Port Message for Jio: How to Port Your Number (2026)

The port message is the whole first step, and it is one line. From the SIM you want to move, send PORT then a space then your 10-digit mobile number to 1900. Airtel, Vi or BSNL replies with an 8-character Unique Porting Code, and that code is what a Jio store or the MyJio app needs to start the switch. Your number does not change.

Everything else is paperwork. Here is the full sequence, the rules that decide whether the request is accepted, and how long you are actually without service.

The port message, exactly

Send this as a normal SMS from the number being ported:

PORT 9876543210

To 1900. No prefix, no operator name, no extra punctuation — just the word PORT, a space, and the ten digits.

The reply arrives in a minute or two and contains a Unique Porting Code (UPC), eight characters long, plus its expiry date. That UPC is the only thing that proves you asked to leave. If the SMS to 1900 fails, dial 1901 from the same SIM and request the code through the IVR instead.

How long the UPC lasts

The UPC is valid for 4 days in most of India. In Jammu and Kashmir, Assam and the North East licence areas it is valid for 30 days. If it expires before you reach a Jio point of sale, send the port message again and get a fresh one — expired codes are simply rejected, and there is no penalty for re-requesting.

That short window is the single most common reason a port stalls. Do not request the UPC until you are actually ready to walk into a store or complete the MyJio flow.

Who is allowed to port

Four conditions, all set by TRAI rather than by any operator:

• The number must have been active on the current operator for at least 90 days.
• All dues must be cleared. On postpaid that means the last bill is paid; on prepaid there is usually nothing to settle.
• At least 7 days must have passed since any SIM swap or replacement on that number.
• There must be no other porting request already open on the number.

Fail any one and the request is rejected, usually with an SMS naming the reason. Fix the cause and start again with a fresh UPC.

Moving to Jio, step by step

1. Send the port message. PORT <your number> to 1900. Keep the UPC and note its expiry.
2. Pick the Jio plan first. Porting locks you into Jio's pack pricing from day one, so decide what you are actually buying before you hand over the code. Airtel and Jio both price packs by validity and data, and the cheaper number on the banner is not always the cheaper number for your usage.
3. Give the UPC to Jio. Either through the MyJio app or at a Jio store or authorised retailer. You will submit the UPC, the number being ported, and the plan you are moving onto.
4. Complete KYC. Aadhaar-based verification with a photo, done on the spot at a store or by the delivery agent if the SIM comes to you. Carry the ID; the port cannot proceed without it.
5. Pay the porting charge. TRAI caps it at ₹6.46. Anything materially above that is the retailer adding their own fee, not a regulated cost.
6. Collect the new Jio SIM. It stays inactive until the switch completes.
7. Wait for the switch SMS. Jio sends the date and time the port will happen, usually overnight.
8. Swap the SIM at that time. Old SIM out, Jio SIM in, restart the handset.

How long it takes

3 working days for a port within the same licence area, and 5 working days for a port between licence areas. Jammu and Kashmir, Assam and the North East can take up to 15 days.

The actual outage is short. The cutover is scheduled in a defined window, typically late at night, and the gap between the old SIM going dead and the Jio SIM registering is usually under an hour. Keep the old SIM in the phone until the switch SMS arrives — pulling it early does not speed anything up and only costs you service.

Cancelling a port you started

You have 24 hours from raising the request to withdraw it. Send CANCEL to 1900 from the same number within that window and the request is dropped. After 24 hours the port runs to completion, and reversing it means a fresh port back — a new 90-day clock included.

What porting does not change

Your number stays the same, which is the entire point of MNP. Your prepaid balance and any remaining pack validity on the old operator do not travel with you — they are forfeited, so time the port for the end of a pack rather than the day after you recharged. Caller tunes, VAS subscriptions and any operator-specific bundles end with the old connection. WhatsApp, UPI and bank OTPs continue to work because they follow the number, not the operator, though it is worth checking that your bank still has the same number on file.

Before you port: is the pack actually cheaper?

The reason most people port is a plan price, and plan prices move. Compare the pack you will land on against what your current operator would charge you for the same validity and data, including the offers that show up only on your own number in the operator's self-care menu rather than on the public price list.

Our guide to saving on mobile recharge in India covers how to work out the cost per GB per day, which is the comparison that survives a marketing banner. Do that arithmetic before you send anything to 1900, because once the UPC is issued the clock is running.

Moving the other way instead? The rules are the same but the steps differ — see how to port Jio to Airtel.