SIM not Valid / Supported for foreign countries only; Singapore or India

Hi All,
I bought an used iphone 5s from someone, its still under technical support and warranty. I checked before I bought with my Optus and Vodafone sim cards, to confirm its unlocked.
Now I have moved to Singapore for job and travel to India as well for work but neither country's sim card work.
+Works on Aus network; optus or vodafone
+Does not work with International network; Singapore n India
+I am able to use my iCloud n iTunes account
+Latest OS updated
+Optus sim works internationally as Roaming activated
Error received in iTunes
Please guide what could be the issue here or solution for it!
Again even I dont know what lock/block would it have!
Thank you all in advance for support.
Cheers
Nash

Hi Chris
Thanks for your quick reply.
Do you have any suggestions to check if its locked?
Is there any way to get it unlocked, other then the carrier? As I am not the customer to any carrier in Aus now.
Cheers
Nash

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Sales and Support for Foreign Countries?

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Thanks.

Michael -
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HT1414 I restored my I phone 4 using Itunes, after that I can't access the icon any more I only got a message that says " ( Sim not Valid.) Only compatible SIM cards from supported carrier may be used to activate iphone.

I restored my I phone 4 using Itunes, after that I can't access the icon any more I only got a message that says " ( Sim not Valid.) Only compatible SIM cards from supported carrier may be used to activate iphone. I need some proffesional help. Thanks

"We're Sorry, Activation Server Temporarily Unavailable, contact Customer Care, Sim not vaild?"
99.9% of the time, the cause of this issue is the fact the phone was jailbroken/hacked to unlock it for use on networks other than the network the phone was originally locked to. Apple maintains a database of officially unlocked iPhones, and when Apple's servers detect phones such as yours, activation stops & you get the message you got.
So, either get a sim card from the carrier your phone was originally locked to, or get it officially unlocked, if you want to activate it. Because it appears that it was not officially unlocked.

HT201263 Hi All, My iphone Model A1387 EMC 2430 FCC ID:BCG-E2430A IC:579C-E2430A and i am unable to activate my iPhone shows SIM Not Valid and Only compatible SIM cards from a supported carrier may be used to activate iPhone. Please insert the SIM card th

Hi, My iphone Model A1387 EMC 2430 FCC ID:BCG-E2430A IC:579C-E2430A and i am unable to activate my iPhone shows SIM Not Valid and Only compatible SIM cards from a supported carrier may be used to activate iPhone.or visit a supported career 's store to receive a replacement sim card.
how can i solve this?? please let me know.
thank you.

Sounds like the iPhone is locked to the original Carrier
and you are trying to use a sim from another carrier
and only that original carrier can unlock the iPhone

I got an iphone. when ive insert my sim card in it, it sat sim not valid. at the end its mentioned please contact apple support. can you help me

i got an iphone. when ive insert my sim card in it, it sat sim not valid. at the end its mentioned please contact apple support. can you help me?

Your phone is probably carrier locked and you are using a SIM form a different carrier. Are you?

I was trying to upgrading my iphone 4 to isos 5. But my phone went blank after syn and it say Sim not valid. Please help me, that's the only phone i have.

I was trying to upgrade my iphone 4 to the isos 5, everything was done on the PC. After it was done i thought it was working,but the screen went blank and this wat it says. SIM not Valid... please help me, that's the only phone i have.

If your iPhone was hacked to be unlocked to use with any carrier's SIM card, you just re-locked the iPhone to the carrier the iPhone was sold as carrier locked when new.

Hie guys..how can i activate my iphone without the original sim card coz it says SIM not valid if i insert it.....im in south africa thanks for your help

hie guys..how can i activate my iphone without the original sim card coz it says SIM not valid if i insert it.....im in south africa thanks for your help

Sorry, you can't. If your phone is carrier locked, you will need a sim card from that carrier, to activate it.

I unlocked my phone for internationally but I get Sim Not Valid

I unlocked my phone for internationally and got emails about it. When i put my sim card, it sais "Sim not Valid" You need to unlock your phone. Verizon already did that for me though I unlocked my phone for internationally and got an email about the terms and services, and how to use it internationally. When i followed the instructions, it sais "Sim not Valid" You need to unlock your phone. Verizon already did that for me though. I don't know what to do now. There's a 6 hour difference from here and the u.s.. its hard to get a clear connection.

Gemajli,
Lets make sure you're able to use your phone with that SIM card. Please call our Global Team from a landline, toll-free, using our Virtual Calling Card http://vz.to/J2vhyf. They are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week so there's no need to worry about the time difference.
SarahO_VZW
Follow us on Twitter @VZWSupport

Sim not valid for unlocked phone

I brought my unlocked iPhone 6(at&t) to South Korea. However, my phone did not work (sim not valid sign shows up every time)
I tried all the ways to fix it, but It did not work.
I think my iPhone is a defective one. Do I have to exchange my iPhone?

Did you contact AT&T before you left & request the phone be unlocked? Did you receive notification that the unlock request was accepted/completed? Did you restore your phone as NEW and get the "Congratulations, your iPhone is unlocked" message?
~Lyssa

Cannot activate factory unlocked iPhone 4S: SIM not valid

Hello Apple,
I have a problem with my Iphone: I purchased a factory unlocked iPhone 4S in a The Source Store in Peterborough, Ontario, Canada. I´m from Brazil but now I am living in Israel and the fact that the phone is factory unlocked was necessary for me to use it in both countries ( Brazil and Israel). After my trip to Canada, I arrived to Brazil and inserted my micro-sim into the new iPhone. It showed the "Activate iPhone" screen BUT it won’t activate. It says "SIM not valid" and "Only compatible SIM cards from a supported carrier may be used to activate iPhone. Please insert the SIM card that came with your iPhone or visit a supported carrier´s store to receive a replacement SIM card”.
Now I am living in Israel and the same situation continues: I inserted one Israelian micro-sim into the Iphone and it showed the "Activate iPhone" screen BUT it won’t activate. It says "SIM not valid" and "Only compatible SIM cards from a supported carrier may be used to activate iPhone. Please insert the SIM card that came with your iPhone or visit a supported carrier´s store to receive a replacement SIM card”.
In Israel we don’t have Apple Stores and i can´t have access to one, so now i have an iPhone 4S i cant not eve use as an iPod, leaving it totally useless.
I will greatly appreciate any help!!
Apple Support Team: If you need the IMEI or Serial Number please ask me.
Thanks in advanced,
Bernard

The Source in Canada was formally know as Radio Shack and they do sell iPhones.. Only for Bell and Virgin Canada.
http://www.thesource.ca/estore/category.aspx?language=en-CA&catalog=Online&categ ory=iphones&sort=1&pagenum=1
What does it say on your receipt?
As Bell and Virgin do not unlock iPhones you will need to sell that phone to someone in Canada and get an unlocked phone directly from Apple.

Why is T-Mobile contract-free iPhone 6 not unlocked , showing * SIM not Valid* erorr outside of US?

Just before Christmas I purchased my iPhone 6 64 at full-price from the Stonebriar Apple Store, TX. At the time of purchase, I indicated several times that I want to use my phone outside of US and Apple Store representative assured me that my only option was T-Mobile contract-free iPhone which came totally unlocked and I would be able to use it internationally with no problem. I used my phone about 3 weeks in US with my prepaid AT&T SIM card without any problems and I was the happiest with my purchase but since I came back to my country my biggest nightmare has started : Just arrived at airport trying to use my local SIM, I faced the *SIM not valid* message due to a *Activation Policy*. My awful experience just started with both my family and I had the most frustrating time trying to find each other at airport. The next day when I called Apple care and explained the situation the adviser told me that although I bought the phone contract-free, my phone is now locked to AT&T and I had to contact them. I contacted AT&T several times spending countless hours to explain the situation and I spoke to near 9 different people including a manager ; at first they did not even believe me and they told me that it is impossible for AT&T to just block ppl's phones just because they activated their phone with their SIM -and it is totally making sense- but I insisted that Apple Care told me that my phone is locked by them and this is evident from their system. Anyway, one of them suggested me to request unlock my device via ATT website and I waited 4 days for their response till I received the denial because according to their record I used my prepaid service less than 6 months and I am not eligible for unlock request!!! Angry me called them again and after being on the line more that one hour, the adviser told me that my phone is not locked by them and it is actually Mercury who did this and they are the one that I had to call - at that moment I remembered that the night before I just tried my T-mobile SIM in my phone for few seconds to see what would happen and that's it - no service no activation ! When I called Apple this time and after speaking with at least 3 different pple, they told me that their system is actually unable to show which carrier has locked the device and they could only see which SIM card is the last one used in the phone and the problem is merely because of a latent Activation Policy that some iPhones can be used only in US and nowhere else and in US you may use it with different carriers but it does not mean that the phone is unlocked, and my only option is to contact the Apple Store I made my purchase to see whether they can(!! it is up to them to do it, they can easily say they can not) exchange the phone or not ! I told them that it is impossible for me to go there because I will not come back to US in next 9 months and I do not have access to any apple stores in my country, but this is the only thing that they could do , to say that they were sorry for the inconvenience.
The sad part of story is that after waiting 2 weeks without phone and spending more than 100$ to make international phone calls, this is the only answer they had for me. It is very hard for me to believe that Apple does not have any control over their own Activation Policy and for some one with my situation they are completely clueless. Apart from being frustrated, I am very disappointed with Apple and their costumer care because the advisers seemed very confusing or maybe they themselves were confused even more ! It is very abusive and it is like that I am robbed almost 1000$. Please help if you have the same experience or if you suggest that it is a good idea to file a complaint !

I managed to chat with an Apple Online Store representative, and he assured me that if purchased online it's completely unlocked from day 1...
So i guess that counts as official confirmation.
I'm still worried though, something is not right with all this contradicting information, or it's probably just marketing!
I know they are in the business of making profit and I myself work in an Apple related business, but i have to stress that there are moral and freedom-of-market issues with locked phones, they really are illegal in many countries (correct if you ask me).
Locked phones paid full price is troll, really makes no sense at all!

''Sim Not Valid'' on activation screen! *PLEASE HELP*

I have purchased the iPhone 6 64GB Silver from Verizon Wireless. I purchased it on November 18th 2014 and i was able to use the phone under the Verizon Network for 2 days I asked Verizon as ALWAYS to have to Unlocked because i was leaving the country in business trip for a week and therefor i wanted to use my iPhone with the Vodafone Network as i have always done this with the previous iPhone's under Verizon network. When i had my iPhone 5 & iPhone 5S i have called Verizon to have it unlocked and therefor they have done it, but now with the new iPhone 6 they tell me that its a 4G Phone and its already unlocked sir, there is nothing they can do to unlock it any further but in reality the iPhone 6 its Lock to Verizon Wireless Network, according to Apple, and Vodafone they both say that its Locked to Verizon Wireless, that's what it shows in their system. Now i have called Verizon and asked them again to unlock my iPhone which they insist and tell me the same thing over and over even their Manager and Global Team Support including the Supervisors they all say the same thing that the iPhone is Unlocked!!!! Now i have contacted Apple again this time Apple said that it is locked to Verizon is what they see on their computer that this IME#354409063763754 is showing Locked to Verizon once again and again and AGAIN! so who is lying here Apple or Verizon?!? Interesting! one of the Apple costumer care could not believe my story after speaking to 5 different one from Apple and 38 different from Verizon, and there for she decided to call Verizon and find out why aren't they unlocking my device. now, after being on the phone 3 way me Apple care and Verizon for 15min Verizon hangs up the phone on Apples face and tells me I can Not Believe they hang up on my face! interesting huh? Well Apple care then said ill transfer you to Seignior Adviser for further help there is nothing that she could do, but transfer me to much higher grade in helping the costumers. Now the Seignior Adviser couldn't believe that i had to go through all this and said I'm here to help and i will help, i said sure you will, will see how much you can. Then he tries and tries and in the end NOTHING! since he couldn't do anything he said let me transfer you to much higher which is their Consumer Relations. Now they couldn't believe that i had to go through all this and that they have never heard such story that this had happen to anyone before, there for he was going to help me resolve my issue. Now they have contacted Verizon and Verizon keeps saying the same thing mean while on the Apple system it still shows Locked to Verizon Wireless.
Now what they Verizon and Apple did to try and resolve this issue is Connecting my iPhone 6 to iTunes and have it Factory Restore! ok! so i did as i was told,
now after 30 min of restoring the iPhone to factory settings im back to Activation Screen from beginning.
1. Choose Language - English
2. Choose Region - United States
3. Choose Wi-Fi
4. Sim Not Valid!
there is no other options, either go back or retry, and none has worked. I have done the Restore 5 times with and with out sim card and still same error,
With out the sim card, after choose the Wi-Fi, it says Sim Required, there is no other options only go back and retry.
I put the sim back in and its still says the same
<Back
SIM NOT VALID
The SIM card that you currently have installed in this iPhone s from a carrier that is not Supported under the activation policy that is currently assigned by the activation server. This is not a hardware issue with the iPhone. Please insert another SIM card from a supported carrier or request that this iPhone be unlocked by your carrier. Please contact Apple for more information.
Try Again
Now i cant even go to my home screen what do i do? PLEASE HEP!
I really need to get this iPhone 6 to work, I need help please someone help, they both companies have lied to me Verizon and Apple, and they both not doing a **** thing about it, its been almost 2 months and i haven't been able to enjoy my iPhone, they have got my hard earned $$$$ and they don't send me a new device to have it replaced, I have requested a NEW one since i have paid for new and they Sorry we cant under their Policy and my 14 money back is expired, well its expired because of them not me. they keep on pushing and putting me to wait here and there so time went out and me still without a working device yet they have got my money $$$
I really need Help Please any suggestions?
I thank you all very much from the bottom of my heart for taking the time to read and respond to my need.
THANK YOU ALL
iPhone 6 64GB Silver
Setting - General - About:
Version>                        8.1.2 (12B440)
Model>                          MG642LL/A
Serial Number>              DNPNDN37G5MH
IMEI>                            35 440906 376375 4
MEID>                          35440906376375
Modem Firmware>          1.04.00

Firstly, Apple will NOT reply to you here - this is a user to user technical support forum and not monitored by Apple.
Also, what both Apple and Verizon have told you are both true. Verizon tell you that the phone is unlocked and this is true, because all Verizon phones have a GSM portion to the phone and this is unlocked to use with local sim cards internationally, so yes, the GSM portion of the phone is unlocked in this respect.
What Apple have told you about the phone being locked to Verizon is also true - a Verizon phone is a CDMA phone and works on the CDMA networks, which is different from GSM and the phone is locked to Verizon in the US, so if you go to the US, then you can never use the phone on any other network other than Verizon, so yes, in this respect the phone is locked to Verizon in the US because if you go to the US you will only ever be able to use the phone with Verizon, but the GSM portion of the phone is unlocked, so if you live in Germany, then you can use both a Vodafone and 02 sim card with the phone or any other local sim card that you want and the phone will work.
So what you have been told about the phone by both Apple and Verizon are correct - the phone is locked to Verizon, but only for use in the US on the CDMA Verizon network. Other than that, the GSM portion of the phone is unlocked.

Iphone 5 was sent to get unlocked but 'sim not valid'

My phone was given back to me on wednesday the 21st Januray after giving it to get unlocked on monday 19th january. The phone was locked to vodafone and now should be on giffgaff and unlocked to all networks.
The guy said it can take upto 3-5 days for the phone to work with the new giffgaff sim, it is not the 5th day and it is still not working and it says
SIM not valid - the sim card that you currently have installed in this iphone is from a carrier that is not supported under the activation policy that is currently assigned by the activation server. This is not a hardware issue with the iphone. Please insert another SIM card from a supported carrier or request that this iphone be unlocked by your carrier. Please contact apple for more information.
When i take the sim out, i am able to use the iphone in terms of going onto apps and only using wifi but it says no service due to no sim being in the phone.
the carrier on the settings says giffgaff 17.0 which is why i think the phone should be unlocked but is not working
i have been advised to 'reset network settings' but im scared this might lock the phone back as the phone is unlocked
what do i do?

Your iPhone has not been unlocked,the "guy" has hacked it to remove the Carrier lock and in doiung so has voided your warranty ,post warranty support and help from Apple or for that matter this Community
The ONLY way to unlock an iPhone is for the Carrier who holds the lock to process the release and then follow this process
How to unlock your iPhone for use with another carrier - Apple Support
any other attempt involves jailbreaking the iPhone
It seems in your case the hack failed .........................and has screwed your iPhone .

SIM not Valid after factory reset using a non-US SIM card

I bought an unlocked iPhone 5 at a US apple store. It worked fine for two years until factory-resetting it. Now, during the setup process I get a "SIM not valid" message. I tried an iTunes restore to no avail. I called Apple support and was escalated to two different "experts". I got two very different answers:
Expert 1: an unlocked iPhone can be used internationally but can only go through a factory reset with a US SIM card. Since you don't have one you will have to come back to the US, get an American SIM card, finish the setup process and then you can get back to using it internationally. There is nothing we can do here at Apple to bypass this procedure.
Expert 2: Our database shows that your phone is indeed unlocked and is available for use with an Israeli carrier (which is the carrier I am using now). Either the SIM card is defective or there is a problem with the hardware of the phone. Please ask for a replacement SIM card from your carrier and if this does not solve the problem you can send it to the US for repair. The repair will be costly.
Obviously neither of them is solving my problem. Is there another solution? Is it time to make the switch to an Android device?

Sorry if you have already tried this
Any chance you can ask for a different / new SIM from your carrier?
or even better see if one of your friends / family has a working phone with a nano SIM
Try that temporarily in your phone
If it works = corrupt SIM most likely
If it does not - please let us know and we can brainstorm further

HT201328 SIM Not Valid Iphone 4S

Hi
I am using Iphone 4S factory unlocked bought it in US.
I used this phone with different networks in different countries (India and UK).
Now the problem is the Phone is working only for my India SIM which is strange.
It is not working with any other SIM except for my IDEA SIM.
getting a 'SIM Not Valid' mesaage when i try to use other SIM card.
Can some please help me in this regards.
Thanks
=Vijay

Thx for quick response Lyss,
yes i bought it from istore couple of yrs back and it did work till mid of last year. when i did a restore in aug 14. it is working only for my India (IDEA) Network and my phone is absolutely fine with IDEA SIM.
I checked with the carrier whether it has been locked by them. they confirmed that they did not lock.
i tried restoring the phone couple of times. it did nt work.
Please help me.
-VIjay

SIM not Valid / Supported for foreign countries only; Singapore or India

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