[mercora]

at least in germany ordering new sim cards to new addresses your provider never heard of before was a thing some years ago. I think porting a number is a lot easier if you know the detailed process though.

[simo_dax]

Oh, my bad, I thought US was the exception

Here in Italy you must provide your ID card and wait a couple days for the carrier to check the data. Goverment websites even use 2fa as a proof of your physical identity

[hombre_fatal]

Why is it so common for some people to use "EU"/"Europe" when talking about a quirk about their country? Americans do it too, though the states are far less unique than countries.

[ozchris]

Because many of the rules are made on the EU level, not by the individual country.