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Russia proposes new rules for foreigners buying sim cards, requires biometric data

People covered under the new rules will only be allowed to buy a sim card at physical telecom locations, and not via the Internet

© Egor Aleyev/TASS

MOSCOW, April 27. /TASS/. Russia’s Ministry for Digital Technology, Communication and Mass Media has drafted a bill introducing new rules on buying sim cards for foreigners and non-citizens, which stipulates that concluding a service contract will be contingent on giving biometric data to the government. Other details about the bill can be found on the ministry’s Telegram channel.

In particular, it is suggested to limit the number of telephone numbers that can be registered by one foreigner to ten. People covered under the new rules will only be allowed to buy a sim card at physical telecom locations, and not via the Internet.

If the bill is passed, all foreigners who have telecom agreements with service providers will be notified about the new rules by February 1, 2025. They must sign a new contract by March 1, 2025, otherwise they will be disconnected from telecommunications services.

The agreement will contain a unique international identifier, or IMEI, which will be required for the device with the sim card. If the card is inserted into another device, service providers will switch off the connection for the subscriber. However, it will also be possible to reissue the code - at any branch of the service provider.

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