Russia Imposes 90-Day Ban on SIM Card Re-registration

The Russian State Duma adopted a bill in its second and third readings that introduces new rules for terminating contracts with telecom operators. Now, a phone number cannot be re-registered to another subscriber for 90 days from the date of initial assignment. This was reported by Ixbt.com news outlet.

This new norm is part of the second package of measures to combat cyber fraud. Officials state that the changes aim to curb "revolver" schemes where fraudsters quickly register and resell numbers.

At the same time, subscribers retain the right to submit an application for early termination of the contract. In such cases, the operator must stop providing services and cease billing the subscriber.

However, even if the contract is terminated, the number itself remains blocked for re-registration until the 90-day period expires. This measure prevents stolen or fraudulently used numbers from immediately passing to new owners.