How long does a tourist SIM last in the Philippines?
Under the SIM Registration Act (RA 11934), a SIM registered to a foreign tourist is limited to 30 days before automatic deactivation. That is a legal limit on the registration, separate from whatever validity your data pack carries — a 30-day data pack and a 30-day registration expire on different clocks.
Checked 26 Jul 2026·3 plans cited·1 verified from provider·2 third-party·How we check this
Two separate expiries apply to a Philippine tourist SIM, and confusing them is a common cause of losing a number mid-trip.
- Registration validity — capped at 30 days for tourist registrations, by law. When it lapses, the SIM deactivates regardless of remaining balance or data.
- Data pack validity — however long the promo you bought runs, typically 1 to 30 days.
If you are staying longer than a month
Plan for the registration limit rather than discovering it. Depending on the operator you may be able to extend the registration by presenting your passport and updated visa documentation at an operator store. Do not assume a number will survive past 30 days, and do not use a tourist SIM number as the recovery contact for anything important.
Answer last reviewed 26 Jul 2026. How we check our data.