Foreign migrants in Russia face stricter regulations as they must re-register their SIM cards using biometrics by July 1st or risk losing mobile communication services. Some mobile operators have already begun notifying migrants about the upcoming blocking of unregistered SIM cards.

Amendments to the law “On Communications,” in effect since the beginning of the year, mandate that migrants purchase SIM cards using biometrics. SIM cards purchased before this year must be re-registered with biometric data to comply with the new requirements.

To re-register, foreigners need a SNILS (insurance number of an individual personal account) and registration on the “Gosuslugi” (Russian public services website), where they must register their biometric data. A SNILS can be obtained for free at the Social Fund office or the MFC (Multifunctional Center).

If a SIM card is blocked, migrants can either buy a new SIM card using biometrics or submit their biometrics on “Gosuslugi” to unlock the existing one. These measures aim to enhance control over migration flows and align the “digitization” of foreign citizens with that of Russian citizens.

Experts highlight that biometrics will simplify identification for law enforcement and other services, ensuring security and social guarantees for foreign workers. The exact number of migrants in Russia remains unclear, with estimates ranging from 7 million to 16 million.