Russian SIM Cards for Foreigners in 2026: Registration, Device ID and the 10-Number Limit

Updated 3 August 2026

Russia has significantly tightened the rules for issuing mobile numbers to foreigners. An immigrant can no longer obtain a lawful Russian SIM card simply by presenting a passport at a mobile-phone shop.

Since 1 January 2025, a foreign national or stateless person generally needs:

• a SNILS individual insurance number;
• a verified Gosuslugi account;
• confirmed biometric data in Russia’s Unified Biometric System;
• personal attendance at the operator’s shop;
• registration of the device in which the SIM will be used.

Foreign subscribers may have no more than ten Russian mobile numbers in total. Since 1 January 2026, the authorities have also been able to monitor whether a SIM is being used in the device recorded in the contract.

Who is covered?

The rules apply to foreign nationals and stateless persons, incl. tourists, students, employees and holders of Russian temporary or permanent residence permits.

There is no separate simplified procedure for a “tourist SIM”.

How to obtain a Russian SIM card

1. Obtain a SNILS number

SNILS is required for access to several Russian state systems. A foreigner may apply through the Social Fund of Russia, a multifunctional public-services centre, or an employer.

A foreign-language passport will normally require a notarised Russian translation.

2. Create and verify a Gosuslugi account

The foreign national must register in Russia’s Unified Identification and Authentication System, normally through the Gosuslugi portal.

A basic online account is not enough. The account must be properly verified and linked to the same ID that will be presented to the mobile operator.

3. Register biometrics

The applicant must have confirmed biometric data in the Unified Biometric System. This can usually be done through an authorised Russian bank. Some operators may also provide biometric registration in selected shops.

Biometric data collected for immigration or border-control purposes do not necessarily satisfy this requirement. The applicant should confirm that the biometric record is linked to the relevant Gosuslugi account.

4. Visit the operator in person

A foreigner’s initial mobile-services contract cannot normally be concluded entirely online. The subscriber must attend the operator’s shop or an authorised representative.

The applicant should bring:

• the original passport;
• a notarised Russian translation, where required;
• the SNILS number;
• access to the verified Gosuslugi account;
• the phone or other device in which the SIM will be used.

The operator checks the subscriber’s identity through state databases, verifies the biometric record and confirms that the ten-number limit will not be exceeded.

The SIM must be linked to a device

The mobile-services contract must contain the identifier of the device in which the SIM will be used. For most mobile phones, this is the IMEI number.

An IMEI is normally a 15-digit code. It can usually be found:

• by dialling *#06#;
• in the device settings;
• on the original packaging.

Dual-SIM phones normally have two IMEI numbers. The operator must record the IMEI corresponding to the physical SIM slot or eSIM profile that will actually be used.

Moving the SIM to another phone

A foreign subscriber should not simply insert the SIM into another device. The new IMEI must first be added to or updated in the contract.

Some operators allow the IMEI to be changed through an application with Gosuslugi identification. Others require a personal visit to a shop.

If the network detects that the SIM is being used in a device different from the one stated in the contract, the operator may be required to suspend mobile service.

The same rule may apply when:

• replacing a lost or damaged phone;
• moving the SIM between slots in a dual-SIM device;
• changing from a phone to a modem or tablet;
• transferring an eSIM to another device.

The ten-number limit

An immigrant may have no more than ten Russian mobile numbers in total.

The limit applies across all Russian operators and includes:

• personal numbers registered directly to the foreigner; and
• corporate numbers provided by an employer or individual entrepreneur.

For example, a person with seven personal numbers and three employer-provided numbers has already reached the limit.

The rule applies equally to physical SIM cards and eSIMs. It concerns subscriber numbers, not the number of plastic cards or devices.

Checking registered numbers

Foreign subscribers can use Gosuslugi to check which mobile numbers are associated with them. The information should include both personal and corporate numbers.

This is particularly important after leaving an employer. Returning a corporate SIM card does not necessarily mean that the number has immediately been removed from the person’s record.

If an unfamiliar number appears, the subscriber may request its suspension through Gosuslugi.

A blocked or unused number may continue to count towards the limit until the contract or corporate assignment has been formally terminated.

SIM cards issued before 2025

Older SIM cards were not automatically exempt from the new rules.

Operators were required to re-identify foreign subscribers, confirm their number count and add the relevant device identifier to the contract by 1 July 2025.

Where the required verification was not completed, the operator had to stop providing service. Amendments adopted in June 2026 also require the termination of non-compliant contracts.

A foreigner whose old SIM has stopped working should contact the operator. Reissue of the same number may be possible, but it is not guaranteed.

Corporate SIM cards

An employer-provided SIM counts towards the foreign employee’s ten-number limit.

Employers should check whether an employee has space within the limit before assigning a new corporate number. Employees should ensure that old assignments are cancelled after returning a SIM card or leaving a company.

The number should then be checked through Gosuslugi to confirm that it is no longer associated with the former user.

Are eSIMs treated differently?

No. The law covers both removable SIM cards and electronic identification modules.

Additional enforcement from 6 August 2026

Federal Law No. 251-FZ of 26 July 2026 introduces additional criminal liability from 6 August 2026.

The offence concerns persons responsible for repeatedly concluding foreign subscribers’ contracts without the required device identifier or with knowingly false device information, after previous administrative penalties or a qualifying conviction.

The possible penalties include substantial fines and imprisonment for up to one year.

The provision primarily targets employees and agents who issue non-compliant SIM cards. An ordinary subscriber who accidentally uses the wrong device does not automatically commit this criminal offence, although the SIM may still be blocked because of an IMEI mismatch.

To-do list

A foreign visitor should not expect to buy a Russian SIM card immediately after arrival using only a passport. The usual sequence is:

1) obtain SNILS;
2) create and verify a Gosuslugi account;
3) register biometrics;
4) visit the operator with the intended device;
5) conclude the contract and register the correct IMEI.

After activation, the subscriber should regularly check the numbers listed in Gosuslugi, remain within the ten-number limit and update the IMEI before moving the SIM to another device.

Offers of anonymous, passport-only or fully remote Russian SIM registration for an ordinary foreigner should be treated with caution. Such arrangements may violate Russian communications law and may result in the number being blocked or the contract being terminated.

This article describes the general federal rules in force as at 3 August 2026. Particular procedures may depend on the operator, the subscriber’s documents and any applicable special legal regime.


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