International SMS.
Global business messaging is a minefield. We make it simple.
Every country has different sender ID rules, registration requirements, content restrictions, and quiet hours. Getting it wrong means messages that never arrive, sender IDs that get overwritten, and campaigns that fail before they start. We navigate the complexity so you can focus on your message.
The Challenge
Sending internationally isn't the same as sending in the UK.
The UK is one of the most permissive countries in the world for SMS. Most businesses assume the rest of the world works the same way. It doesn't. Every country has its own rules for who can send, what they can say, and when they can say it.
Sender ID restrictions
Some countries block alphanumeric sender IDs entirely, require pre-registration before use, or silently overwrite your brand name with a random number.
Mandatory registration
50+ countries require sender ID registration before you can send a single message. Lead times range from a few days to 90+ days depending on the country.
Template pre-approval
39 countries, including India, China, Saudi Arabia, UAE, and Indonesia, require every message template to be reviewed and approved before sending.
Content filtering
Countries actively filter messages for banned terms, URLs, promotional language, and restricted content. Some block messages silently with no error returned.
Quiet hours
France prohibits marketing SMS between 20:30 and 08:00, and bans Sunday messaging entirely. India restricts promotional SMS to 10am–9pm. The UAE enforces similar windows.
Language requirements
France requires French in commercial messages. China mandates Chinese-language signatures. Several Middle Eastern countries prefer or require Arabic.
URL and link blocking
India, Saudi Arabia, UAE, and China block URLs in messages. Saudi bans URL shorteners. India requires URL whitelisting before links will pass.
Unreliable delivery reports
International delivery reports are far less reliable than UK. Some networks only confirm network receipt, not handset delivery. Grey routes provide no delivery reports at all.
Sender ID Types
Three sender ID types, each with different rules.
Your sender ID is what recipients see when your message arrives. The type you use determines which countries you can reach, whether replies are possible, and what registration is needed.
Alphanumeric
Up to 11 characters of your brand name displayed as the sender. Available in 186 countries, with 53 requiring pre-registration. One-way only. Recipients cannot reply.
Most popular for business SMS
Long Code
A 10–15 digit phone number as the sender. Available in 230+ countries with two-way messaging support. Throughput limited to approximately 1 message per second.
Two-way messaging available
Short Code
A 3–7 digit number, typically used for high-volume campaigns. Only available in 14 countries. Throughput up to 100 messages per second. Approval takes 8–12 weeks.
Limited country availability
Country Regulations
Every country writes its own rules.
Some countries are open and permissive. Others require weeks of registration, pre-approved templates, and strict content rules. Here's a snapshot of what to expect.
Transactional & notification SMS
OTPs, order confirmations, appointment reminders, delivery alerts. Generally more permissive worldwide, with fewer time restrictions, often exempt from quiet hours, and less aggressive content filtering. Still requires sender ID registration where mandated.
Marketing & promotional SMS
Campaigns, offers, promotions, sales messages. Far more restrictive internationally. Quiet hours enforced, content filtering aggressive, template pre-approval more likely, and many countries require proof of explicit opt-in. Some countries ban promotional SMS to non-customers entirely.
We provide detailed guidance on what's permitted for each message type in every country you want to reach.
UK & Europe
+- Alphanumeric sender IDs allowed without registration in most countries
- GDPR and PECR consent rules apply across the EU and UK
- Ireland: ComReg Sender ID Registry mandatory. Unregistered IDs blocked since October 2025. Faretext is a registered OPA (Originating Participating Aggregator)
- France exception: quiet hours (20:30–08:00), no Sundays, French language required, numeric IDs blocked
United States
- Alphanumeric sender IDs not supported. Long codes or toll-free numbers only
- 10DLC registration mandatory since February 2025 for all A2P messaging
- Strict content filtering on promotional and marketing messages
India
- DLT (Distributed Ledger Technology) registration mandatory for all senders
- Every message template must be pre-approved before sending
- URL whitelisting required. Unregistered links are stripped or blocked
- Promotional SMS restricted to 10am–9pm only
China
- Must have a local Chinese business entity to send
- All message templates require pre-approval
- Chinese-language signatures mandatory in every message
- Content heavily filtered. Political, religious, and sensitive topics blocked
Middle East
+- Sender ID registration mandatory in UAE and Saudi Arabia
- Promotional messages require "AD-" prefix in sender ID
- URL shorteners banned in Saudi Arabia
- Quiet hours enforced across multiple countries
Australia & South Africa
- Australia ACMA sender ID register launching from July 2026
- South Africa always overwrites sender ID. Your brand name will not display
- Consent-based messaging required in both countries
Faretext is a registered Originating Participating Aggregator (OPA) with ComReg, Ireland's Commission for Communications Regulation. We register sender IDs on behalf of our customers for delivery to Irish mobile numbers.
This is a snapshot. Regulations change frequently. Talk to our team about your specific target countries.
Template Pre-Approval
39 countries require message template approval before you send.
In countries like India, China, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Indonesia, Nigeria, Vietnam, Thailand, the Philippines, and 30+ more, you can't just write a message and send it. Every template needs to be submitted, reviewed, and approved by a regulatory body or the network operators, before a single message goes out.
Delivery Reports
International delivery reports aren't what you'd expect.
Network-level confirmation
Many international networks only confirm that a message reached the network, not that it was delivered to the recipient's handset. A "delivered" status may not mean what you think.
Grey routes and no DLRs
Budget providers often route messages through grey routes, unofficial paths that bypass network agreements. These routes are cheaper but provide no proof of delivery and frequently fail.
Direct routes, honest reporting
Faretext uses direct carrier connections for international messaging. We provide transparent delivery reporting. If a message fails, you'll know about it, not wonder why your campaign underperformed.
Common Pitfalls
Mistakes that cost businesses time and money.
Assuming UK rules apply everywhere
The UK is one of the most permissive SMS markets in the world. Apply UK assumptions to India, China, or the US and your messages simply won't arrive.
Sender ID overwritten without warning
South Africa always replaces your sender ID. In other countries, unregistered alphanumeric IDs are silently swapped for random numbers. Recipients won't know who sent the message.
Underestimating registration lead times
India's DLT registration can take weeks. Short code approval takes 8–12 weeks. Starting the process late means a delayed launch, sometimes by months.
Character encoding reduces message length
Non-GSM characters (accents, emoji, Chinese, Arabic) trigger UCS-2 encoding, cutting a single SMS from 160 to just 67 characters per part. Costs multiply fast.
URLs blocked without notification
India, Saudi Arabia, UAE, and China actively filter URLs from messages. Messages can arrive with links silently stripped or blocked entirely with no error returned.
No visibility when messages fail
We only use direct routes with genuine DLRs, backed by monitoring systems that detect non-delivery spikes and unusual account activity, so whether it's a routing issue or a spam attack, we catch it early and alert you proactively.
How We Help
We handle the complexity so you don't have to.
Tell us your target countries
Share your target countries and expected volumes. We research the regulations, sender ID requirements, and registration processes for each destination.
We advise on sender ID and compliance
We recommend the best sender ID type for each country, handle registrations where required, and manage the template submission and pre-approval process.
Test and validate
We send test messages to every target country, verify your sender IDs display correctly, and confirm delivery reports are working before you go live.
Launch with confidence
Your international messaging is fully configured, compliant, and actively monitored. We provide ongoing guidance and support as regulations evolve.
Ready to send internationally?
Tell us where you need to reach and we'll handle the rest: regulations, registrations, sender IDs, and compliance.
UK-based support. 01142 945 993. hello@faretext.co.uk
FAQS
International SMS FAQs.
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5 min readReady to go global with SMS?
Our team will guide you through the regulations, registrations, and sender ID rules for your target countries.
UK-based support. 01142 945 993. hello@faretext.co.uk