Today, almost every Russian has several SIM cards in his hands. This is convenient if you have to communicate with subscribers of different mobile operators or use tariff plans with different purposes - one for the Internet, and the other for calls. Moreover, even the simplest phones now work with two SIM cards. Despite the fact that this is used everywhere, few people know how many SIM cards in Russia can be issued for one passport.
Age threshold for purchasing a SIM card
The question of whether it is possible to buy a SIM card at the age of 14 and register for it worries many - both teenagers and their parents.
Everyone knows that Russian citizens receive their first passport at the age of fourteen - it’s time to figure out what rights and responsibilities fall on the child’s shoulders. Contrary to popular belief, full responsibility does not begin at the age of fourteen! Civil capacity begins upon reaching adulthood, that is, on the eighteenth birthday.
Here is the answer to the question: at what age can you buy a SIM card? You can apply for plastic yourself only after reaching the age of majority! Why did the situation develop this way?
- Until the age of eighteen, parents or legal guardians are responsible for the child, says the Legislation of the Russian Federation;
- If a debt arises for communication services provided, it is almost impossible to collect it from a minor subscriber.
How to be? An adult – a parent or guardian – can buy a SIM card!
- Take your passport and your teenager's passport;
- Go to the selected communication salon;
- Conclude an agreement in your name with the child’s right to use the services;
- After the citizen reaches the age of 18, the contract will be renewed.
You can get a SIM card using a notarized power of attorney, indicating the degree of relationship.
Purchase rules
Each mobile operator offers to purchase a SIM card according to its own rules. Therefore, in order to find out exactly what terms of the contract apply, you need to contact a specific company.
The age at which you can buy cards is also different. Some companies allow you to purchase SIM cards at the age of 14, some - at the age of 16, but there are few such companies.
Most operators sell SIM cards to adults, but, as practice shows, teenagers begin to use their services much earlier, before the age of 18.
Young people use smartphones for more than just making calls and sending messages. The mobile Internet has gained enormous popularity, where teenagers spend a huge part of their personal time.
For teenagers, a smartphone is more than just a means of communication. This device has great capabilities and can often even replace a computer. Mostly young people use phones for games and visiting social networks, but the main nuance is that phones do not work without SIM cards. So how can young people buy them?
At what age can you buy a Tele2 SIM card?
At what age can you get a Tele2 SIM card? The answer to this question is simple - from the age of 14, but there are some nuances regarding the legislation. In general, you can buy a SIM card from the presented operator at any age, but applying for it on an adult’s passport is a common practice nowadays.
It is impossible to draw up a contract for a child. When he turns 18 years old, you can re-issue documents for him - in this case you will have to pay a fee of 50 rubles.
Let’s summarize the age at which you can purchase a SIM card:
- Age period 14 – 18. The presence of a legal representative is required. To enter into an agreement with a teenager, his parent must give special permission to connect this service.
- From the age of 18, you can freely draw up a contract without the participation of a guardian. The main thing is to have your passport with you.
Conditions for purchasing a SIM card
Before purchasing a SIM card, it is recommended that you read the terms and conditions for drawing up an agreement, since they are different for all mobile operators.
Basic conditions for purchasing a SIM card:
- Must be of legal age;
- Have a passport with you that confirms your identity;
- Foreigners who have not received Russian citizenship must present a residence permit or temporary residence permit;
- Conclude an agreement with a mobile operator and pay the necessary bills.
After purchasing a Beeline SIM card, you will need to activate it:
- First, separate the SIM card from the plastic base and insert it into the phone slot. The device must be turned off.
- Turn on the device and check your account status using the USSD request *102#call.
- The plastic base must be preserved as it contains the PIN and PUK numbers.
We recommend reading: How to activate a Beeline SIM card?
Age restrictions
In most cases, persons under 18 years of age are prohibited from entering into a service agreement or making other transactions unless accompanied by a parent or legal guardian:
- According to the rules in force for all cellular operators in the country, independent acquisition of a SIM card is possible only for adults who have reached the age of 18, a citizen upon presentation of a passport or other identification document.
- An exception may be the situation if a person has reached the age of 16 and has been emancipated by a decision of the court or guardianship authorities and recognized as fully capable. Emancipation is possible only if the child works under an employment contract or is engaged in individual entrepreneurship.
- For persons from 14 to 18 years of age who already have a passport, but are not yet adults, the purchase of a SIM card is possible with the consent of their parents or other legal representative. To conclude an agreement, a minor must visit the operator’s office with one of the parents or guardians. Passports or other identification documents are also required.
Attention! Children under 14 years old cannot obtain a SIM card in their name, even with the permission of their parents or guardians.
In such a situation, the contract is concluded for an adult relative, and the child actually uses the number. Later, upon reaching 18 years of age and with the consent of the actual owner, he can re-register it in his name.
This limitation is quite understandable - according to the law, if there is a debt on the subscriber’s account, collection from a minor citizen is extremely difficult or impossible.
How to change card owner
If you previously used a card that was issued to your mother, father or another adult, and upon reaching 18 years of age you want to register the same number for yourself, you can do this.
To do this, visit the office of the mobile communications company together with the legal owner of the card (do not forget to take documents proving your identity) and fill out the appropriate form for the transfer of rights of use.
Service cost:
- MTS – 340 rub.
- Beeline – 50 rub.
- Megaphone – 200 rub.
- Tele2 - free.
- Iota does not support this function.
Everywhere has its own rules
Understanding this issue is not as simple as it seems. The thing is that each cellular operator has its own rules regarding the task at hand. And therefore, you have to ask each cellular company about the age at which you can buy a SIM card. They will tell you exactly what rules apply when concluding a contract for the provision of services.
In some organizations it is allowed to buy SIM cards from the age of 14, in others - from 16. But, as practice shows, there are very few such operators. And if we are talking about large companies on an all-Russian scale, then we have to think even more about when a citizen will be able to purchase this product without outside help. At what age can you buy a SIM card?
The answer can be this: the leading operators in Russia currently enter into contracts for the provision of mobile communication services not only with a passport, but also with full legal capacity. It comes at the age of 18. This means that after reaching adulthood, a citizen has the right to purchase SIM cards. At the same time, the population begins to use the mobile network long before the age of 18. What to do in this case? Are there any tricks that can help you get around the established rule?
What do you need to buy?
To purchase a SIM card, you must have a passport. In addition, you must follow a number of rules, and they differ for different mobile operators.
Teenagers receive passports upon reaching the age of 14. The main nuance is that they are not yet legally competent at the age of 14, so they are not fully responsible for their actions. Full legal capacity occurs only when a person becomes an adult, that is, at 18 years of age.
Upon reaching this age, a lot of opportunities open up for young people, including concluding agreements with organizations that provide various services.
Large mobile operators sell SIM cards specifically to adults. This way they protect themselves from non-payment for services and accumulation of debts by subscribers. In addition, the organization can file a lawsuit against an adult if he has a debt. This cannot be done for a minor.
Why are the rules so strict?
The main reason for the restrictions is the period of incomplete legal capacity in persons aged 14 to 18 years. During this period, a person is not fully responsible for his actions, and this is a risk for the operator.
For example, illegal economic or fraudulent transactions can be carried out from the number. False calls to emergency services can also lead to prosecution. For a young person under 18 years of age who has purchased a SIM card, some penalties may not be applicable.
According to the logic of mobile operators, parents should be held responsible for such offenses. This is precisely the reason for their presence when drawing up an agreement on the provision of paid cellular services.
In addition, if there is a debt on the bill for communication services, a minor client may refuse to pay. It is almost impossible to collect funds from a young defaulter. So parents also insure the financial risks of operators.
Secrets for purchasing numbers
Minors can also enter into contracts with some mobile operators, but their parents or guardians must be present.
In addition, parents are required to write permission to purchase a SIM card, have it certified by a notary and provide it to a company representative along with their passport.
This method of purchasing a SIM card is not popular because it is not very convenient.
Sometimes mobile operators distribute SIM cards at various events, in shopping and entertainment centers and other places where there are always a lot of people. This is done in order to advertise your company. All you need to do is fill out a short form. The authenticity of the data contained in it is not always verified.
This means that a minor can receive a SIM card. The unpleasant nuance is that if the SIM card is lost, broken, or other financial or technical issues arise, the minor will not be able to contact the operator to solve the problem. This requires a legal owner, which the child in this case is not due to his age.
Which banks offer cards with the lowest age of receipt?
Not all banks are ready to issue children's cards, but large financial organizations such as Sberbank, VTB, etc. have many such programs. Below is a list where you can order plastic with a minimum age threshold:
- Sberbank. Produces plastic for young customers aged 7 years and older. To receive a Sberbank card separately from the parent one, you will need to wait for the passport to be issued, i.e. 14th birthday. Preferential terms of service are available until the age of 25 if you choose the issue of youth Sberbank plastic.
- VTB. Invites parents to issue debit cards in addition to the main plastic card, with the transfer to adults of the authority to manage and control the use of funds by children over 10 years old. A card will be issued separately from parents only after reaching adulthood.
- Alfa Bank. Will provide access to cashless services to children under 14 years of age if their parents are already clients of the issuer. Children's cards are serviced through the parent account from which the balance is replenished.
- Raiffeisenbank. Here you will be allowed to have a bank card starting from the age of 6. It is issued along with the main payment product of one of the adults. You can use funds from the account only within the limits set by the holder of the main plastic product.
The cards offered for young clients are serviced by the international payment systems Visa or MasterCard, which allows you to safely let minors go on long trips, including being outside Russia. Children will be able to purchase goods and pay for services using separate plastic, while parents retain the right to correct the actions of their children. The older the client becomes, the more powers the issuer gains, and from the age of 18, the list of available actions and responsibility for them fully complies with the rules for working with adult plastic.
How can you legally buy a SIM card ahead of schedule?
There are two legal options for purchasing a SIM card at the age of 14-18:
- the contract is concluded in the presence of the parent and with his consent;
- The contract is drawn up in the name of the parent, and upon reaching the age of 18, a procedure for changing the owner is carried out.
During the conclusion of the contract, the following are clarified and verified:
- Personal data of the potential subscriber;
- Selecting a tariff plan;
- The terms and amount of payment for the services used are negotiated;
- Other significant possibilities and limitations are specified.
At the request of law enforcement agencies to suppress criminal activities, the SIM card can also be blocked by the mobile operator.
A parent who issues an additional SIM card does not have to worry about restrictions on the number of numbers. Registered on this individual. This limit is unlimited. The main requirement of the law is the provision of accurate and reliable personal data of a citizen.
An initiative to install “simcommats” is currently being discussed. The machines, similar to a vending machine, will scan a passport, accept money and issue SIM cards without the participation of an operator.
