Without a recharge, prepaid SIMs from Jio, Airtel, and Vi remain active for a maximum of 90 days. Airtel provides an additional 15-day grace period, while Jio and Vi deactivate the number after 90 days.
Sim Validity Rules: The number of mobile users in India is rapidly increasing, and the use of dual SIMs in a single phone has become very common. Many people keep one SIM active for calls/data, while using the other SIM only when needed. But do you know how long your prepaid number can remain active without a recharge? The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has clear guidelines regarding this, and the country's leading telecom companies — Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel, and Vodafone Idea (Vi) — operate according to these rules.
What Does TRAI's Rule Say?
According to TRAI, if a user does not recharge their number for a long time, telecom companies can deactivate that number after a fixed period. This period is usually 90 days (three months). After this, companies can allocate that number to a new customer.
Reliance Jio Rules
- If you are a Jio user and do not recharge, your SIM is considered active in the system for 90 days.
- You may get the facility of incoming calls for the first few days, but it depends on the previous plan validity.
- If there is no recharge after 90 days, your number will be removed from the company's database.
- After this, the same number can be allotted to another customer.
Therefore, if you use a Jio number only as a secondary SIM, be sure to do a minimum recharge every 2-3 months.
Airtel Rules
Airtel also gives 90 days, but it has a special feature — a grace period.
- After 90 days, Airtel users get an additional 15 days.
- If recharged during this period, the number immediately becomes active again.
- If a recharge is not done even during the grace period, the number will be permanently closed and a new user can take it.
Because of this, Airtel users have a little more time for recharge compared to Jio and Vi.
Vodafone Idea (Vi) Rules
The 90-day rule also applies to Vi users.
- During this time, the number remains active in the system, but when incoming and outgoing services will be stopped depends on your previous recharge.
- After 90 days, the number will be deactivated without a recharge.
- After deactivation, the number can be transferred to a new customer.
What Should Users Do?
- If you have two SIMs in the same phone and use one of them less, keep this in mind:
- Get at least a minimum recharge every 2-3 months (such as ₹99 or the company's minimum plan).
- If your number is linked to a bank account, UPI, or OTP, be sure to recharge it before it is closed.
- Note the recharge date or set a reminder so that the number is not accidentally closed.
According to TRAI rules and company policies, Jio, Airtel, and Vi—all three have a maximum SIM activation period of 90 days without a recharge, although Airtel also offers an additional 15-day grace period. Therefore, if you want to save your number, the best way is to recharge on time.
