How to buy a Russian SIM card and telephone number
There are a lot of foreigners who travel from their home country, so you may be interested in that you will have an opportunity to be connected with your friends and also with new people on your way. Because of the huge country, network coverage can be tremendous. Moreover, when you go out of the country you bought your SIM card in, you will have additional charges or you will not be connected to the net. So, there are a lot of cities and towns where is a perfect phone signal, Wi-Fi, and 4G.
If you want to live in a country not for a long time then it would be great to buy a Russian phone number. To be connected in your new country you may both save your money and also download some handy Russian apps. To be added, Russia has just a few number of mobile providers, so this guide may be helpful you.
The mobile network in Russia
When it comes to the cellular phones there is mostly GSM technology for them so you can check whether your current mobile phone can use this standard or not. It is up to the European phones that you have put in a new SIM card.
A nice 4G coverage is provided by 4 Russian mobile operators. If we are talking about the big cities you can access 4Gnetwork there, but if we are talking about the remoter areas you can access 3G connection. Unfortunately, for now Russia does not offer 5G coverage.
Wi-Fi connection in Russia
In Russia every public place has available free Wi-Fi. There are a lot of public Wi-Fi hotspots in most of the Russian cities. When it comes to accessibility of public Wi-Fi hotspots Moscow is marked third to find them in the city, for example, in parks or in the underground. If you want to set up Wi-Fi in your home, then you need to read about how to connect to Russian internet.
If you want to know how to set up Wi-Fi in your home, make sure to read our next article about how to connect to Russian internet, TV, and telephone.
Can you use your own mobile phone in Russia?
Firstly, it depends on the place you are moving from, so you may put in a new SIM card very easily, however, some modern CDMA phones allow you to access the GSM network.
That would be great to buy a Russian SIM card than use your current SIM card. Firstly, you will be connected to the Russian network, secondly, it is so much cheaper. If you are travelling in Russia for a short time you can save a lot of money when buying pay-as-you-go SIM cards at airports. Roaming from the other countries is very expensive , so you need to get to know how much money it will cost if you use your current SIM card.
Please check that your cellular phone is unlocked before traveling to Russia. If there is a 12-24 monthly contract with your mobile phone provider your phone may be locked. Therefore, it is important to you contact to your mobile phone provider to know more about their unlocking policy.
Mobile phone operators in Russia
There are some Russian mobile operators like Beeline, MegaFon, MTS and Tele2 if you want to buy a Russian phone number.
We do really recommend you to use MTS because of so many subscribers. Which provider you should buy depends on where you need coverage therefore you can do with the map for finding which provider may give you the best offer.
Keep in mind that if you need to call one in the other part of Russia then your mobile operator may get a long-distance charge. It is also important to consider when you are travelling around the country. There are a lot of phone companies which offer you such monthly plan to pay less for long-distance calls.
Pre-paid vs mobile contracts in Russia
A lot of foreigners like to have a pre-paid SIM card and top theirs phones up then there is no money on their phone. A pre-paid SIM card is a perfect fit for you if you are traveling in Russia for a short time. Moreover, they are available at Russian shops and supermarkets. Thus, you can get a lot of data and also calling minutes for a low price.
If you are traveling to Russia for a long time or constantly then you need to be out of the contract. If you are going to have many calls abroad or to have home Internet, a contract will be good to reduce the costs.
Mobile phone plans and contracts in Russia
As for the mobile phone contracts in Russia they provide a lot of call minutes, SMS messages, and internet for a monthly fee. Sometimes your call minutes may include incoming calls according to a Russian phone plan as well as unlimited internet in the Moscow underground, long-distance calls in Russia, lower rates for roaming, and unlimited access to social networks like Instagram, Telegram, TikTok.
Mobile contract, home TV and internet are also offered by MTS, Megafon, and Tele2.
You should check if there is a set length to your monthly agreement to not pay when you change your provider or leave the country. As for the payment there are two ways of payment via direct debit and also via provider’s website.
How to get a mobile phone contract in Russia
It is very easy to get a Russian phone number if you buy a SIM card but you should also show your passport. For a mobile contract you can sign up online or in store. Thus, you may also choose your own number from the selected.
When you sign up for a mobile contract you should also know a Russian language or have your Russian -speaking friend next to you. For that goal, you have to provide with your passport, proof of your address in Russia, and a Russian bank account.
Prepaid SIM cards in Russia
If your choice to stay in Russia for a short-time then pre-paid SIM card is the best option for you and costs normally 1000 rubles and this will include 20-30 GB of 4G internet plus calls and texts. Many foreigners like to choose pre-paid SIM cards.
Pre-paid SIM cards offer very good value for money if you’re staying in Russia for a short time – usually around 500 p. – 1000 p. for a deal that includes 15–30GB of 4G internet plus calls and texts. Many expats stick to pre-paid SIMs and add services as they need them.
So, there are a lot of options on how to top up your cellular phone:
- in the app of your mobile phone provider;
- at mobile operator shops;
- at a supermarket or mobile shop;
- online with a credit or debit card;
- at some ATMs.
Although pre-paid SIMS are easy to use and very convenient if you need to stay in Russia for a long time then a contract will be better for you because you can get calls abroad, roaming, or home internet.
Mobile phones in Russia
There are about 74% of Russians own a smartphone and the percentage should rise in the upcoming years.
Mobile operators usually offer an Android operating system for mobile phone users. By the way, the best brands there are Apple, Samsung and Xiaomi. Russia offers a range of mobile phone prices and they are similar to the European. Samsung phone will cost around 10000 to 100000 rubles depending on your technological and storage needs.
If you bring your phone from Europe you should be able to use it with a Russian phone number and network provider. If you want to save money you have a choice to buy a simple cellular phone for 5000 to 15000 rubles depending on whether you need the additional features or not.
Russian mobile phone numbers
A code to dial in Russia is +7 meaning that when you are calling a phone outside Russia you should dial +7 before the number instead of 0. This is also a dialing code for Kazakhstan.
There are 10 digits for the mobile numbers in Russia. But if you are calling within Russia you should dial 8, followed by the ten digit number.
Mobile numbers usually begin with a 9, while other numbers have an area code at the beginning, which you always dial, even from a phone with the same area code. For example, there are four codes like 495, 499, 496, and 498 in Moscow.
When it comes to the calls abroad from Russia, you should dial 810 meaning the range like country code, city code, and phone number.
If you are going to change your mobile operator and hold the same number you should ask him, is it included in their policy or not.
For instance, before changing the mobile operator you may have the unpaid bills and, in this case, you will not be able to keep your number active when changing the net.
Repairing a mobile phone in Russia
In case of a broken screen or a software problem of your cellular phone Russia offers a lot of places to get it fixed. You may get your phone fixed in the phone shops with remont signs.
Recycling your mobile phone in Russia
If there is a need to get rid of an old mobile phone in Russia throwing it in a bin is not possible because you can get a fine for bad disposal or do harm to the environment. There are a lot of mobile stores to return your mobile phone and buy a new one for a discount. You may even counter recycling points and special centers.
If your mobile phone is still active and working you can sell it on Avito. And you can find a lot of phone shops to buy a new pretty phone there.
Mobile phone laws in Russia
According to the new laws, Russian smartphones should contain Russian software installed before sale like the Russian search engine Yandex and similar apps.
Although this means you don’t have to search too hard for useful Russian mobile apps, some phone manufacturers have criticized the move. It is also to break the law when you speak on a mobile phone when driving.
How to complain about a mobile phone provider in Russia
When there are the problems with your mobile provider, firstly, you need to file a complaint with them. You can normally find instructions on the website of your provider and most have an option to solve the problem over the phone on the internet or in person at your local branch.
A company should answer your claim within 30 days on telecoms regulator, the Federal Service for Supervision of Communications, Information technology, and mass media of Russia. If the company rejects your claim, you have a right to file a claim on the website of Roskomnadzor.