The expert spoke about the new rules for verifying SIM cards from November 1.

Tkachev: you can only transfer SIM cards to close relatives

Wed, 10/29/2025 - 04:45

Photo: Global Look Press/Belkin Alexey

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You can transfer a self-issued SIM card for permanent use only to close relatives, if necessary. This was announced to Izvestia on October 28 by Anton Tkachev, first deputy head of the State Duma Committee on Information Policy, Information Technologies and Communications.

On November 1, 2025, a new procedure for verifying SIM cards will come into force in Russia. It provides for mandatory confirmation of subscribers' personal data from telecom operators, as well as a limitation on the number of numbers that one person can have. Each citizen will be able to register no more than 20 SIM-cards in total from all operators. Numbers for which verification will not be completed or which exceed the established limit are subject to blocking.

"You can find out how many numbers are registered for yourself through the Gosuslugi portal — this is done instantly," Tkachev said.

The innovations are designed to combat fraud and the use of gray SIM cards, which, according to some reports, are involved in almost half of all IT crimes. Such numbers are used for telephone fraud and even sabotage.

"By getting rid of gray Sims, we will achieve a reduction in the level of cybercrime," the deputy head of the committee emphasized.

To prepare for the entry into force of the law, Russians are advised to check all SIM cards registered in their name through Gosuslugi and discard unnecessary or foreign numbers, if any. It is important to make sure that the mobile operator's passport data is up-to-date, follow simple information security rules and remember that you can transfer SIM cards issued to yourself only to close relatives, if necessary, and to no one else.

According to Tkachev, these measures are aimed at increasing the transparency of the communications market, reducing opportunities for fraudsters and simplifying the work of law enforcement agencies in investigating crimes related to mobile communications.