Registration of prepaid SIM cards to become mandatory in Latvia from 1 September 2027
Amendments to Latvia's electronic communications rules require prepaid mobile users to be registered from 1 September 2027. The Interior Ministry cites the use of anonymous SIM cards in crime and security threats.
Prepaid SIM cards in Latvia will have to be registered from 1 September 2027. This is the aim of a bill drafted by the Interior Ministry, which applies to electronic communications providers and their customers. The ministry argues that anonymous cards let criminals, including phone scammers, hide their identity. The bill was handled as a matter of urgency.
What the bill provides
When concluding a contract for a prepaid mobile or internet service, the provider will have to identify the customer and retain their identification data. Providers will not be allowed to serve unregistered users.
The Cabinet of Ministers will set the procedure for registering the end user and the SIM card's connection number, as well as for obtaining, verifying and processing identification data. The government will also define exceptions.
Why it is considered necessary
The explanatory note says criminals frequently use anonymous prepaid cards. According to State Police data, unregistered SIM cards were used in about 40% of the recorded crimes involving electronic communications in 2025.
At a meeting of the Saeima's Economic, Agricultural, Environmental and Regional Policy Committee, an Interior Ministry representative said the use of anonymous cards keeps growing, and stressed that they are increasingly used in threats to national security. Cases have been identified in which such cards were used to organise sabotage and diversions against state border infrastructure. Anonymous cards issued by Latvian mobile operators were also found in incidents involving meteorological balloons.
The ministry says registration would help reduce the risks of fraud, money laundering and other offences, and improve investigative capabilities. Mandatory prepaid card registration is already in place in several European countries, including Lithuania, Germany, Austria, Poland and Italy.
Changes to emergency numbers
The amendments also drop the State Police number 110 as a separate emergency number. Crimes, other violations and incidents that threaten safety or public order will have to be reported to 112. The historical special-service numbers 01, 02, 03 and 04 are also removed from the law.
