Sim cards for foreigners will now require biometrics

To prevent mobile phone fraud, amendments have been made to the Federal Law “Concerning Communications”[1] according to which, effective from 1 January 2025, foreign citizens can purchase a sim card only if they provide biometric data.

A foreign citizen who registered a sim card before 1 January 2025 must re-register it by 1 July 2025. If the foreign citizen fails to re-register the sim by that date, the relevant number will be blocked by the mobile network operator.

The new requirements apply to all categories of foreign citizens. Children can have a sim card registered to them from the age of 14 years.

A foreign citizen may have no more than 10 customer numbers registered to his name.

To register a sim card a foreign citizen will need:

1. A notarized translation of  passport into Russian language
2. Russian social security number (SNILS)
3. The IMEI number of the device on which the card is to be used[2]
4. A verified account on the State Services Portal
5. Verified biometrics
6. A visit to the mobile operator’s office.

Verification of biometrics for the purpose of registering a sim card takes place at a bank branch included in a special list. The fact that a person submitted biometric data on entering or exiting Russia[3] or as part of migration procedures (for example, the receipt of a work permit, a work licence, etc.) does not negate the need for this step.

It should be noted that the idea of registering foreign employees’ sim cards to another employee with Russian citizenship to simplify the process is contrary to the spirit of the law and carries risks. We do not recommend doing this. Furthermore, Russian citizens are subject to a limit of 20 customer numbers.

We also point out that sim cards are tied to the number of the device on which they are used (the IMEI number).

The B1 team already has experience of successfully registering sim cards for foreign citizens and would be happy to help your foreign employees at all stages of this process.