Sim cards in Mexico

Hi gyorgy,  We were just in Mexico for a week and did not need a SIM card. We are from the US, which may make a difference. I?m sure others with better info will reply.

If you do not have a "comprobante de domicillo" - proof of address and a CURP - only Mexicans and legal residents have them - sort of like a social security number  - Telcel and AT&T will not let you sign up for a 1 year plan. Then to get a plan you go to one of their customer service centers to get the simms card in Mexico called a chip which has the cell # and that is how it is done. If you buy a chip without a plan it is a cell # and called Amigo pay as you go for Telcel. You simply select, at lets say OXXO, which option you want to pay for and how much you want to spend and then this will dictate how many minutes of calls and mobile data you bought and how many days it is valid for if you do not use up the minutes of calls OR the gigs of data. If you use them up no matter the expiration date your cell disconnects from the service and you go to OXXO and get a "recargar" - recharge. OXXO and many places sell chips and recharges.

So Mexico lets me stay for half a year but won't let me buy a phone number for all that.

The longest version that I've found was 30 days but it wasn't quite clear. Could you tell me in detail how to get that?

I don't care data, my phone is only for call and sms. I only need to stay connected because my bank always calls me to confirm any email order for transaction.

Thanks a lot.

gyorgy wrote:

So Mexico lets me stay for half a year but won't let me buy a phone number for all that.

The longest version that I've found was 30 days but it wasn't quite clear. Could you tell me in detail how to get that?

I don't care data, my phone is only for call and sms. I only need to stay connected because my bank always calls me to confirm any email order for transaction.

Thanks a lot.

You can go to an OXXO (like 7-11) and get an amigo card and phone which you can recharge when the time expires, but do you really want to do banking from what amounts to a burner phone?

have you checked with your U.S. carrier about coverage in Mexico? Some say they do have coverage. At&t does business in Mexico.

I've been living in Vietnam, before that in Thailand. I have an old-type Nokia phone (call and sms only), and don't wish to change that. I used Thai or Viet sims, both for years. My bank is in Singapore. And I'm European.

Will this Amigo card recharge without time limit wherever I put credit on it? Or is At&t card more reliable, if so is there time limit for that?

The cards are for a specific time so they expire when they expire, even if you have not used all the minutes you bought.

But I did run into some old e-mail of mine that reminded me of Mexico -sim. Which is a website I used online. You might want to look online for them. I don't know if they still exist since the current uproar. I used to renew using them and they sent me the sim for my phone. They are very nice people and very helpful.