The Mexican government is requiring all cellphone users, including foreigners living in Mexico, to register their cellphone numbers with the government.
The law was enacted on January 9th, 2026, and the deadline by which to register is June 30th, 2026.
Any cellphone number not registered by June 30th is to be suspended on July 1st, when the cellphone would just stop working.
It’s estimated that there are 127 million active cellphone numbers in Mexico. Under the new law, each individual can register up to 10 cellphone numbers in his own name.
The argument in favor of this law is that it will combat crimes such as extortion, kidnapping and fraud, by linking each cellphone number to a verified identity. And it’s true that phone fraud is a big problem in Mexico. According to the Expat Insurance website, “In the first half of 2025 alone, over 6,000 people reported being victims of telephone extortion.”
On the other hand, there are questions about privacy and data security.
A Mexican citizen registering his cellphone must provide his CURP (Clave Única de Registro de Población), an already-existing population registry code, and a photo ID (for example Voter ID or passport).
[The CURP code uses an 18-character code utilizing both letters and numbers.]
A foreigner residing in Mexico who has a CURP number would use that along with his passport or Mexican residency permit.
A foreigner in Mexico without a CURP is required to register, but the mechanism for registering is unclear.
Cellphone registration has been tried before. From Expat Insurance: “This is actually Mexico’s third attempt at mandatory cell phone registration. The previous two failed spectacularly: Mexico’s first cell phone registry…was launched in 2008…The database was hacked and sold on the black market…Instead of helping police catch criminals, it became a shopping list for extortionists who now had verified names and addresses linked to phone numbers. RENAUT [the cellphone registry] was quietly abandoned in 2012…In 2021, the government tried again…This version required biometric data, including fingerprints and facial recognition. Digital rights organization R3D and others challenged the law, and in 2022, Mexico’s Supreme Court struck it down as unconstitutional, citing privacy violations.”
But now they’re trying it again!
There is an organization in Mexico called R3D: Red en Defensa de los Derechos Digitales (Network in Defense of Digital Rights) which opposes this cellphone registration.
The R3D organization opposes the registration for three reasons:
1. It can be a database for tracking citizens.
2.There are data security risks.
3. There is no evidence that such registration reduces crime.
Expat Insurance recommends that foreign tourists simply use an international eSIM service or keep your home country cellphone plan. See the article on the subject here.
Mexico Daily Post has an interesting article about Carlos Slim, the richest man in Mexico. Here’s what it says: “While millions of users continue to refuse to register their phone lines using their CURP, reports are now emerging that Carlos Slim may be seeking mechanisms to prevent his customers from losing service. Concerns are mounting because Telcel represents one of the largest and most important telecommunications companies in Latin America, and the impact of this refusal to register is already beginning to be felt.”
