If you send SMS from a US number to an Israeli recipient, do you need 10DLC registration?
No. And that surprises most people who have been told "10DLC is required for all A2P SMS."
10DLC is a US domestic regulation. It applies when a US long code sends to a US number. When a message routes internationally - US to Israel, US to India, US to Germany - it exits US carrier networks via international SS7/GSMA interconnects, and those gateways do not check The Campaign Registry. US carriers enforce 10DLC on domestic routing only. International routes bypass that filtering layer entirely. This is why US to Israel SMS works without 10DLC.
But that does not mean international SMS has no rules. It means the rules are different, and they belong to the destination country.
This guide maps both sides: what the origin country requires, and what the destination country requires, for every major market.
The Two-Axis Framework
Think of SMS compliance as two independent axes: origin country and destination country. Each has its own requirements. The compliance burden for any given message is the union of both.
Origin-side rules are enforced by the sending country's carriers or imposed by its laws. 10DLC is an example - but it only applies to domestic US traffic. If your UK number sends internationally, Ofcom's RC bundle requirement travels with it. CASL consent obligations from Canada apply regardless of where the recipient is.
Destination-side rules are enforced (or legally imposed) by the receiving country. They fall into two types: technical enforcement (carrier-level blocking of unregistered traffic) and legal/consent requirements (traffic passes but you are liable if you did not get consent or follow the rules).
The origin and destination requirements are independent. You comply with both.
Origin-Side Requirements
| Origin | Framework | What to Register | Scope |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 10DLC / The Campaign Registry (TCR) | Brand + campaign per use case | US domestic only (US long code to US numbers) |
| Canada | CRTC + CASL | A2P long code registration (new numbers from March 2025) | All destinations; CASL consent obligations follow the sender |
| United Kingdom | Ofcom RC bundle | RC bundle approval for long codes | All destinations |
| EU countries | GDPR + national ePrivacy | Consent records | All destinations |
| Australia | ACMA Spam Act | Sender ID registration (mandatory Dec 2025) | All destinations |
The practical implication: if you send from a US long code to a US number, you need 10DLC. If you send from a US long code to Israel, India, or anywhere else outside the US, 10DLC is not enforced - but the destination country's rules apply.
Destination-Side: The Three Tiers
Not all destination-country requirements are created equal. Some countries technically block unregistered traffic at the carrier level. Others impose legal liability without blocking. Others have no sector-specific SMS regulation at all.
SMS Regulation Tiers: Country Count vs. Traffic Weight
6% of destinations drive 70% of global A2P traffic — and they all require mandatory registration
The chart above shows the mismatch: Tier 1 countries are only about 6% of global destinations, but they represent roughly 70% of global A2P SMS traffic. If you send to US, Indian, UK, Chinese, Canadian, Australian, UAE, Saudi, Brazilian, or Singapore recipients, you are operating in Tier 1. Get the registrations done before launch.
Tier 1 - Mandatory Registration (traffic blocked without it)
| Country | Regulator | What You Register | Key Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | FCC / TCR (10DLC) | Brand + campaign | 100% carrier blocking since Feb 2025; short codes and toll-free have separate tracks |
| India | TRAI (DLT platform) | Entity (PEID) + Sender Header + every message template | Promotional only 9AM-9PM IST; URLs must be whitelisted on DLT |
| China | MIIT | Template + business license; only 106 sender IDs | Requires Chinese local entity; effectively blocked for foreign companies without one |
| United Kingdom | Ofcom | RC bundle for long codes; Sender ID Register | Unregistered alpha sender IDs blocked from Dec 2025 |
| Canada | CRTC | A2P long code registration (new numbers) | Plus CASL express consent |
| Australia | ACMA | Alphanumeric Sender ID Register | Mandatory from Dec 2025; unregistered IDs blocked |
| UAE | TRA | Alphanumeric sender ID; "AD-" prefix for promo | International companies: transactional only; promotional prohibited |
| Saudi Arabia | CITC | Type B Class Licence + sender ID; "-AD" suffix for promo | No URLs unless pre-safelisted |
| Brazil | ANATEL + LGPD | Sender ID pre-registration | Promo 8AM-8PM weekdays; "PARE" opt-out required |
| Turkey | BTK | URL safelist | All international A2P with URLs blocked from April 2026 |
| Singapore | IMDA / SSIR | Sender ID registration | Increasingly mandatory depending on use case |
Tier 2 - Consent / Legal Compliance (traffic passes, liability applies)
These countries do not technically block unregistered traffic at the carrier level, but violations carry significant legal exposure.
European Union (all 27 member states + EEA)
GDPR applies in every EU country. Beyond GDPR, the ePrivacy Directive is implemented nationally and adds SMS-specific rules:
Israel
Israel has its own A2P SMS rules under the Communications Law (1982) and Privacy Protection Law (1981), enforced by the Ministry of Communications and Privacy Protection Authority:
Asia-Pacific
| Country | Framework | Key Rules |
|---|---|---|
| Japan | Anti-Spam Act + APPI | Opt-in consent; URLs heavily filtered; no pre-registration needed but content restrictions are strict |
| South Korea | PIPA + KCC rules | Opt-in consent; only numeric sender IDs; messages labeled "[international]"; gambling/adult/crypto prohibited |
| Philippines | NPC + SIM Registration Act | SIM registration requirement affects delivery; consent required |
| Malaysia | MCMC | Consent; carrier registration recommended |
| Thailand | NBTC | Consent; promo only 8AM-9PM |
| Indonesia | Kominfo | Letter of Authorization + sender registration with local operators |
| Vietnam | MIC | Sender registration; promo only 7AM-11PM |
| Pakistan | PTA | Sender registration required for A2P |
Americas (outside US/Canada)
| Country | Framework | Key Rules |
|---|---|---|
| Mexico | IFT | Explicit consent; 8AM-9PM time window |
| Colombia | MinTIC | Opt-in; time restrictions |
| Argentina | PDPA | Explicit consent |
Africa
| Country | Framework | Key Rules |
|---|---|---|
| South Africa | POPIA + ECT Act | Opt-in consent; electronic communications rules apply |
| Nigeria | NCC | Opt-in; NCC-registered senders preferred by carriers |
| Egypt | NTRA | Sender registration with local carrier recommended |
| Kenya | Communications Authority | Consent; local operator registration recommended |
| Ghana | NCA | Consent + local carrier pre-registration recommended |
Tier 3 - General Privacy Law Only
Most remaining destinations in the Dial pricing list fall here. No carrier-level blocking, no sector-specific SMS regulation - general national privacy and consumer protection law applies. This includes most of the Caribbean, Pacific islands, Central American countries (outside Mexico), most of Sub-Saharan Africa outside the large markets above, most of Central Asia, and the Balkans. Traffic passes. Obtain consent, honor opt-outs, and you are covered.
Common Route Combinations
| Origin to Destination | Regulation Required |
|---|---|
| US to US | 10DLC required (US domestic enforcement) + prior express written consent |
| US to Israel | No 10DLC (international route bypasses enforcement) + Israeli consent/hours rules (legal, no carrier blocker) |
| US to India | No 10DLC + DLT entity/header/template registration (technical blocker at Indian carrier level) |
| US to UK | No 10DLC + RC bundle via UK carrier (technical) + PECR consent (legal) |
| US to EU | No 10DLC + GDPR consent per country (legal) |
| US to Australia | No 10DLC + ACMA Sender ID registration (technical from Dec 2025) |
| US to China | No 10DLC + MIIT registration + local entity (effectively blocked without Chinese entity) |
| US to Canada | No 10DLC + CASL express consent (legal) + CRTC A2P registration if using Canadian long codes |
| US to UAE | No 10DLC + TRA sender ID registration (technical) |
| US to Saudi Arabia | No 10DLC + CITC Type B licence (technical) |
| US to Japan | No 10DLC + opt-in consent (legal) + avoid URLs in messages |
| US to Brazil | No 10DLC + ANATEL sender ID registration (technical) + LGPD consent (legal) |
| US to South Korea | No 10DLC + opt-in consent (legal) + numeric sender IDs only |
| US to South Africa | No 10DLC + POPIA consent (legal) |
| US to Mexico | No 10DLC + IFT consent rules (legal) |
2025-2026 Enforcement Deadlines
Several major markets hardened enforcement in the last 12 months or are doing so now. If you have been operating in these markets without registration, act immediately:
| Date | Change | Market |
|---|---|---|
| Feb 1, 2025 | 100% blocking of unregistered 10DLC | United States |
| March 26, 2025 | New Canadian long code A2P registration required | Canada |
| April 2025 | International A2P with URLs blocked | Turkey |
| Dec 5, 2025 | All unregistered brand traffic blocked | China |
| Dec 15, 2025 | SMS Sender ID Register mandatory | Australia |
| Dec 15, 2025 | UK mandatory Sender ID regime | United Kingdom |
| Ongoing 2026 | PECR penalty ceiling rises to GBP 17.5M | European Union / UK |
Practical Compliance Checklist
Before launching SMS from any Dial number to any destination, run through these:
The registrations that cause hard delivery failures - 10DLC (for US domestic), DLT, ACMA Sender ID, TRA - are the ones to do before your first send, not after. The consent-only tiers (EU, Israel, Japan) will not block your messages, but they expose your customers to significant legal liability if consent workflows are not in place.