Russian SIM Card for Foreigners

SIM Cards for Foreigners: Get a SIM Card to Stay Connected

Here are the main steps:

1. Prepare the necessary documents and information.
2. Check the number of active SIM cards.
3. Sign a contract with a mobile operator.
4. Activate your SIM card.

Now let’s look at each step more closely.

What documents are needed to get a SIM card in Russia

Before registering a SIM card in Russia as a foreign national, gather the documents and details below. They keep the registration inside the current rules and save a second trip to the office.

You will need an email you can open, an identity document, a notarized translation of a foreign passport, SNILS, a verified Gosuslugi account, confirmed biometric data, and the IMEI of the device that will use the SIM.

What you need	Why it is required
Email address	Used for SNILS, Gosuslugi, and the mobile contract. You must be able to open it.
Identity document	Proves who you are. A foreign passport, or another document if you are stateless.
Notarized translation	Russian translation of a foreign passport, for SNILS, Gosuslugi, biometrics, and the contract.
SNILS	Individual insurance account number. Needed for Gosuslugi and the mobile contract.
Verified Gosuslugi account	Confirmed government account. Used to check identity and to activate the SIM.
Verified biometric data	Face and voice recorded in the Unified Biometric System. Required from January 1, 2025.
IMEI	The 15-digit number of the phone or tablet where this SIM will be used.

Email address

Make sure you can open your email. If you do not have one, create it before you start.

Identity document

Who you are	Accepted document
Foreign citizen	Passport of a foreign national
Stateless person	Residence permit
Stateless person	Refugee certificate
Stateless person	Certificate of temporary asylum in Russia
Stateless person	Temporary residence permit

Notarized translation of a foreign passport

To obtain a notarized translation, you can:

• Visit a notary. Have the translation done by a recommended translator and get it notarized.
• Go to a translation bureau.

SNILS (individual insurance account number)

If you don’t have one, apply at the Social Fund (SFR), an MFC office, or through your employer.

• Bring your passport and a notarized translation in Russian, if that applies to you.
• Provide an email address that you can access.

The document is usually issued immediately, but in rare cases it may take up to five working days.

Verified Gosuslugi account

If you don’t have an account, you will need:

• Passport and a notarized translation in Russian, if that applies to you.
• SNILS.
• An email address that you can access.

How to register a verified account

The path depends on whether you already have a Russian phone number and a bank account.

• No phone number or bank account: visit an MFC office or a bank in person with your documents.
• With a Russian phone number and a bank account: register online via the Gosuslugi portal or app. Select “Online via Internet Banking” and follow the instructions.

Verified biometric data

To register your biometrics in the Unified Biometric System (EBS), you will need:

• Passport and a notarized translation in Russian, if that applies to you.
• SNILS.
• A verified Gosuslugi account.
• The email address registered with Gosuslugi.

If you don’t have a Gosuslugi account, the bank employee will create one during biometric registration.

Steps to register biometrics

1. Visit a bank branch.
2. Provide your documents.
3. Follow the staff’s instructions: look into the camera and say a sequence of numbers.

Your biometric data is registered immediately. You can check the status in:

• Your Gosuslugi account.
• The “Gosuslugi Biometry” app.
• The EBS portal.

IMEI — your device’s identification number

IMEI (International Mobile Equipment Identity) is a unique 15-digit code assigned to every device with a SIM card.

How to find the IMEI

• On the back of the phone’s packaging.
• By dialing *#06# (the IMEI appears on screen).
• In the device settings under “About Phone.”
• On the device body (SIM tray or under the battery).
• In the phone’s documentation.

If you can’t find your IMEI, a mobile operator employee can help.

You can have a maximum of 10 SIMs

Before registering a new SIM card, make sure you have fewer than 10 active SIM cards. Check this at a mobile operator’s office.

If you already have 10 active SIM cards, terminate an existing contract before registering a new one. Visit a mobile operator’s office with your documents.

Any SIM card that is not registered to you, and that you want to keep using, must be re-registered at a mobile operator’s office before July 1, 2025. Otherwise it will stop working.

Sign a contract with a mobile operator

To register a new SIM card, or to re-register an existing one, visit a mobile operator’s office with:

• Passport and notarized translation, if that applies to you.
• SNILS.
• Verified Gosuslugi account.
• Verified biometric data.
• Email address you can access.
• IMEI of the device where you will use the SIM card.

The employee will draft a contract. Review it and sign it. You can activate the SIM in the operator’s office or on Gosuslugi.

Activate your Russian SIM card

You can activate the number yourself on Gosuslugi. If you have trouble, the operator’s employee will do it with you.

Where to obtain required documents and services

Frequently asked questions

What is SNILS?

• A unique 11-digit number assigned by the Social Fund (SFR).
• It stays the same even if documents are lost or your name changes.
• It is used for pension contributions and for registration on Gosuslugi and other government websites.
• SNILS is a digital document. There is no plastic card — you only need to know the number.

To get SNILS as a foreigner or a stateless person, you need an identity document. If you have a foreign passport, a notarized translation in Russian is also required. Apply at an MFC, an SFR office, or through your employer. SNILS is usually issued immediately, but in some cases it may take up to five working days.

What if I already have a SIM card?

To keep using a SIM that is already registered to you, re-register it before July 1, 2025. Otherwise it will stop working.

How to re-register a SIM card

1. Visit your mobile operator’s office with:
   • Identity document.
   • SNILS.
   • Verified biometric data.
   • Verified Gosuslugi account.
   • IMEI of your device.
2. Provide your identity document and IMEI. If you have a foreign passport, a notarized Russian translation is required.
3. Confirm your identity via biometrics. Look into the camera as the employee asks, or use the Gosuslugi app.
4. Sign a new contract.

At what age can I sign a mobile contract?

From age 14, with one of the following identity documents:

• Foreign passport, with a notarized translation.
• Residence permit.
• Refugee certificate.
• Certificate of temporary asylum.
• Temporary residence permit.

Where can I get a notarized passport translation?

In Russia, visit a notary or a translation bureau. The translation is required for SNILS, Gosuslugi registration, biometric registration, and signing a mobile contract.

What email address should I use for Gosuslugi?

To register on Gosuslugi without a phone number, use an email address you can access. Registration also works with a Russian or foreign phone number. Email services such as Yandex, Mail, and VK Mail are accepted.