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Mobile phone IMEI codes registration system implementation will provide a better solution for a number of problems existing in the country:

• Telephone thefts;
  
• Second problem to be solved due to the above, is illegal import;
• Third problem refers to phone cloning and fake IMEI codes.

The system database will be filled with IMEI codes on an on-going basis as the new mobile phones arrive to Azerbaijan. Registration of telephones newly imported to Azerbaijan will be performed by customs bodies, and when subscribing to a mobile operator's network. At the moment voluntary IMEI code registration service is available at Geydar Aliyev International Airport when people bring mobile phones into the country. Registration will also be available at Post Office nearest to you. A person intending to register the mobile phone will be offered to fill in a Form.

IMEI numbers of all devices which were brought to the country for personal use, in accordance with the existing legislation, shall be registered within 30 (thirty) days period at the latest, by providing the required documents. If a new device is used, a message will be sent to the said device, informing about the necessity to register it within 30 days. If the device remains unregistered after the end of the relevant period, its IMEI code will be entered into the black list. For the subscribers’ convenience the www.imei.az webpage has been created, where the subscribers will be able to receive information about IMEI numbers of used devices.

IMEI code means International Mobile Equipment Identifier. It includes 15 digits and theoretically it is unique and can belong to the one and only telephone of all.

The first six digits mean the phone model number. the next two digits stand for the country manufacturer of the phone. The next six digits are the telephone serial number. And the last digit is a spare indicator which may be figured out by special formula based on the previous digits.

To find out your phone code you have to dial *#06#. If you had not done this before the phone was stolen, you can read it on the box the new phone was packed in.

IMEI codes of the mobile devices already operated in the mobile operators' networks before the date of the corresponding law enactment, shall be enrolled into the Whitelist by the registration center, based on the data submitted by the mobile operators. You don't have to re-register.

All companies and individuals, who brought a mobile device into the country for personal usage or for sale/retail should register the telephones.

Citizens, who bring the mobile phone for personal use, should visit the registration center or the mobile operator customer service, or the nearest post-office for registration. The citizen who applies for registration should present:

• Copy of the person's ID;
  
• The telephone for inspection; to fill in the phone brand, model, IMEI code;
• Appropriate form.

All companies and individuals, who brought a mobile device into the country for sale or any other commercial purposes, should fill in an appropriate form of application, notifying the brand, model, quantity and IMEI codes of the imported mobile devices, and to submit the form to the registration center with the following documents:

• Copy of Certificate of State registration of documents;
  
• Copy of the person's ID;
• Copy of Taxpayer Registration Certificate;
• Copy of Conformity Certificate.

The information, submitted by the companies or individuals who imported mobile devices into the country for sale or any other commercial purposes, should be considered by the registration center within three (3) working days.

The information, submitted by citizens, who brought the mobile phone for personal use, should be considered by the registration center within three (3) working days.

Once no defects are revealed in the submitted documents, the IMEI codes should be included into the Whitelist within thirty (30) days (provided all the requirements, specified in the Registration Rules have been observed), and the applicant will receive a corresponding notification letter from the registration center, otherwise the mobile device operation in the network will be banned.

Registration of each imported device for personal usage is AZN 5 (five).

• In case the IMEI code of the device has not been registered according to the present Rules;
• In case the phone was illegally imported;
• In case the phone was lost or stolen;
• And also in case IMEI-registration will reveal that the database already contains the same IMEI code;

the mobile phone will be locked.

According to appropriate procedures the Registration Center will identify the original telephone the IMEI code belongs to.

In case the phone was lost or stolen, you should present a reference from Police and your ID to Bakcell Customer Service Center, and your phone will be completely disabled within 24 hours. This service is offered for FREE.

Among telephones imported to Azerbaijan, there are many handsets that not meet GSM standard requirements. These phones may contain spy software, their IMEI may fail the safety regulations, and this is harmful for your health, they may operate at wrong frequencies and thus interfere with other devices operation at these frequencies.

These telephones also happen to use a fictitious IMEI code, which actually should be officially purchased from GSM-association. Usually this refers to telephones bought 5-6 years ago. In new models it is not so easy to fake the IMEI code. In generally the phones which are currently in use will be operating in the future too. But the life cycle of these devices is pretty short and they will gradually leave the market, and the new phones of this type won't be allowed to arrive and they won't be able to work in the networks of mobile operators.

In case a foreigner (roamer) uses international roaming services within territory of Azerbaijan through the SIM-card belonging to a foreign mobile operator, then there'll be no need to register IMEI code of the mobile phone here.

All guests of our country, who want to enjoy the services offered by local mobile operators, will have to register ІМЕІ codes of their telephones. To do so the foreigners themselves should visit registration centers. In case the mobile phone ІМЕІ code is not registered, the mobile device will be locked in 30 days.

According to the Mobile Devices Registration Rules there are no restriction apply to the mobile devices subject to registration. The customs duties rates for the imported mobile devices is the responsibility of the State Customs Committee.

The project participants have developed a procedure for enrolling to the database such telephones, with two IMEI codes. According to the effective standards, these IMEI codes differ from each other just by one digit. This means the issue is solved in the registration system, because it is inadmissible to leave one IMEI code in operation when another is locked.

The subscriber may go to police and write a claim. Reference document from the Police is all the mobile operator requires to completely disable all services for the telephone within minutes, and it will be impossible to use the phone. In case you have a dual SIM phone, then both IMEI codes will be locked simultaneously according to the procedure. Thus the phone is completely disabled.

ІМЕІ codes of stolen and lost phones will be included into the Blacklist. Once the IMEI code is included into the Blacklist, the telephone will be locked within 24 hours and it won't be possible to use mobile operator's services.

The database will be filled in with IМЕI codes of the mobile phones, arriving to Azerbaijan. Control and registration of the mobile phones arrived to the country will be performed by customs bodies as well as, when connecting the mobile operator's networks.

Whitelist – contains IMEI codes of mobile phones registered according to the applicable laws of Azerbaijan, including the devices with permanent IMEI, as preset by International GSM Association, as well as the devices with unique IMEI codes.

Blacklist – contains IMEI-codes of devices, which were not registered according to the present Rules, including illegally imported, lost, stolen devices and the devices with IMEI codes unknown to International GSM Association. Blacklist telephones cannot enjoy the services of the country's mobile operators.

Greylist – contains IMEI codes of mobile devices, which operate in telecommunication networks of the mobile operators, but do not belong to Blacklist or Whitelist. IMEI codes from the Greylist will be thoroughly inspected and then included into Blacklist or Whitelist. Registration center will receive information from mobile operators to determine an IMEI code from the Greylist.

In case the Registration Center reveals, that IMEI code written in the new application form is the same as some code existing in the Whitelist or it was cloned (copied), it will be immediately included into the Blacklist and the registration Center will send an official notification on that to the applicant. If the mobile device is currently used in the network, then its mobile operator will inform the subscriber via SMS.

The project includes GSM operators as well as governmental bodies (Ministries of Communications and Information Technologies, of Justice, of Economic Development, on Emergency Situations, State Committee of Standardization, Metrology and patents, State Customs Committee and others).

The System United Control Center will be located in the Ministry of Communications and Information Technologies.

By using www.imei.az website you can check whether your mobile device (purchased from a phone shop) is on the black list. If the device is on the black list, there is a chance that is was illegally imported to the country, or a used phone was sold to you instead of a new one, after replacing some parts. In such case, you should return the blacklisted device to the relevant shop.

If you’ve failed to timely register your mobile device and it was put to the black list, you will be able to move it to the white list by going through the standard registration procedure.

You can contact the information center by dialing 157 from landline or 012157 from mobile telecommunications network 7 days a week, from 09:00 to 21:00.