Identification of domain name administrators: what will change from 1 September 2026

As of that date, users will have to complete identification via the Public Services portal before registering a domain name. Failure to complete the identification will, in itself, be grounds for refusing registration.

The new requirements will also affect domains that are already registered. In particular, the draft Rules require identification when renewing a domain registration or transferring rights to a domain, regardless of whether the domain was registered before or after the new Rules enter into force.

Identification will be required not only for initial registration. Without completing the identification process, the administrator will be unable to perform a number of domain-related actions set out in the Rules, including:

• Registering a new domain name
• Updating domain name or administrator details
• Renewing the registration of a domain name – identification will also be mandatory for domains registered before the Rules enter into force
• Setting or changing domain delegation at the administrator’s request
• Transferring administration rights to another person – both the current and new administrator will be required to complete identification
• Transferring a domain name to another registrar
• Canceling the registration at the administrator’s request

Thus, identification is not merely a one-off formal requirement for registration, but a prerequisite for exercising key administrator rights throughout the domain’s lifecycle.

The new requirements will apply to domain name administrators regardless of their legal status, including individuals, individual entrepreneurs, Russian legal entities and foreign legal entities, including their representative offices and branches.

Particular attention should be paid to corporate domains registered in the name of:

• Contractors, IT providers or web studios
• Current or former employees
• Other individuals

If the formal domain administrator is unable or unwilling to complete the identification process, the company may lose control over the domain and ultimately the domain itself, and therefore be unable to host and run a website under that domain.

The new rules will also apply to foreign domain administrators, but their ability to comply with these requirements will depend on their status in Russia. Foreign individuals holding a temporary or permanent residence permit or a patent, as well as legal entities with an accredited branch or representative office, may complete the identification process via the Public Services portal, provided they have a verified account. 

In all other cases, foreign administators will be unable to register on the Public Services portal and, consequently, will be unable to renew their domains or perform any significant domain-related actions after 1 September 2026.

A registered domain will remain active until the end of the paid registration period, but it will no longer be possible to renew it, transfer the relevant rights, or change the registrar or domain delegation. Once the registration period and the applicable grace period have expired, the domain will be released.

These changes carry significant operational and legal implications for companies. If a domain name is used for a website, corporate email, client services, personal accounts, payment infrastructure or other digital assets, an inability to renew the domain or modify its settings in a timely manner may lead to disruptions to the relevant services.

If a domain is registered to the inappropriate administrator, it may be transferred to another person or legal entity.

After 1 September 2026, both parties will be required to complete the identification process: the current administrator and the person to whom the rights to administer the domain are being transferred. The registrar must process the transfer request within three business days once the conditions stipulated by the Rules have been met.

Companies using domains with .RU, .РФ and .SU extensions should: 

• Audit the domain names in use, including their expiry dates and the current administrator status
• Check or obtain a verified account on the Public Services portal
• Renew domain name registrations in advance
• Transfer domain names where there is a risk of losing control over them, for example, where the domain administrator is a company employee or an external contractor
• Transfer, before 1 September 2026, the rights to administer domains held by foreign administrators to a person with a verified Public Services account, including by entering into a special “trusted administration” agreement, or consider using domains with other extensions that are outside the scope  of the law 

We also recommend checking with the registrar in advance which actions will require identification via the Public Services portal and how the identification process can be completed. Given the possibility of further changes to the regulatory framework and its practical application, companies should address these matters well before their domain registrations expire.