This happens because local operators follow Tajikistan's laws. Exactly 10 days after my arrival, my Megafon SIM card was deactivated and couldn’t connect to the network at all. All operators warn you that your SIM works only as long as you’re legally allowed to stay in the country.
When I renewed my registration, my Megafon SIM card worked perfectly until the registration expired. Then it got deactivated again, and I had to visit their office to update the registration in their system.
I tested all major SIM cards in Tajikistan in search of decent internet.
When I left Tajikistan, I re-registered my number to a friend to keep the SIM card. This is easy to do, but the law limits one Tajik citizen to only two SIM cards per operator. It’s a strange rule, especially considering how large families can be in Tajikistan. I ended up transferring SIM cards from one brother to another so my friend could take over mine. :DDD
If the rules dictate deactivation, it shouldn’t matter where the subscriber is physically located. Are you confusing phone deactivation by IMEI (if it’s not registered upon entry) with SIM deactivation?
I’m not confusing the two. I had a tough time with connectivity. Initially, I left and re-entered the country because I couldn’t complete my registration in time. During that gap, my SIM got deactivated for the first time. I visited Megafon’s office, and they extended my SIM for 10 more days.
Later, it happened again. I had to submit my registration details into their system to reactivate it.
IMEI issues came later. First, one phone got blocked, then another. They send warning SMS messages before the block. When all my phones got blocked, I paid the fee to continue using the internet. The cost of installing fiber optics in a house without an existing connection was quoted at $600, so using mobile data was the only option.
Even on a fully legalized phone, my SIM got deactivated three months after my first registration ended. I had to visit their office again and show my new annual registration to reactivate it.