Reading a bit on the forum, it seems impossible to have a number that isn’t linked to your identity, and in some European countries, it’s even illegal.
Unfortunately, in most countries, yes. Privacy International published a full report on the timeline of sim card registration laws around the world. It lists all the countries that require by law that you register you SIM card by providing ID. Some even require biometrics.
Keep in mind, the report was last updated in 2022, and the list of countries are from 2021. There are definitely countries listed on it that didn’t require registration back then, but now do.
This is the list of countries that Privacy International lists. I’ve emboldened the European ones.
PRIVACY INTERNATIONAL: As of 2021, the following countries do not have mandatory SIM card registration laws: Bahamas, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Cabo Verde, Canada, Chile, Comoros, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Hong Kong, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Kiribati, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Moldova, Nauru, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Portugal, Romania, Samoa, Serbia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, Sweden, United Kingdom, United States of America, Vanuatu. SOURCE: GSMA (pgs. 54-61).
One of PI’s source is the GSMA, and their last report dates back from 2020 it seems. So wherever you are, triple check your info. I know from experience that even if you travel as a tourist and need a SIM in countries that require registration, you will have to provide one, even if you are not a resident.
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UK can get a PAYG sim card from supermarkets without ID
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It is not impossible, there are shops where u can “buy” SIM-Cards without KYC-Verification, silent.link is one of these shops. There are more shops where u can buy your e-sim and pay with cash or cryptocurrency (like Monero).
There is also a other Site where u can buy E-Sims from different EU-Countries, but i dont find the site right now (like France, Netherland, Poland…).
If u only need SMS to verify an account, there a public sites in the Web like SMSnator for that.
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I was thinking of getting a private SIM or virtual number that I could use for online services that require one (for example: Nintendo Switch 2 will need a phone number for chat).
There isn’t a single answer, it is country-specific regulation.
You do usually have to be in the country to activate the sim tho.
But yeah https://saily.com/ is such website that works without the requirement. Not that I endorse it.
Do you know smspool.net ?
That may be true, but keep in mind that just because you can buy a SIM card without KYC verification, doesn’t mean you can use it without KYC verification. In some countries where KYC is a requirement, you will not be able to activate your SIM without providing your ID.
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Yes, but I wanted a personal SIM card 
I believe it’s no longer possible to purchase a physical SIM card directly from a carrier anonymously within the EU, as KYC requirements have become standard across member states. The Netherlands (and I think Estonia) was previously one of the last countries offering this option, but new legislation implemented in 2022 closed this loophole.
Imo, there appear to be only two remaining options for anonymous SIM cards:
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Obtain an anonymous eSIM from providers like Silent Link or Simsup (not sure if the latter is legit).
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Purchase a pre-activated physical SIM card from resellers such as readySIM. However, I’d be careful with these resellers. It’s unclear if these SIM cards are actually new or previously used, which could put one’s privacy at risk.
I’d like to add, that I still have an anonymously bought Dutch SIM card that was sold with a “never expire” guarantee before 2022. However, I recently got a text message from the carrier saying it will be deactivated unless I provide my personal information. It seems they’re now targeting existing SIMs without KYC too.
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Do you have a source for The Netherlands? Is this EU legislation or national?
The only thing I could find is the General Administrative Order known as the Besluit verstrekking gegevens telecommunicatie. But I guess it is more targeting criminal activities.
I don’t know if it’s impossible, but KYC is regulated in the UK. You can buy a SIM card from any supermarkets or off-license / convenience stores, but you would have to register your SIM to activate. Personally, I’m using 2 traditional SIMs (one for personal and one for work) and a sudo number for online services that requires a phone number, but even mysudo requires verification. I’ve looked at silent.link and they charge per GB of data. Assuming the website is legit, it’s probably for those with higher threat models.
Are you 100% sure about that? If so, since when? Because that’s not what my friends there tell me. My understanding is that pre-paid SIM cards don’t require KYC, and you can even order them online for free.
What can happen, is that some SIM will require you to top-up in order to activate them, which is not the same as providing KYC.
Have the rules changed?
I have been trying to get a SIM or e-SIM for USA and/or Canada and it’s as bad, or worse, as EU.
I tried a bunch of voip apps and they are either (a) powered by Google Ad Network (b) do not work for SIM verification or (c) a scam
Thanks for all the sms website links, will definitely try that out
Glad I could be of some help.
It’s always easier to get SIM from a country you are physically in. If you are not in Canada or the US, I could see how it would be complicated for you to get a prepaid SIM from there.
Even if you know someone there, unless they are super reliable, it’s going to be complicated. They have to agree to the favor, understanding the instructions if you want them to buy the SIM anonymously (with cash), and they have to find the time. You are heavily dependent on their goodwill.
That’s why, if you can afford it, and it’s reliable, it’s better to use services like SMS Pool.
Without going into personal details, what do you want to use the SIM card for?
Is it just for online account registration that require SMS verification? Or is it for something where you are going to need the number long term?
I believe you are misinterpreting the law here. The link specificies clearly that the provider only needs to hand over data that they collect for their operation needs.
It is mentioned a couple of times in the document but here most clearly: "De aanbieder verstrekt de gegevens die in de bedrijfsvoering zijn opgenomen.”
It doesn’t read to me as a requirement to have this data to me, only to hand it over in some specific way when they do have it.
Anyway I am not a lawyer, but I guess you aren’t either. Given the fact that you can still just get numbers without any ID easily in NL I believe your reading on this to be false.
I have not bought a pre-paid SIM so I’m not 100% sure, but you have to register to activate your SIM, and the registration involves putting your name, e-mail and address. And I believe the KYC regulation was introduced a year ago, so unless your friend told you this recently, that’s what has changed.
Kind of both, actually. A lot of services that ask for SMS verification at account creation will also ask for it at deletion. So to keep a number at least for a while. Several, if it’s not too expensive.
That said, it can also be temp numbers, anything is better than my one actual personal phone number
And, insofar as they can receive SMS anyway, maybe some irl uses here and there, like getting things on marketplace or whatever
Btw, just checked out SMSpool and all numbers i tried to order it said are not available in my country 