Indonesia's Ministry of Communication and Digital (Kemkomdigi) plans to introduce mandatory biometric verification for SIM card activation, with a one-year transition period designed to ease the pressure of system upgrades on operators and ensure a smooth rollout of the new real-name registration rules requiring facial verification.
During the transition period, mobile operators may adopt a hybrid registration model. Users applying for new SIM cards can either continue registering using only their ID card NIK number as in the past, or choose to complete identity verification through facial biometrics. This gives the industry sufficient time for testing and preparation while reducing the burden on the general public.
The policy will enter a fully mandatory enforcement phase on July 1, 2026. From that date, all newly activated SIM cards and e-SIM services within the country must complete facial biometric matching, and registration based solely on submission of an ID card number will no longer be accepted. The rule applies only to newly issued numbers; existing SIM card users will not be required to resubmit biometric information. Regulators hope that biometric technology will curb the use of other people's identity documents to obtain mobile cards and reduce the supply of numbers used for spam SMS and telecom fraud at the source.
