How to Buy a SIM Card for Travel to Russia in 2025 - A Practical Guide

Honest answer first: for a trip of a week or two, buying a Russian SIM card is no longer worth it. Rules that took effect in 2025 tied every foreigner's SIM to government biometric registration, and Russian mobile operators themselves report that tourists have all but stopped signing up. Here is what the process now involves, and what to do instead.

What buying a local SIM actually takes in 2026

To get a Russian number, a foreign citizen must:

• create a verified account on Gosuslugi (the state services portal);
• obtain a SNILS — the Russian equivalent of a social security number;
• visit a participating bank branch to record biometrics (face photo and voice) in the state Unified Biometric System — biometrics taken at the border don't count;
• then sign the contract in person at an operator's shop. Remote and online purchases are not allowed, and one foreigner can hold at most 10 Russian numbers.

Airport kiosks still advertise tourist packages, but they can't skip any of these steps — the queue at Sheremetyevo doesn't change the law. For anyone staying months (work, study, long family visits) the route is doable and a local unlimited plan is genuinely cheap by European standards; for a two-week holiday it eats a day of your trip.

What to do instead

1. A travel eSIM bought before you leave

The practical default in 2026. A handful of international eSIM providers cover Russia — you buy a data package at home, install it in five minutes, and land connected. Check two things before paying: that your phone is eSIM-capable and unlocked, and that the provider explicitly lists Russia (many big names don't). Data-only is the norm — calls happen over WhatsApp/Telegram anyway.

2. Roaming from your home operator

Simple and increasingly reasonable for short trips: several Gulf, Turkish, Asian and African operators have workable Russia roaming bundles. Ask your operator for their Russia package price before assuming it's extortionate — sometimes it beats the eSIM.

3. Wi-Fi plus messengers

Moscow is one of the best-connected cities anywhere: free Wi-Fi in the metro, on buses, in practically every café and hotel. A zero-SIM trip is genuinely feasible if you pre-download offline maps (Yandex Maps works offline) and keep calls on messengers.

Three things to sort out before departure

• Download apps at home: some Western app stores restrict downloads of Russian apps you'll want (Yandex Maps, Yandex Go for taxis) — install them before the trip;
• Expect some services to need an SMS code: a few Russian services only accept Russian numbers for registration — this is exactly what you'll live without; taxis and maps work fine on a foreign number;
• VPN note: if you rely on specific foreign services, test them over your eSIM data on arrival rather than assuming — availability shifts.

Bottom line: pre-bought travel eSIM for most people, roaming for short business hops, the full biometric route only if you're staying long enough for a local contract to pay off.