Law and guidance checked on 21 October 2026.
Russia’s SIM-card self-ban restricts new mobile-service contracts in your name. It can help reduce misuse of passport details when you do not need new numbers. Under Article 45(7.1–7.2) of Federal Law No. 126-FZ as applicable on 21 October 2026, you can set the ban through Gosuslugi or by visiting an MFC, but removal requires a personal MFC visit. This is separate from the credit self-ban.
Set the ban
Use Gosuslugi or visit an MFC in person.
Remove it
As of the review date, visit an MFC personally; a call to the operator is insufficient.
Review your numbers
Unknown existing contracts need a separate challenge.
What the self-ban protects against
The mechanism has operated since 1 September 2025. Before starting service, the operator must check for the ban through the prescribed information system. If a ban is found, paragraph 129(1) of the Rules requires the operator not to provide service for that new number and to notify the subscriber within 24 hours after detecting it.
This restricts new contracts; it is not an instruction to disconnect all your current numbers. It does not erase earlier unauthorised contracts or itself block fraudulent calls. An existing number, account access and new contracts involve different safeguards.
It is not a guarantee against every scam: it cannot by itself stop someone deceiving you into sharing an existing account password or making a transfer.
Setting the ban through Gosuslugi or an MFC
- Access your own verified Gosuslugi account independently, rather than through an unexpected message link.
- Find the service for banning new mobile-service contracts, usually associated with the SIM-card section. Screen labels can change: verify the service’s purpose rather than relying on a button name.
- Check your details, read the consequences and submit the application.
- Keep the reference and wait for the outcome. A submitted status alone does not confirm an active ban.
- Check the active restriction in your account. Save error messages and contact service support if something fails.
For an in-person application, confirm that your chosen MFC provides the service and ask about identification requirements. Prepare your passport, account-identification details including SNILS and a contact for the outcome. Keep the receipt. Do not disclose your Gosuslugi password or login security codes to staff or intermediaries.
Removing the ban before a new contract
At the review date, Article 45(7.2) permits removal only through a personal MFC visit. Being able to set the restriction online does not mean you can cancel it online. An operator’s store does not replace the statutory removal procedure.
- Check that the chosen MFC handles removal and book an appointment if needed.
- Attend personally with identification documents and submit the request.
- Obtain a receipt or acceptance confirmation and wait for the result.
- Check the ban’s status before arranging the new mobile-service contract.
- After obtaining the required number, decide whether to set the safeguard again.
Do not plan an urgent connection around a promise of removal “in a minute”. Rely on the actual service outcome. The statute contains future changes from 1 March 2027; this article does not treat those future provisions as already operative.
Different tasks and procedures
| Task | Where to go | What to verify |
|---|---|---|
| Prevent new mobile contracts | Gosuslugi or MFC | Confirmation that the ban is active |
| Remove the ban | Personal MFC visit | Removal confirmation |
| Block a lost existing SIM | Your operator’s official channel | Blocking and number-recovery process |
| Dispute an unknown contract | The operator listed for that number | Claim copy, documents and response |
| Prevent certain loans | The separate credit self-ban service | Credit-history information |
Hypothetical example: you set the ban today and then discover an unknown number under a contract from last month. The new restriction does not retroactively end that contract. Preserve the number’s details and separately notify the operator that you never entered into it.
If an unknown number already exists
Save the number and operator list from an available official service, discovery dates and notifications. Avoid mistakenly closing a work line, corporate connection or device number you use: establish what each entry represents first.
Contact the unknown number’s operator through its official channel or office. State that you did not enter into the contract, request investigation and information relating to you, and ask for action concerning the disputed number. Obtain a reference. Challenge any charges or debt demands separately with supporting documents.
If there are signs of a crime, report it to the police and preserve the acknowledgement. Independently check access to Gosuslugi, your primary email and banking apps using official protection and recovery procedures. Do not send documents to an unsolicited “helper” who contacts you after a public complaint.
Template request to the operator
To [operator]. From [name and contact]. On [date], I discovered number [number] registered using my details. I did not enter into this contract or consent to its creation. Please register this request, investigate the circumstances, provide the contract date and basis for registration, take the measures required by law concerning the disputed number and give a written response. If misuse of my details is established, please explain the measures taken. Attachments: [number information and notifications]. Date and signature.
Provide identification documents only through a verified channel and to the extent necessary. If the number is yours but its SIM was lost, use blocking and recovery instead of alleging that no contract was concluded.
Check your digital safeguards
Frequently asked questions
Will my current SIM stop working?
A ban on new contracts does not automatically disconnect existing numbers. Ask the operator about any separate reason for restriction of a particular line.
Can I remove it on Gosuslugi?
Under the rules applicable on 21 October 2026, removal requires a personal MFC visit. Do not apply future amendments before they take effect.
Is a credit self-ban enough?
No. That covers certain credit contracts. The mobile-service contract ban is a separate safeguard.
Must I remove the ban if I lose my phone?
Contact your operator urgently to block and clarify recovery of the existing number first. Do not remove the ban automatically: recovering an existing number and entering a new contract are different situations.