# Foreign SIM in Russia: how to remove the 24-hour internet and SMS lock **URL:** \ **Category:** Travel to Russia\ **Created:** [May 11, 2026, 2:53am UTC](https://forum.russiable.com/t/foreign-sim-in-russia-how-to-remove-the-24-hour-internet-and-sms-lock/320 "2026-05-11T02:53:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![kozmikpetukh](https://forum.russiable.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/k/5e9695/32.png) [@kozmikpetukh](https://forum.russiable.com/u/kozmikpetukh)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2026, 7:07am UTC](https://forum.russiable.com/t/foreign-sim-in-russia-how-to-remove-the-24-hour-internet-and-sms-lock/320/41 "2026-06-29T07:07:10Z")
> @Jabod to protect US consumers that’s our nanny state, yep. Gotta get around that I guess ---
**Author:** ![Carlo](https://forum.russiable.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/c/c4cdca/32.png) [@Carlo](https://forum.russiable.com/u/Carlo)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2026, 2:53pm UTC](https://forum.russiable.com/t/foreign-sim-in-russia-how-to-remove-the-24-hour-internet-and-sms-lock/320/42 "2026-08-12T14:53:48Z")
Does anyone know if Holyfly (eSIM) when they claim that there do not have a 24 hours restriction when you buy their eSim, is telling the truth? They claim they have some agreement with local providers? What are your experience? ---
**Author:** ![orlovividry](https://forum.russiable.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/o/94ad74/32.png) [@orlovividry](https://forum.russiable.com/u/orlovividry)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2026, 2:29pm UTC](https://forum.russiable.com/t/foreign-sim-in-russia-how-to-remove-the-24-hour-internet-and-sms-lock/320/43 "2026-08-23T14:29:21Z")
Hey everyone, Regarding eSIMs - I just figured out something and the 24 hour block was the least of my problems (it was super easy to sort out once landing at LED). They tend to be arbitrarily blocked, at least I thought. I just left Pskov after four nights - I had no mobile data the entire time I was there. I reached out to the eSIM company ([eSIM.net](http://eSIM.net)) and they gave me a voucher to buy a different one. Didn’t work and troubleshooting was endless. It wasn’t until I left Pskov that my mobile data came back. I am 99.99% convinced it’s because Pskov airport is used by the Russian airforce and there is a lot of military around (and very close to the EU border). I’ve also noticed at every single railway hub I was killing time at my eSIMs (I have two active at the moment) would be cut out. I see bars showing a strong signal, but no “4G” icon on my iPhone. Doesn’t matter the carrier, I spent way too much time fiddling with settings. However the locals are all carrying away on their phones around me like nothing was wrong. If you go to Russia, be prepared to lose mobile data at any time without apparent logic, and for extended periods depending where you’re going to. So have maps and translate saved offline, something in print with important information like your lodging, etc. ---
**Author:** ![nomad7](https://forum.russiable.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/n/5fc32e/32.png) [@nomad7](https://forum.russiable.com/u/nomad7)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2026, 8:30am UTC](https://forum.russiable.com/t/foreign-sim-in-russia-how-to-remove-the-24-hour-internet-and-sms-lock/320/44 "2026-10-04T08:30:45Z")
I had no issues using my european sim card and data bundle when entering Russia this summer. I will summarise what I did. - When entering Russia I did get an sms with a message that I can activate my sim: Welcome to Russia! Tap the link to unlock Internet and SMS [http://unblock.t2.ru](http://unblock.t2.ru) - I had no 4g or 3g link in my phone - I could call with regular cellular. - Arrived in stpb and went to bed in my hotel, kept my phone on. - In the morning I notices a 4g connection on my phone. - I opened up the link from the sms ( see above) and completed the captcha. - I bought a databundle with my own sim provider. I could buy these bundles my sending a sms to a dedicated service telephone number (short number). Sms worked. - I had my databundle activate. - At that moment internet worked with restrictions. Yandex maps, yandex go worked. Good for basic stuff ( taxis, navigation). gmail also worked and google translate works. - When buying train tickets with my european visa/mastercard I created an ssh connection to my european vps on tcp port 22 (that was not blocked) with a socks5 proxy port forwarded. Changed my browser on my laptop ( tethering internet from my phone). - Everything works. I could book train tickets, airplane tickets, everything. Ofcourse this was because I forwarded the connection from my vps at hertzner (de). - forwarded mails to hotel reception to print my tickets , just to be sure when phone dies. Looks like most vpns where blocked, also a lot of ip addresses with destination tcp port 443 where blocked. Not tcp port 22 on my hertzner vps.. (where tcp port 443 was blocked) [Previous page](https://forum.russiable.com/t/foreign-sim-in-russia-how-to-remove-the-24-hour-internet-and-sms-lock/320.md?page=2)