How to get an Indian phone number from abroad

How Indian mobile numbers work

India's country code is +91. Indian mobile numbers have 10 digits and start with 6, 7, 8 or 9, for example 98765 43210. In international format that becomes +91 98765 43210. Mobile numbers are commonly written in two groups of five digits.

India uses 0 as its trunk prefix, mainly for long-distance landline calls and for calling a mobile from a landline, so you may see a mobile written as 098765 43210. That 0 is never used after +91. The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) administers India's National Numbering Plan. Because customers can keep their number when changing operator, the first digits no longer tell you the network or the state.

Country code

+91

Mobile length

10 digits

Mobile starts with

6, 7, 8 or 9

Example (domestic)

98765 43210

Example (international)

+91 98765 43210

Trunk prefix

0, used domestically in some cases, never after +91

Time zone

IST, UTC+5:30, no daylight saving

Indian SIMs and KYC for foreign nationals

Every Indian SIM is issued after customer verification (KYC) under DoT rules. Indian citizens usually verify with Aadhaar. Foreign nationals verify with their passport and a valid Indian visa; Indian government information for e-Visa tourists, for example, describes a SIM issued against a copy of the e-Visa and the passport's first page.

That means an Indian SIM is realistic only once you are in India, and it is tied to your visa. After you leave, the SIM needs to stay active: operators require periodic recharges, and numbers left without a recharge can be deactivated and eventually reassigned. Roaming on an Indian prepaid SIM abroad can also be expensive.

Your options, compared

Roaming your home SIM

Works in India but isn't a +91 number, so Indian OTP-based sign-ups reject it, and roaming costs add up.

Indian prepaid SIM

A genuine +91 mobile number that works with UPI and bank apps. Needs KYC with passport and visa in India, and regular recharges to stay active.

eSIM data plan

Useful for data on a visit. Travel eSIMs usually have no Indian number, so they can't receive Indian OTPs.

VoIP app number

Easy to get, but Indian services frequently reject internet-based numbers, and VoIP numbers may not be in India at all.

Real mobile number online

A real +91 mobile number managed in a web dashboard. OTPs and calls reach you anywhere, with no SIM or KYC visit, but it can't be used where a SIM must be inside your phone.

What an online Indian number can and can't do

An online +91 number receives SMS OTPs and calls, so it works for the wide range of Indian services that simply text a code: shopping and delivery apps, travel and ticket bookings, streaming, marketplaces, and messaging apps that verify by SMS or call.

It won't work where the check is about the SIM itself, not the number. UPI payment apps verify that the SIM for your registered number is inside your phone, usually by sending an SMS from the device, and many Indian bank apps do the same. Services linked to Aadhaar send OTPs only to the mobile number registered with your Aadhaar, so a new number can't receive those. For all of these, you need a physical Indian SIM or the number your bank and Aadhaar already know.

So the practical split for most people abroad is simple: keep a physical Indian SIM, or your existing Indian number, for UPI, banking and Aadhaar, and use an online +91 number for everything else that just needs an OTP or a call, especially a second number you don't want tied to your main accounts.

SIM binding for messaging apps

India is also moving to tie messaging accounts to the SIM in the device. In November 2025 the DoT directed several messaging platforms, including WhatsApp, Telegram and Signal, to keep their services linked to an active SIM and to log out web sessions periodically. Media reports say the compliance deadline has since been extended to December 2026.

How each app implements this, and how it treats +91 accounts used without an Indian SIM in the phone, is still taking shape. If you plan to use an Indian number for WhatsApp or Telegram over the long term, check the current situation first. SMSCreation's 7-day replacement guarantee still covers the first week after activation.

How to get an Indian number with SMSCreation

1. 01Open the India number list. Every number is a real Indian mobile number in +91 format; the first two and last two digits appear as XX and are assigned at activation.
2. 02Pick a number and a plan. The yearly plan is $1.80 a month ($21.60 billed yearly); prices for other terms appear at checkout.
3. 03Pay with USDT or USDC on Tron, Polygon, BNB Smart Chain, Base or Solana, or from your wallet balance. You need only an email address, with no Aadhaar, passport or visa.
4. 04The activated number appears in your dashboard, where OTPs land in the SMS inbox instantly and incoming calls arrive too.
5. 05Enter it as +91 followed by 10 digits. If a form preselects India, type just the 10 digits, with no 0 or 91 in front.

Tips for Indian numbers and OTPs

• Use exactly 10 digits after +91. Never type +91 0 or 91 twice; both make the number invalid.
• If a form shows the country code separately, enter only the 10-digit number starting with 6, 7, 8 or 9.
• Indian services often format numbers as +91-98765-43210 or 91 98765 43210. The dashes and spaces are cosmetic, and forms generally want the plain digits.
• Plan around IST (UTC+5:30). India has no daylight saving, so the gap to Europe or North America changes when those regions change their clocks.
• Indian OTPs often expire within a few minutes. Keep the dashboard open when you request one, and wait before tapping resend to avoid rate limits.
• Choose a voice call OTP when a service offers it; incoming calls are unlimited.
• Keep the number renewed. Indian apps commonly ask for a fresh OTP whenever you reinstall or change devices.

Why it works with WhatsApp, Facebook, Telegram & Google

Apps check more than the digits: they look up the line type, the country format and whether the number can actually receive their code. Every SMSCreation number is a real mobile number in its country's official format — not a VoIP line — so it passes those checks the same way a SIM in your pocket does.

And we stand behind it with a 7-day replacement guarantee: if your number doesn't work with WhatsApp, Facebook, Telegram, Google or any app you need, we replace it free with a new number in the same country — or refund 100% if you prefer.

• Non-VoIP, real mobile line type — line-type checks see an ordinary SIM number, not a VoIP line
• Official country format with the right country code, prefix and digit count
• Unlimited incoming SMS and calls — codes arrive by text or through the “call me” option
• Private to you — never listed on public SMS sites, so it isn't flagged or rate-limited
• Yours for as long as you want — re-verification and account recovery keep working

Price, keeping the number and the 7-day guarantee

Indian numbers cost the same as every other country: from $1.80 a month on the yearly plan ($21.60 billed yearly), with unlimited incoming SMS and calls, 500 outgoing SMS and 1,000 outgoing call minutes a month.

The number stays yours while you renew it. If it doesn't work with WhatsApp, Google or another app within 7 days of activation, you get a free replacement Indian number or a full refund, and if it hasn't been used for any call or SMS, you can get a full refund within 7 days.