Parliament on Thursday passed regulations relating to the identification of owners of pay-as-you-go mobile phones, who have until November 10 to register their name.
The regulations aim to end the anonymity of such mobile phone holders, for the purposes of combating serious crime.
All mobile telephony providers, as well as their authorised vendors, are required to comply.
Providers and vendors must identify all owners of pay-as-you-go mobiles. Service to any unregistered mobile number will be disconnected as of November 11.
But neither providers nor vendors may make or keep photocopies of identification documents – such as ID cards or passports.
For mobile phone owners who are underage, a parent or legal guardian must register on their behalf.
In remarks on the House floor, Dipa MP Marinos Moushiouttas said the passing of the regulations marks “the end of the road” after relevant legislation was enacted in May 2024, which provided for a transitional phase regarding registration.
Citing data, he said that to date only 75,000 owners – or 18 per cent – of such phones have registered.
He urged mobile phone owners to register by November 10 at the most, noting that the process is easy.
