# mobile phone



## carolleb (Oct 30, 2011)

Can anyone help with this one, I have my english mobile and just been given another one to bring with me so I can use it for spanish nos, will get an orange sim for it, can I do this here or do I have to get a sim there. Or cant I do this at all, any helpwould be great.

regards Carolle.


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## Dunpleecin (Dec 20, 2012)

You can only buy a Spanish sim in Spain, and you'll also need your NIE number, but I presume you know that already?

You can buy some international sim cards over here I think in certain shops, but I don't know a great deal about these.


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## carolleb (Oct 30, 2011)

*mobile*

Ah thank you, now I wont waste time or money getting a sim here, thank you for that, it will have to wait till I get there then, and after getting a Nie too
Many thanks for your help.

carolle.


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## Dunpleecin (Dec 20, 2012)

You're welcome. I read somewhere else that you can't get a sim and not register it now, even if it's pay as you go. Something to do with a Madrid bombing or something. So it's a bit of a pulava I think. I'll be having the same problem shortly!


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## carolleb (Oct 30, 2011)

*ok*

Ok, is it mi5 or orange you get them from, actually its fine, I do understand the reasoning I think lol. It can wait but now at least I know what to do.

regards Carolle.


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## Don Felipe (Mar 19, 2013)

*sim*

hola'

you can buy a prepaid sim here, "pre pago" and show your passport for id. try it in your phone, if it doesn't work you need to unblock it "liberar". costs between 10 and 20 euros in a locotorio depending on the model of phone


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## carolleb (Oct 30, 2011)

*ok*

another thing to write down, will have a list as long as my arm soon, all the things to do, thank you very much for your help.

regards carolle


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## tonyinspain (Jul 18, 2011)

You can buy a orange sim here in spain just go into any orange mobile shop with a passport or nie no you will need to make sure your mobile is unlocked though ( any sim card ) before you come 
Good luck and welcome 
All mobiles here have to be registered to the user


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## Balneario (Jun 16, 2012)

Not being that IT savvy, currently I have a Blackberry in the UK. When I move to Spain in April can I just get a Spanish SIM card to use it as a phone or do I need to do what I intended to do which is get rid of it and start again in Spain (although I will keep hold of it until up and running over there, of course).


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## tonyinspain (Jul 18, 2011)

Balneario said:


> Not being that IT savvy, currently I have a Blackberry in the UK. When I move to Spain in April can I just get a Spanish SIM card to use it as a phone or do I need to do what I intended to do which is get rid of it and start again in Spain (although I will keep hold of it until up and running over there, of course).


Is your blackberry open to all networks if so you can buy a sim here in spain and use it no problem but if its locked then no you can only use it through the service provider your with now 
You could have it ideally factory unlocked if you have fulfilled the terms of contract just contact your provider and for around £15 they unlock it for you
Alternatively a mobile phone shop independent will charge a fee to unlock it either way you can use any sim
If you google make model there is plenty of blackberry unlocking software ( risky if not savvy ) thats free to do it yourself
Hope this helps


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## bob_bob (Jan 5, 2011)

Make sure the phone is unlocked to take any sim card. I'd do this in the UK before you go.


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

Dunpleecin said:


> You're welcome. I read somewhere else that you can't get a sim and not register it now, even if it's pay as you go. Something to do with a Madrid bombing or something. So it's a bit of a pulava I think. I'll be having the same problem shortly!


Yes, this legislation came in after the Madrid bombings in 2004 which killed 191 people. It was after the Twin Towers and before the London bombs.
This is part of Spain's history, its recent history so here's a little about it for those who are interested



> Another breakthrough came when an unexploded bag bomb was found and defused aboard the wrecked train at El Pozo station. Investigators discovered the bombers used mobile phones to set off the devices, and traced the recovered phone's sim card to two Indian salemen who had sold 13 other identical cards to 3 Moroccan men....


Madrid Train Bombings | Looking Back | Spain Your Guide To A New Life | Abroad | How To | Read Free Online Books at How To

And that's why you need to present an traceable ID number of some kind when you buy a mobile phone in Spain


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## tonyinspain (Jul 18, 2011)

Pesky Wesky said:


> Yes, this legislation came in after the Madrid bombings in 2004 which killed 191 people. It was after the Twin Towers and before the London bombs.
> This is part of Spain's history, its recent history so here's a little about it for those who are interested
> 
> Madrid Train Bombings | Looking Back | Spain Your Guide To A New Life | Abroad | How To | Read Free Online Books at How To
> ...


Very interesting funny thing about this the day after we were coming over the border there wasn't a policeman or border guard in sight in fact i wasn't aware we had crossed into spain until i pulled over at a cafe in bayonne 
So the spanish security at that time was non existent


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

tonyinspain said:


> Very interesting funny thing about this the day after we were coming over the border there wasn't a policeman or border guard in sight in fact i wasn't aware we had crossed into spain until i pulled over at a cafe in bayonne
> So the spanish security at that time was non existent


Wow, really?!
In Madrid the police and military presence was very real. I remember in the metro they were carrying photos, walking up and down the platforms really scrutinising people's faces, and there were police/ Guardia Civil/ soldiers on all the bridges crossing the A6 motorway for example. It was a very tense, scary, emotional time.


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## tonyinspain (Jul 18, 2011)

Yes i came through with a truck and 4x4 with a caravan dog in back and wasn't stopped or checked at all i had never driven into spain before we arrived and to be honest i was apprehensive going through the border being new to me but like i said we crossed with no opposition whatsoever and i did comment to my oh that it was very lax we could have been anyone bringing anything into spain


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

tonyinspain said:


> Yes i came through with a truck and 4x4 with a caravan dog in back and wasn't stopped or checked at all i had never driven into spain before we arrived and to be honest i was apprehensive going through the border being new to me but like i said we crossed with no opposition whatsoever and i did comment to my oh that it was very lax we could have been anyone bringing anything into spain


That's right, there is absolutely nothing on the borders between France and Spain on a normal day, and as you say, you wouldn't even know that you were in another country, but it's astonishing to think that neither France nor Spain put up any security checks on the days/ weeks/ months after the attacks...


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## tonyinspain (Jul 18, 2011)

Very true Pesky being ex military i was amazed at the lack of security after such a catastrophic attack but nothing we just drove straight through
And funny enough when we stopped to have a meal around 9 in the evening it was actually on the news it really did beggar belief


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## carolleb (Oct 30, 2011)

I do understand all that now and thanks for the explanation, much appreciated.


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