Which countries require proof of address to use a local number?

For most countries acquiring a virtual phone number is straightforward and can be achieved in minutes. However, in some countries, local regulations dictate that local and/or national numbers be affiliated with an address associated within that locality

If you have a global customer base or are looking to move into new territories, one of the first things you may wish to consider is your ability to make and or receive phone calls. The modernisation of telephony, thanks to companies like RocketPhone, has made this process incredibly easy.

When calling internationally, it makes sense to acquire local numbers as this can help improve connection rates. For most countries acquiring a virtual phone number is straightforward and can be achieved in minutes. However, in some countries, local regulations dictate that local and/or national numbers be affiliated with an address associated within that locality. In other words, you are required to submit proof of address that your business has a physical presence. This goes back to the early days of telephony, when phone numbers were assigned specifically to an individual’s home or business. While this is not the way that phone numbers typically work these days, telephony providers must comply with these regulations.

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In some countries, local regulations dictate that local and/or national numbers be affiliated with an address associated within that locality

List of countries that require proof of address to purchase a local or national phone number

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Country	City	Documents required	Documents needed for
Austria	National (setup connection duration: up to 5 days)	Proof of address in the same city as virtual number	Local
Bahrain	Toll Free	Passport/ID, address, the proof of address (utility bill etc.)	Local
Croatia	Dubrovnik	Passport/ID, address, contact phone number, proof of address in the same city	Local
Croatia	Istria County	Passport/ID, address, contact phone number, proof of address in the same city	Local
Croatia	Osijek	Passport/ID, address, contact phone number,proof of address in the same city	Local
Croatia	Rijeka	Passport/ID, address, contact phone number, proof of address in the same city	Local
Croatia	Split	Passport/ID, address, contact phone number, proof of address in the same city	Local
Croatia	Zadar	Passport/ID, address, contact phone number, proof of address in the same city	Local
Croatia	Zagreb	Passport/ID, address, contact phone number, proof of address in the same city	Local
France	Paris (region)	Proof of local address can be required	Local
France	Northwest France	Proof of local address can be required	Local
France	Northeast France	Proof of local address can be required	Local
France	Southeast France (incl. Corsica)	Proof of local address can be required	Local
France	Southwest France	Proof of local address can be required	Local
Italy	All Cities	Proof of address in the same city as virtual number	Local
Kuwait	National (setup connection duration: up to 5 Days)	Passport/ID, address, the proof of address (utility bill etc.)	Any
Serbia	Belgrade (setup connection duration: up to 5 days)	Proof of address in Belgrade	Local
Singapore	National (setup connection duration: up to 10 Days)	Passport/ID, address, proof of address	Any
Spain	All Cities	Proof of address in the same city as virtual number	Local


Switzerland	Geneva	Proof of address in the same city as virtual number	Local
Switzerland	Basel	Proof of address in the same city as virtual number	Local
Switzerland	Bellizona	Proof of address in the same city as virtual number	Local
Switzerland	Bern	Proof of address in the same city as virtual number	Local
Switzerland	Lausanne	Proof of address in the same city as virtual number	Local
Switzerland	Lucerne	Proof of address in the same city as virtual number	Local
Switzerland	Zurich	Proof of address in the same city as virtual number	Local