How to Port BSNL, Vi, Jio, Airtel? Charges & Complete Guide 2025

Want to port your BSNL, Vi, Jio or Airtel SIM without changing your number? Here’s a simple guide you need. Whether you're tired of poor network coverage, expensive plans, or just looking for better offers, Mobile Number Portability (MNP) makes it super easy to port your SIM to Jio, Airtel, Vi, or BSNL in 2025. In this guide, we’ll cover how to port online or offline, porting fees and charges, FRC plans and everything else you need to know — whether you're moving from Jio to Airtel, Vi to Jio, BSNL to Airtel, or any other network.

BSNL (Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited) recently reported a profit of ₹262 Crore after 17 years since 2007. The government-owned telco offers one of the cheapest recharge plans for users across India. BSNL 5G launch is still in progress. But the good news is that their 4G equipment is upgradable to 5G. Nevertheless, if you wish to port to BSNL without changing your mobile number, here’s everything we know about the BSNL porting process in 2025.

To port a BSNL number to Airtel, Vi and Jio

• Send message “PORT(Space)Mobile Number” to the number 1900

• You will receive a UPC code as an SMS.

• The UPC code will be valid till the expiry date mentioned in the SMS.

• Next, follow the porting process of your preferred telecom operator (Eg: if you want to port from BSNL to Jio, then follow Jio’s porting process). All processes are mentioned in this article.

Things to keep in mind while porting number from BSNL to a different telecom operator💡:

• You cannot send a PORT message from BSNL from a normal plan i.e. you need a minimum balance plan (₹1.20 per SMS)

• Top up your plan with the lowest price ₹10 main balance so that you can send PORT message successfully

• Make sure you have passed the minimum days of wait before porting (up to 90 days)

• If for any reason, you are still getting an error sending PORT message from your BSNL number, try removing & inserting the SIM card again.

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If you are porting from BSNL to a different telecom operator because you are unable to find a cheap way to keep your BSNL SIM active for incoming SMS like OTPs, etc, consider trying this💡💡💡:

• Step 1: Wait for 7 days after the expiry of your current plan, your number will enter into Grace Period 2 (GP2 - when incoming stops working)

• Step 2: Recharge with 201/- , 90 days validity, 99 SMS, 300min talktime

• Step 3: Go to Step 1 & enjoy 97 days of incoming with just 201/-

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• Take your Aadhar Card to the nearest BSNL office

• You have to visit the BSNL CSC (Customer Service Centre) / Authorised franchisee / retailer to request for porting of your mobile number.

• Fill in a CAF (Customer Application Form) and pay the porting fees for processing. (Presently BSNL is not charging any fees for porting into BSNL).

• Meet the concerned BSNL official for porting.

• The officials will ask you for UPC and fingerprint, Aadhar card & take a picture of you as part of their KYC verification.

• You’ll have to recharge with a ₹250 plan initially (they might offer this plan at a discounted rate of ₹150). For porting, there’s no fees at the moment.

• Do note that the BSNL porting process will take at least 7 days in all LSAs except NE, Assam and J&K. in these three LSAs porting will take more time.

Remember you can port from BSNL to Jio for free online using their Port to Jio page and do not need to visit them physically.

For Airtel also, one can easily port their BSNL, Jio or Vi number to Airtel online by raising a port request on this page.

For Vodafone Idea also, one can easily place their Mobile Number Portability (MNP) request online and get their new SIM card delivered to their home for free.

Dimer’s spotlight (Read some interest discussion threads from our dimers)✔️✔️✔️:

• BSNL profitable after 17 years

• BSNL Validity Extension

Also read: How to Stack Mobile Recharges for Jio, Airtel, Vi

If you want to port from Reliance Jio to any other telecom operator, here’s a useful guide for you covering questions like how you can port from Jio to Airtel, BSNL or Vi online, fees & charges for porting out of Jio and to it and much more.

First, let's understand the process of porting out from Jio.

• First send “PORT(Space)Mobile Number” to the number 1901 from the number you wish to port from Jio to other telecom operator

• Once sent, you will shortly receive a UPC (Unique Porting Code)

• Once you have this code, all you need to do is visit your preferred telecom website to port your mobile number. (Eg: if you want to port from Jio to Airtel then follow Airtel’s porting process). All processes are mentioned in this article.

Generally it takes 3 to 5 days for the Mobile Number Portability (MNP) request to be successfully processed & completed.

Also read: How to Earn JioCoins for Free

• Visit Port to Jio Online page

• Click on “Raise SIM porting service request”

• Click on “Order now”

• Enter your Name & Mobile Number

• Enter the OTP

• Enter your home delivery address

• Keep your Aadhar Card ready

• The Jio agent will ask you for UPC, Aadhar Card and fingerprint & take a picture of you as part of their KYC verification.

• Carry ₹200 to ₹300 with yourself as you’ll need to recharge your new Jio SIM to activate it

• There’s no additional cost/fee you need to pay separately for the porting process, new SIM or anything else.

• You can track the status of your request through MyJio app

Useful Tip: Earlier, Jio used to charge ₹99 for Prime membership along with the base plan for porting users. But from November 25, 2024, Jio Prime membership is free with your first recharge or postpaid enrollment. If you're an existing Jio user with an active plan, you're already a Prime member. So, while porting, you don’t need to pay any extra fee. If a SIM delivery agent asks for it, just know it's no longer required.

If you are porting out from Jio to other telecom operators because you can’t seem to find a cheap way to keep your Jio SIM active, the recent TRAI rule is worthy to know.

As per a recent circular of TRAI, users can keep their SIM active for 4 months with a recharge of just Rs.20.

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Bharti Airtel, an Indian telecom provider with services in over 19 countries across the globe offers a range of recharge options along with benefits like Airtel XStream, Hello Tunes & even Netflix and JioHotstar (formerly known as Disney+ Hotstar). Porting from Airtel to Jio, BSNL or Vi can be easily done both online or offline. In this article, we have shared everything we know about Airtel porting charges & fees, how to port to Airtel and port out from Airtel to other telcos.

Porting from Airtel to other telecom operators can be done both online & offline. For online Airtel porting, simply follow the steps mentioned below:

• Send an SMS “PORT(Space)Mobile Number” to the number 1900

• Make sure you are on an active plan (top-up recharges won’t work)

• You will receive a UPC on your SMS within in a few seconds or minutes

• Once you have this code, all you need to do is visit your preferred telecom website to port your mobile number. (Eg: if you want to port from Airtel to Jio then follow Jio’s porting process). All processes are mentioned in this article.

Useful tip: If you have any unpaid postpaid bill, be sure to clear that first and then request for porting.

Another important note:

Before porting out of Airtel, note down your account number from your last bill—you’ll lose access to it after porting, but you’ll need it to pay your final bill. If you're on a family plan, clear any outstanding pro-rata charges before exiting the plan. Once porting is complete, Airtel will generate a final bill for the days between initiation and completion, which can only be paid manually on their website under the "inactive accounts" section. If you forget your account number, you’ll have to email Airtel support to retrieve it. Ignoring this bill could lead to service disconnection by your new operator, so make sure to pay it.

Also read: Get JioHotstar Premium for Free

Following is the process if you wish to port your existing SIM to Airtel network without changing your number.

• Download Airtel Thanks app & log in with your Jio, Vi or BSNL number

• Initiate a port request through the app

• Airtel agent will visit you at your home for KYC verification & handing over a new SIM card

• After 3-7 days, your port request will be completed and your new Airtel SIM will be activated

• Select your preferred recharge plan (use Airtel Axis card for 25% cashback if you have it) & complete the payment

• Your new Airtel SIM is successfully activated

• Visit your nearest Airtel store or an Airtel vendor stall

• Request them to port your Jio, BSNL or Vi number to Airtel

• They will ask for Aadhar card and take a picture for KYC verification

• Next, they will ask you to send an SMS “PORT(Space)Mobile Number” to the number 1900

• Once you have your Unique Porting Code (UPC), you’ll proceed to the next step

• They will ask you to do a FRC (First Recharge Coupon) and give three options: ₹199, ₹299, and ₹349

• For some reason, you will most likely not be allowed to choose the cheapest ₹199 FRC so go ahead with the ₹299 plan

• Once the FRC is done successfully, your new Airtel SIM will be activated

• Note that porting from other telcos to Airtel is completely free & you do not need to pay any extra fee to the vendor or to Airtel agents

We’d recommend going ahead with the first method as that saves you from paying unnecessary for FRC. Also, be sure to opt for postpaid or prepaid carefully as you can only migrate from Postpaid to Prepaid after 90 days of use.

Dimer’s spotlight (Read some interest discussion threads from our dimers)✔️✔️✔️:

• Porting Vi number to Airtel

• Worst decision porting to Airtel (the mandatory cyber-crime announcement in every call)

• Time to port to another provider (Charges to port to Vi or Airtel)

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Vodafone Idea (Vi) loss at the moment of writing this article sits around ₹6,609 Crore. But that doesn’t stop the telco from continuing to provide its services across the country. Vodafone Idea 5G is also in progress currently and is expected to roll out in select cities like Mumbai, Delhi, Patna, etc within a week or so. The telecom still offers pretty competitive recharge rates especially their weekend data rollover, up to 2GB free data every week, free unlimited data for select timings & other benefits makes it a preferred option for many. But nevertheless, if you need to port out from Vi to Jio, Airtel or BSNL, this guide covers most of your questions.

• Send an SMS “PORT(Space)Mobile Number” to the number 1900

• Make sure you are on an active plan (SMS charges are applicable)

• You will receive an UPC on your SMS within in a few seconds or minutes

• Once you have this code, all you need to do is visit your preferred telecom website to port your mobile number. (Eg: if you want to port from Airtel to Jio then follow Jio’s porting process). All processes are mentioned in this article.

Important things to know while porting out from Vi

• For postpaid users porting out from Vi in mid-cycle, the telco may block your port request citing unpaid dues if you only clear the outstanding bill on a pro rata basis.

• To avoid issues, pay an extra amount (ex: ₹50) while paying the outstanding bill (customer service may help calculate this).

• In most cases, Vi will deduct some say ₹30 and refund back remaining amount & your port request will successfully pass through

• Do NOT convert to prepaid first because some users have reported that Vi treats postpaid to prepaid conversion as porting and it may lock you in for 3 months before you can port again.

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Follow the steps below to port your mobile number to Vodafone Idea from other telecom operators.

• Generate UPC code by sending PORT message to 1900

• Visit Vodafone Idea MNP (Mobile Number Portability) service page online or log in to the Vi app

• Select the Port to Vi service

• Choose between prepaid and postpaid connection

• Enter mobile number you wish to port to Vi and your area pincode

• Next enter your name & address

• Next select the FRC plan (₹299 per month, 1.5 GB/day)

• You can either pay for the plan right away or pay on SIM delivery. Select as per your choice.

• Next enter OTP to validate your phone number

• Your porting request is successfully raised & you’ll get details like delivery date, etc.

• A new Vi SIM will be delivered to your doorstep for free

• The delivery agent will click a picture of you for KYC verification and ask for Aadhar Card/any other identity and address proof

• You will be successfully ported to Vi network with the help of UPC

• You do not need to pay any extra fee for porting to Vi.

Dimer’s spotlight (Read some interest discussion threads from our dimers)✔️✔️✔️:

• Cheapest Vi Plan to Keep SIM Active

• Vodafone Idea Plans Queue Query

With this we come to an end to our Jio, Airtel, Vi, BSNL porting guide. We hope this article helps you port to BSNL, Jio, Airtel, or Vi without changing your mobile number via MNP service which is now easier than ever, whether online or offline. Just make sure to generate your UPC code, clear any pending dues (if applicable), and follow the simple steps mentioned in this article to port to a different network.