Mobile internet on foreign SIM cards and eSIMs has stopped working in Russia

This week, foreign citizens in various regions of Russia have reported problems connecting to the internet using foreign SIM cards and eSIMs.

Some news reports have stated that the Ministry of Digital Development announced the introduction of a so-called “cooling-off period” for SIM cards belonging to foreign citizens, meaning no mobile internet access during the first five hours of their stay in Russia. 
In practice, things look somewhat different.

On the Kaspersky Lab website for purchasing eSIMs, Russia is no longer available to select. 

Meanwhile, telecom operators are discussing with the Ministry of Digital Development ways to simplify the rules for foreign citizens purchasing SIM cards in Russia.

What is being proposed:
➖Link the validity period of a SIM card to the length of a foreign tourist’s stay in Russia—once the permitted period expires, the issued SIM card may be deactivated. 
This applies specifically to tourists, not migrant workers.
➖Cancel the requirement for tourists to provide biometric data when obtaining SIM cards. 
➖ Introduce online eSIM registration using a passport scan and a photograph, with automatic verification against data collected at the border. (Not all phones support this type).

Telecom operator T2 has moved faster than everyone else and is expanding its network of biometric terminals to identify foreign citizens purchasing SIM cards.

By the end of October 2025, the company will install 300 terminals in its stores, and by the end of the first quarter of 2026, their number will reach 1,000.

Similar terminals are already operating in St. Petersburg, Nizhny Novgorod, Voronezh, Rostov-on-Don, Tula, Yekaterinburg, and Krasnodar.

The identification procedure is integrated with the Gosuslugi portal and the Unified Biometric System, making it possible to activate a SIM card within a few minutes. To connect, users need a verified Gosuslugi account and registered biometric data.

@ The Way Home

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