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Using your home phone network in Russia can be expensive, so consider switching over to a local SIM card to take advantage of better deals and plans. Russia has some of the best prepaid SIM cards available, with deals that could reduce your bills. You can buy 1GB of data from Russia’s leading telco provider for as little as RUB350 (less than US$6). So, whether you’re planning a short trip, longer stay or tour of the country, check out the best SIM card options available on finder.com.
There are five main operators in Russia: MegaFon, MTS, Beeline, Tele2 and Yota. All five go through a strict approval process before being allowed to operate, and each one competes with the others to offer the best deals. Their services have all been tried and tested by both locals and travelers, and can be trusted. Most of the country is covered by a good network signal. Some of the northern regions can suffer from poor reception, but that will happen on whichever phone or provider you use there. Be aware, there is still censorship over content appearing in Russia, so we advise you to download a VPN onto your device before you travel.
All five operators offer prepaid SIM cards, and you can buy them from stores, supermarkets, kiosks, drug stores and official outlets, as well as at most international airports. 2G, 3G and 4G plans are available on all networks for unlocked GSM phones. You can buy a SIM card by showing your passport, and your telephone number is already active when you purchase it. To add credit, there are several prepaid card machines around various towns and cities, and vouchers are stocked in stores and supermarkets. Please note, the Russian Federation is split up into 85 federal states, which sometimes use different plans and packages, therefore it’s almost impossible to list all of these deals. We have selected the best offers that can be purchased in Moscow and the main cities, and have broken down each telco provider to highlight exactly what they can offer you during your stay in Russia.
MegaFon is the main provider in Russia and offers the best network coverage and competitive rates. It offers customers 2G, 3G and 4G/LTE services on a GSM platform. Prepaid SIM cards can be purchased from official stores or approved resellers, and it’s a legal requirement for stores to ask for ID to officially register the number. Credit can also be purchased from the same retailers and convenience stores across the country.
MegaFon SIM cards can be picked up for free, but packages must be added for use. Each is valid for 90 days after your last credit upload. International roaming is automatically activated on your SIM when purchased, which means that when you receive incoming international calls, the rates are lower. You can also use roaming when traveling to other countries. Dial *100# to check your balance. Dial *558# to check data usage.
Prepaid plans come in the following types:
The following combo packs are also available:
Pack | Price | Data (month) | Nighttime data | Validity | Activation |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
XS | RUB190 | 70MB/day | n/a | Regional | *236*1*1# |
S | RUB350 | 3GB | National | National | *236*2*1# |
M | RUB590 | 8GB | National | *236*3*1# | |
L | RUB890 | 18GB | National | *236*4*1# | |
XL | RUB1,290 | 30GB | National | Unlimited | *236*5*1# |
Dial *558# to check your balance.
The following data add-ons can also be purchased:
MegaFon’s APN: internet, and website: www.megafon.ru
MTS (or MTC) is the second-largest operator in Russia and also offers SIM cards at reasonable rates, in all sizes. It offers customers 2G, 3G and 4G/LTE services on a GSM platform. Prepaid SIM cards can be purchased from official stores or approved resellers, and it’s a legal requirement for stores to ask for ID to officially register the number. Credit can also be purchased from the same retailers and convenience stores across the country.
The following prepaid plans are available, and each is charged at a monthly fee:
The following Connect-4 data packs are also available:
The following data packs are also available for prepaid SIM cards:
APN: internet.mts.ks, and website: http://www.mtsgsm.com/
Beeline is the third-largest operator in Russia, and it offers customers 2G, 3G and 4G/LTE services on a GSM platform. Prepaid SIM cards can be purchased from official stores or approved resellers, and it’s a legal requirement for stores to ask for ID to officially register the number. Credit can also be purchased from the same retailers and convenience stores across the country.
Dial*102# to check your balance. The following prepaid packs are available:
Zero doubts (“Ноль сомнений”): RUB50 – Calling other Beeline numbers across Russia, with discounted data rates. Data is charged at RUB9.95 per MB. Dial 0674000999 to activate.
Internet forever (Интернет навсегда): Data-only SIM card packages for tablets and modems with 200MB data per month. Dial*110*999# to activate.
The following data packs can be used on all Beeline prepaid SIM cards:
Package | Fee (month) | Data | Activation | Deactivation |
---|---|---|---|---|
Highway 1GB | RUB200 | 1GB | *115*04# | *115*040# |
Highway 4GB | RUB400 | 4GB | *115*061# | *115*060# |
Highway 8GB | RUB600 | 8GB | *115*071# | *115*070# |
Highway 12GB | RUB700 | 12GB | *115*081# | *115*080# |
Highway 20GB | RUB1,200 | 20GB | *115*091# | *115*090# |
The following data add-ons can also be purchased:
Price | Data | Activation |
---|---|---|
RUB250 | 1GB | Activation: *115*121# |
RUB500 | 4GB | Activation: *115*122# |
Beeline also offers a selection of combo packs:
Beeline’s APN: internet.beeline.ru, and website: www.beeline.ru
Tele2 offers some great packages, and its signal is also quite good. Tele2 offers customers 2G, 3G and 4G/LTE services on a GSM platform. Prepaid SIM cards must be registered properly by showing your passport, and credit can be purchased from almost anywhere across the country.
Dial*105# and press “call” to check your balance. The following prepaid plans are available:
Plan name | Monthly fee | National allowances | Activation |
---|---|---|---|
Classic Классический | Free | None, basic data rate: RUB1.5/MB | *630*8# |
My Tele2 Мой Теле2 | RUB210(as RUB7 per day) | 5GB (per month) social media | *630*1# |
My Talk Мой разговор | RUB199 | 2GB, 200 minutes, 50 SMS | *630*2# |
My Online Мой онлайн | RUB399 | 12GB, social media 500 minutes, 50 SMS | *630*3# |
My Online + Мой онлайн + | RUB799 | 30GB, social media 1,500 minutes, 50 SMS | *630*4# |
Internet for devices (Интернет для устройств) | RUB299 | 7GB | *630*12# |
The following data packs can also be added:
o RUB7: 100MB per day
Dial*155*151# to activate, and *155*150# to deactivate.
o RUB20: 300MB per day
Dial*155*161# to activate, and*155*160# to deactivate.
The following data packs are also available, each valid for one month:
Data | Extras | Price | Activation | Deactivation |
---|---|---|---|---|
7GB | Data rollover | RUB99 | *155*681# | *155*680# |
15GB | Free social media | RUB499 | *155*671# | *155*670# |
20GB | Unlimited nighttime use | RUB699 | *155*691# | *155*690# |
50GB | Unlimited nighttime use | RUB999 | *155*701# | *155*700# |
To add more data, the following packs are available:
Price | Data | Days | Activation | Deactivation |
---|---|---|---|---|
RUB15 | 100MB | 1 day | *155*281# | *155*280# |
RUB50 | 500MB | 1 day | *155*171# | *155*170# |
RUB150 | 3GB | 30 days | *155*181# | *155*180# |
RUB250 | 5GB | 30 days | *155*231# | *155*230# |
Tele2’s APN: internet.tele2.ru, and website: www.tele2.ru
Yota is the smallest provider in Russia, with average network coverage and Internet speeds. It’s more known for providing prepaid data SIM cards, as opposed to voice. It offers 2G, 3G and 4G/LTE services on a GSM platform. Prepaid SIM cards must be registered upon purchase, and credit can be found almost anywhere across the country or by using a credit card online. The following data-only SIM packs are available for tablets, modems and routers:
Price | Validity |
---|---|
RUB50 | 24 hours |
RUB590 | 30 days |
RUB4,500 | 365 days |
The following data packs can be used nationwide:
Yota’s APN: internet.yota, and website: http://www.yota.ru
While it’s well known for reviews, booking hotels, flights and vacations, TripAdvisor also has many user comments that can help guide you through what SIM cards have been tried and tested in Russia.
Here are some top tips from TripAdvisor users:
“Purchasing a 4G/LTE modem SIM may only be needed if you are planning to take your laptop with you and also planning to avoid free Wi-Fi hotspots, which should cover most of Russia. Local SIM cards will save you some money on phone calls and mobile Internet.”
“You will get access to 4G/LTE if your smartphone supports Russian 4G/LTE frequencies, which are different to USA. The only issue that I know for sure is that US models of iPhone will NOT work with Russian high-speed mobile Internet. Most of Android smartphones as well as international iPhone models will work OK.”
“If you are willing to get yourself a local SIM card I recommend “Warm welcome” (the name of the plan) plus extra “Internet L” option (for RUB790).”
All networks require you to have a SIM-unlocked, GSM-compatible international phone. To double check you have this phone, or whether it’s possible to unlock your device, contact your provider before you leave.
WorldSIM offers prepaid international SIM cards with coverage in over 200 countries and varying add-ons for call and data options.
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The lone network operator for Tuvalu is Tuvalu Telecom but it provides SIM cards and Wi-Fi hot spots.
Two 4G/LTE networks cover just the main islands of Vanuatu.
Zambia’s best SIM card providers offer a multitude of data plans and other bundles.
You can take advantage of new customer discounts on two 4G/LTE networks to get extra data during your stay in Uzbekistan.
Travelers to Turkmenistan are presently limited to one choice for prepaid SIM card providers.
There is only one prepaid SIM card provider for the Wallis and Futuna group of islands.
Two 4G/LTE networks offer coverage in the major cities of Tajikistan.
Hello, I’m traveling to Russia. I would like a Data SIM with no talk minutes or SMS messaging. What is your preference?
Hi Moe,
Thanks for getting in touch with Finder. I hope all is well with you. :)
As a comparison website, Moe, we are not permitted to offer specific recommendations. However, each of the telcos in Russia has something to offer that will meet your needs. It would simply be a matter of your preference and budget. For this reason, I would recommend that you review the information above, check our tables, and it should help you decide which telco and package you’ll go for.
I hope this helps. Should you have further questions, please don’t hesitate to reach us out again.
Have a wonderful day!
Cheers,
Joshua
can you please tell me the international incoming calls charges of babilon and megafon. If not then how can i find the incoming international call charges.
Hi Gaurav,
Thanks for leaving a question on finder.
All incoming international calls are free, and all outgoing calls are charged at RUB3 per minute for Megafon. Unfortunately we have no information on Babilon because as I’ve checked, there is no telco in Russia that bears that name. If you would like to find out the fees for the other Russian providers, you can head to their website or speak to their customer support to get the exact figure.
Please send me a message if you need anything else. :)
Cheers,
Joel
Hi , traveling to Russia in a week, have IPhone and Samsung cell phones. How can I see if the phone is unlocked ? Is the information on the settings ?
Thank you
Hi Sandra,
Thanks for leaving a question on finder.
The easiest way to determine if you have unlocked phones is by trying a different sim card from what was is already installed in it. Say you have both your phones on a Verizon network, try swapping it out with a sim from AT & T. If it asks for a code, then you have a locked phone. If the AT & T sim works then congratulations, you have an unlocked phone. If you got your phone from a plan, chances are, your phones are locked to that provider and you will have to check with them on how to unlock it.
Cheers,
Joel
Hi there, thank you for this nice overview.
do you know if at moscow SVO airside transit there is a possiblity to buy a sim card for internet access? i would prefer tele2.
thanks for your answer and wish a great day.
Hello J.
Thanks for posting on Finder.
There are several telecom shops at SVO Terminal D to F. Tele2 opened one at SVO in 2011 but there are no available information if they are still operating. Alternatively, Megafon has a shop at SVO Terminal F.
You may want to check with airport concierge desk if you need further information.
Regards,
Rich
Which provider can share wifi hotspot to other device?
Hello Jo,
Good day! Appreciate you contacting finder regarding your inquiry today.
Generally, being able to share WiFi hotspot will be dependent on the device you are using. Please check that you have your device configured for WiFi hotspot and you will be able to share your data with other devices. Kindly check your data allowance and ensure that you will be getting a data plan that will be enough to cover your usage for all your devices.
Hope this helps!
All the best,
Ron
Hi , I am thinking to travel to Russia. I want to buy for my friend a Samsung Galaxy 7 unblocked, can he use that phone with the Russia frequency?
Hi Ernesto,
Thanks for your inquiry.
Yes, you can use this mobile phone in Russia since it’s unlocked. You’ll also need to use a SIM that’s compatible Russia. You may compare your options for SIM cards that will work in Russia on this same page.
Best regards,
Rench