# Roaming and eSIM in Russia: does your foreign SIM work?

**URL:** <https://forum.russiable.com/t/roaming-and-esim-in-russia-does-your-foreign-sim-work/297>\
**Category:** Travel to Russia\
**Created:** [October 30, 2025, 8:28am UTC](https://forum.russiable.com/t/roaming-and-esim-in-russia-does-your-foreign-sim-work/297 "2025-10-30T08:28:19Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Showing post:** 20

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**Author:** ![Irena](https://forum.russiable.com/user_avatar/forum.russiable.com/irena/32/7_2.png) [@Irena](https://forum.russiable.com/u/Irena)\
**Post date:** [November 7, 2026, 3:05pm UTC](https://forum.russiable.com/t/roaming-and-esim-in-russia-does-your-foreign-sim-work/297/20 "2026-11-07T15:05:33Z")

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Hello, a quick update for anyone reading this thread now (November 2026):

- **Your foreign SIM or eSIM does work in Russia** , but internet and SMS are blocked for 24 hours when you arrive. You don’t have to wait: turn off Wi-Fi and your VPN, open the link in the SMS you get on arrival and the block is lifted in a few minutes. If your phone switches carrier afterwards, the block can come back, so choose the carrier manually. Step by step: [Russia internet block: remove it with your eSIM 2026](https://russiable.com/remove-internet-block-russia-esim/) (and readers’ experiences in [this thread](https://forum.russiable.com/t/foreign-sim-in-russia-how-to-remove-the-24-hour-internet-and-sms-lock/320))
- **Ask your carrier first** if your plan includes roaming data in Russia. If it does, it’s often what works best. If not, buy an eSIM and install it at home, because many brands no longer serve Russia: [Best eSIM for Russia 2026: Which Ones Actually Work](https://russiable.com/best-esim-russia/)
- **Mobile internet is cut for hours in many regions** , and then only Russian services work. Download your maps and a translator before you go, and don’t count on public Wi-Fi: it usually asks for a Russian number.
- **A Russian SIM is possible** , but first you need a notarized translation of your passport, SNILS, Gosuslugi and biometrics: [Russian SIM Card 2026 – How Foreigners Can Buy One](https://russiable.com/buy-russian-sim-card/)

Everything else is in this guide: [Internet in Russia 2026: watch out for these blocks](https://russiable.com/internet-russia/)

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