Sales of Russian SIM cards to foreigners have almost stopped in Russia
Foreigners coming to Russia have actually stopped buying SIM cards from domestic operators. This was told to Izvestia by a high-ranking source in the cellular market and one of their major sellers. This is confirmed by an interlocutor of the editorial office, who is close to a partner company of several mobile operators.
In January-February 2025, sales of SIM cards on foreign passports decreased fivefold compared to the last months of 2024, a source in the cellular market estimated. Now we are talking about single purchases of Sim cards by migrants, the seller claims.
"The decline in sales of SIM cards to foreigners is a natural result of stricter control over their turnover as part of the fight against cybercrime. At the same time, bona fide foreign citizens continue to buy SIM cards according to the new rules. Starting from January 1, 2025, the procedure for purchasing SIM cards by foreigners in Russia has become stricter," the Ministry of Finance said.
The new measures are aimed at combating the proliferation of gray SIM cards and their distribution channels, as well as preventing fraudulent schemes. The changes do not apply to Russians — we are talking only about foreign citizens and stateless persons, the ministry added.
Read more in the exclusive Izvestia article:
Переведено сервисом «Яндекс Переводчик»
