Temporary Roaming Restrictions in Russia

Mobile phone customers travelling to Russia will experience temporary restrictions and limited mobile services due to newly introduced local regulatory requirements. The restrictions have been implemented by Russian operators for regulatory and national security reasons starting October 2025. This applies to all SIMs roaming in Russia, regardless of the originating network or provider.

What’s changing?

• Data and SMS services will be unavailable for a 24-hour period starting from the moment a user’s SIM first connects to a Russian network.
  
  
•  After this period, services will resume as normal.
  
  
• If a user’s SIM remains inactive for more than three consecutive days, the restriction will be reapplied upon reconnection.
  
  
• Voice calls are not affected during this time.

For messaging apps, email, and other online services, customers are advised to use Wi-Fi where available. Remember also to plan ahead for services that rely on SMS, such as two-factor authentication.