Your Indian SIM Expired. Can You Still Get Bank OTPs?
PF, Banking & Money · Published 21 Oct 2026 · 4 min read
Locked out by a SIM card he forgot about
Ankit moved to Sydney three years ago. His old Jio number sat in a drawer. He stopped recharging it after the first year, because "everything is online now anyway."
Then his mother needed ₹40,000 for a hospital bill in Jaipur. Ankit opened his NRO account's net banking. Wrong device, so the bank sent a one-time password (OTP) to his registered mobile number: the dead Jio number.
He tried the income tax portal for a refund the same week. Another OTP, the same number. Then DigiLocker. Then Aadhaar.
Ankit had money in India and every password he needed. What he no longer had was the one thing all these services trust most: his Indian mobile number.
Your Indian number is the key to your accounts
In India, your registered mobile number works like a house key. Banks, the income tax portal, Aadhaar services, DigiLocker and UPI all send OTPs to it before letting you in or moving money.
Lose the number, and you don't lose your money. You lose your way in.
How a prepaid number quietly dies
Under telecom rules, a prepaid number can be switched off after 90 days without use. Receiving OTP messages doesn't count as use. Making a call, sending an SMS, using data or paying for a service does.
- After 90 days of no use, the operator may deduct up to ₹20 from your balance to keep the number alive for another 30 days.
- Once the balance runs out, the number is deactivated.
- After deactivation, you usually get at least 15 days to reactivate the same number before it can be given to someone else.
If someone else gets your old number, they could receive OTPs meant for you. That's a safety risk as well as an inconvenience.
Your three options
| Option | What it takes | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Keep the Indian SIM alive | A low-cost long-validity plan, recharged once a year, plus one SMS or call every few weeks | Almost everyone. It's the cheapest insurance you'll ever buy |
| Add your overseas number with your bank | Many banks let NRI customers register a foreign mobile number for alerts and OTPs. Ask your bank, as rules differ | NRIs with only one or two Indian banks |
| Change your number after it's lost | A bank form, signed and often verified in person or through the branch's NRI process | The last resort. It's slow and can take weeks |
There's one catch with option 2: even if your bank accepts an overseas number, the income tax portal, Aadhaar and some other services may still send OTPs only to the Indian number linked to them. That's why keeping the Indian SIM alive is the safest base.
The solution: protect your number before you need it
Ankit's sister got his Jio number reactivated within the 15-day window. Now he has an annual plan and a phone reminder every month to send one SMS.
Do this once
- Recharge with a long-validity plan (often a one-year plan) and note the expiry date in your calendar.
- Use the number every month: send one SMS or make one short call. Incoming OTPs alone don't count.
- Turn on international roaming before you fly, so OTPs reach you abroad.
- Ask each bank whether it can also send OTPs to your overseas number.
- List every service linked to the number: banks, tax portal, Aadhaar, DigiLocker, UPI, insurance, mutual funds.
- Keep a backup: an old phone with the Indian SIM, kept charged, or a trusted family member who can read you an OTP in an emergency.
If your number has already lapsed
- Act within the reactivation window. Contact the operator or ask family in India to visit a store with your ID.
- If the number is gone, update your mobile number with each bank first, then with the income tax portal and Aadhaar.
- Keep the new number alive from day one.
The 30-second takeaway
Your Indian mobile number is the key to your Indian accounts. Recharge it yearly, use it monthly, and never let it lapse.
Locked out of an Indian account? Share what happened in the NRI Prism Community. Others have fixed the same problem.
This article is for general understanding only. Telecom and bank rules can change, so check with your operator and bank.