Twenty SIM cards and not a single one extra: Russians will have their communications restricted

On November 1, 2025, a law will come into effect in Russia limiting the number of SIM cards per person to no more than twenty numbers across all telecom operators. If the limit is exceeded, service will be suspended on all lines, and subscribers will be asked to decide which numbers to keep. The new rules are part of a fight against phone fraud: anonymous SIM cards have long been a tool for deception and bypassing blocking. According to experts, this measure will make the telecom market more transparent and understandable, although it will also raise concerns among some citizens about "total control."

Russians will have to be more careful with their phone numbers. Federal Law No. 303-FZ, signed last August, imposes a limit of twenty SIM cards per citizen. For foreigners and stateless persons, the limit is ten. Operators are now required to verify before connecting a customer that they haven't exceeded the permitted number of numbers and that they aren't prohibited from signing new contracts. If they find they have more SIM cards than they're entitled to, the company will suspend service to all numbers until the subscriber decides which ones to keep. This means that technically, the "extra" numbers may simply stop working.

The Gosuslugi portal already offers a special "SIM Cards" service. It allows you to see which numbers are registered in your name and, if necessary, delete unused ones. If you don't have internet access, you can make the same request at your carrier's office or customer service.

According to economist and senior financial communications manager Andrey Loboda, the twenty-SIM card limit is primarily aimed at increasing the transparency of the communications market. "This is a logical step against the backdrop of rising phone fraud, where anonymous numbers are used to defraud citizens and bypass restrictions. For most users, this innovation won't cause any inconvenience, but businesses will have to more carefully consider registering numbers in the names of their employees," the expert believes. He adds that the key objective is to avoid turning the idea into an administrative barrier for legitimate users. "It's important that the process of verifying and correcting data errors is as simple and straightforward as possible," Loboda emphasized.

Natalia Milchakova, a leading analyst at Freedom Finance Global, notes that the measure will indeed help protect citizens from fraud, but it is causing concern among some Russians. "Limiting the number of SIM cards will make it easier for operators to monitor their data, and people may fear that their calls will now be monitored by both security services and the operators themselves. This is hardly a pleasant thing," the expert says. "Furthermore, not all citizens are registered with Gosuslugi, especially pensioners. This means they may not know about extra SIM cards registered in their name by fraudsters unless they personally verify the information."

For the operators themselves, according to Milchakova, the change is also controversial: "On the one hand, revenue from SIM card sales will decrease, on the other, production costs will be reduced. Overall, this is more of an administrative issue than a business one."

Elman Mekhtiev, CEO of the Association for the Development of Financial Literacy, is confident that the restriction will have no impact on tariffs. "It will not lead to an increase in the cost of 'branded' corporate tariffs and will not affect operators' pricing policies. On the 'white' market, communications will remain at the same rates," he explained.

Authorities hope the new system will reduce the number of fraudulent schemes involving fake numbers. Today, scammers may have thousands of SIM cards registered to unsuspecting citizens. According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, last year alone, Russians lost over 100 billion rubles to phone scams. However, experts warn that without systematic oversight and citizen participation, the impact may be incomplete. "Fraudsters' technologies are constantly improving. Therefore, it is important not only to limit the number of SIM cards but also to actively inform the public about how to verify their information and where to go if they suspect fraudulent registration," telecom market experts note.

Overall, they admit, Russians won't notice any changes. Most citizens use one or two numbers—a personal number and a work number. However, those accustomed to stocking up on SIM cards for different devices will have to organize their phone system.