEREC concluded in March 2025 that no further regulation was needed, and most member states permit it, Belgium being the main exception. | berec.europa.eu, berec.europa.eu, cullen-international.com 2025-03-28 (BEREC); 2024-12-05 (BEREC); 2025-10-14 (Cullen) | high |
| Germany | Allowed with conditions | none stated | A regulatory survey reports that Germany permits permanent roaming only for services meeting the legal definition of M2M communications, excluding general public internet access. | cullen-international.com 2025-10-14 | low |
| Japan | Allowed with conditions | none stated | Regulatory analysts report that Japan permits roaming-based IoT models under certain conditions, with no local licence needed unless the provider contracts directly with local end users or runs its own infrastructure. | cullen-international.com, cullen-international.com, thingsdata.com 2026-04-09 (Cullen); 2025-03-31 (Cullen); 2026-04-23 (Thingsdata) | medium |
| New Zealand | Allowed with conditions | none stated | Regulatory analysts report that New Zealand permits roaming-based IoT models under certain conditions, with no local licence needed unless the provider contracts directly with local end users or runs its own infrastructure. | cullen-international.com, cullen-international.com, thingsdata.com 2026-04-09 (Cullen); 2025-03-31 (Cullen); 2026-04-23 (Thingsdata) | medium |
| Singapore | Allowed with conditions | none stated | A regulatory analyst reports that Singapore applies administrative requirements that make permanent-roaming IoT models difficult to sustain in practice, without an explicit ban; no IMDA text on permanent roaming was found. | cullen-international.com, cullen-international.com, counterpointresearch.com 2026-04-09 (Cullen); 2025-03-31 (Cullen); 2023-08-23 (Counterpoint) | low |
| South Korea | Allowed with conditions | none stated | Regulatory analysts report that South Korea permits roaming-based IoT models under certain conditions, including some form of authorisation depending on the service type. | cullen-international.com, cullen-international.com, thingsdata.com 2026-04-09 (Cullen); 2025-03-31 (Cullen); 2026-04-23 (Thingsdata) | medium |
| Australia | No law found; set by operators | none stated | No regulatory time limit applies, but Telstra treats an IoT roaming service seen in at least 6 months of any rolling 12 months (or meeting account, APN or residency tests) as permanent and may disconnect and ban it after 60 days' notice. | telstra.com.au, cullen-international.com, help.wirelesslogic.com undated (Telstra policy page, consulted 2026-10-26); 2025-03-31 (Cullen); 2026-05-06 (Wireless Logic) | high |
| Canada | No law found; set by operators | none stated | No Canadian regulator rule on permanent roaming of foreign IoT SIMs was found, but Canadian operators restrict permanent roaming on their networks. | help.onomondo.com, iot-now.com, counterpointresearch.com Onomondo 2025-07-30; IoT Now 2024-11-21; Counterpoint 2023-08-23 | medium |
| Mexico | No law found; set by operators | none stated | One provider survey reports that permanent roaming is not explicitly banned in Mexico but that mobile operators commonly restrict long-term use. | com4.no Com4 published 2024-10-01, updated 2026-10-15 | low |
| United Kingdom | No law found; set by operators | none stated | No UK rule restricting permanent inbound roaming of foreign IoT SIMs was found; IoT SIMs homed abroad are sold for permanent use across all four UK networks on commercial roaming terms, and IoT services need no notification and IoT SIMs no registration. | cellhire.com, cullen-international.com 2026-08-03 (Cellhire); 2025-10-14 (Cullen) | low |
| United States | No law found; set by operators | none stated | No federal rule on permanent roaming of foreign IoT SIMs was found; FCC rules let providers negotiate roaming terms individually, and US operators have restricted permanent roaming by roaming partners. | law.cornell.edu, iot-now.com, counterpointresearch.com 47 CFR 20.12 last amended 2025-12-12 (90 FR 57704); IoT Now 2024-11-21; Counterpoint 2023-08-23 | medium |
| Bahrain | Allowed | none stated | A regulatory survey reports that Bahrain allows permanent roaming for IoT with minimal restrictions. | cullen-international.com 2025-03-19 | low |
| Israel | Allowed | none stated | A regulatory survey reports that Israel allows permanent roaming for IoT with minimal restrictions and does not require SIM registration for IoT/M2M. | cullen-international.com 2025-03-19 | low |
“Not allowed” means a law, a regulator decision or a reported national rule forbids lasting use of foreign IoT SIMs. “No law found; set by operators” means access depends on agreements between mobile operators.
Where sources disagree
The same country is often described differently by vendors, analysts and regulators. These are the disagreements we found, and how we resolved them:
- Brazil. Wireless Logic (updated 2026-05-06) states a 90-day government limit after which the SIM must be localised; Eseye (2021-12-08) and Counterpoint (2023-08-23) say banned. The 90-day figure is Anatel's 2024 definition for domestic roaming between Brazilian operators (fines after 90 consecutive days, no blocking), not a published allowance for foreign SIMs. 1oT (2026-10-13) also reads the 90-day rule as a national roaming framework, not a blanket rule for foreign SIMs.
- China. Not a conflict on the rule itself: Transforma (2024-11-21) notes that compliant commercial arrangements with Chinese operators exist, i.e. localised rather than roaming connectivity.
- Egypt. Counterpoint (2023) says Egypt prohibits permanent roaming; Eseye (2021) says effectively prohibited; Com4 (updated 2026-10-15) attributes it to local data laws and regulations.
- India. Com4 (updated 2026-10-15) says permanent roaming is allowed for up to three years, which was TRAI's non-binding 2017 recommendation; Cullen (2025-03-31) says conversion within six months, which is TRAI's 2024 recommendation. No DoT instruction fixing either period was found.
- Nigeria. Eseye (2021), Onomondo (2025-07-30) and Counterpoint (2023) describe a ban; Com4 (updated 2026-10-15) only calls it difficult, citing laws that require local MNO partnerships.
- Turkey. Wireless Logic says not permitted by law (consistent); a 2022 consumer-association submission hosted by TRAI says over 120 days is prohibited; Hubble says about 120 days before IMEI block. The regulation's test is more than 90 days within any 120 consecutive days; the separate 120-day figure concerns registration of phones brought in by travellers.
- Qatar. Cullen International (2026-03-24) describes only a 'potential' 90-day limit, reflecting that the rule sits in a position paper rather than a binding regulation.
- Saudi Arabia. Wireless Logic (updated 2026-05-06) and Counterpoint (2023-08-23) describe a ban or de facto ban; the 2019 CITC IoT Regulatory Framework required all SIMs in imported IoT devices to be local; the July 2024 IoT Regulations (art. 5-5) allow foreign SIMs for 120 days.
- Japan. com4 (vendor) says operator policies make permanent roaming difficult in Japan and favour local SIMs.
- Singapore. Counterpoint (2023-08-23) lists Singapore among countries that prohibit permanent roaming and Eseye (2021-12-08) says 'effectively prohibited', while Cullen (2025-03-31) says it is not specifically addressed and Cullen (2026-04-09) describes administrative hurdles rather than a ban.
- South Korea. com4 (vendor) says strict operator policies and compliance requirements make permanent roaming difficult in South Korea.
- Indonesia. Hubble says Indonesia requires IMEI registration 'similar to Turkey', but Art. 3 and Art. 6(c) of Permenkominfo 1/2020 exempt inbound roamers (for phones/tablets); com4 says long-term roaming is restricted by licensing and data-sovereignty laws without citing a text.
- United Arab Emirates. Wireless Logic (2026-05-06) calls it a de facto ban, Eseye (2021-12-08) 'effectively prohibited' and Counterpoint (2023-08-23) 'prohibit', while 1oT (2026-10-13) says it is not outright prohibited but needs TDRA registration and approvals.
Countries still being checked
No reliable source was found yet for the following countries. They are not marked “allowed”: we simply do not know yet.
Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Indonesia, Kenya, Malaysia, Morocco, Philippines, Russia, South Africa, Thailand, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates and Vietnam.
How we built this table
- Survey date: 26 October 2026. Each row also gives the date of its sources.
- Source preference: regulator texts and decisions first; then regulatory analysts and trade press reporting regulator decisions; then operator documents; vendor guides only when nothing better exists, and always marked.
- Limits in days are filled only when a regulator text states a number of days.
- Known gaps: several regulator websites refuse automated access, and some operator policies are confidential wholesale terms.
What to do where permanent roaming is restricted
- Plan for a local profile in that country: a local SIM, or an eSIM that can download a local profile remotely (SGP.32).
- Keep your delivery unchanged: with private delivery, the data path to your cloud stays the same whichever profile the device uses.
- Check network shutdowns too: see 2G and 3G shutdown dates.
Related
Frequently asked questions
What is permanent roaming?
Permanent roaming is the use of a foreign operator's SIM in a country for an unlimited period, which is how many IoT devices work when they are sold with one global SIM. Mobile roaming was designed for travellers, so some countries and operators restrict it.
Is permanent roaming allowed in Turkey?
No. Under a regulation published on 20 February 2021, a device on a foreign IMSI that uses Turkish networks for more than 90 days within any 120 consecutive days without voice calls or SMS is treated as permanent roaming; its IMEI is blacklisted and operators must cut it off within 30 days.
Is permanent roaming allowed in Saudi Arabia?
For a limited time. The CST IoT Regulations of July 2024 allow foreign SIMs for up to 120 days, provided they are replaced by local SIMs within that period and only serve predefined applications without open internet access.
Is permanent roaming allowed in Brazil?
Not as a lasting arrangement. ANATEL has held since 2012 that roaming may only be temporary, and on 6 August 2026 its board gave itself 90 days to decide specific rules for IoT, so a decision is expected around early November 2026.
Is permanent roaming allowed in the EU?
Generally yes. The EU roaming regulation leaves permanent roaming for machine-to-machine devices to wholesale agreements between operators, which may restrict it, and BEREC concluded in March 2025 that no further regulation was needed. Belgium is the main national exception reported.
How can an IoT device comply where permanent roaming is not allowed?
By using a local operator profile in that country, either on a local SIM or, with an eSIM that supports remote provisioning, by downloading a local profile over the air.