Regulations for Russian domain name extensions .ru, .рф, and .su will undergo significant changes as of 1 September 2026. As a result, all holders of these domain names must identify themselves through the Russian government’s Gosuslugi (ESIA) portal. This means any operations to register, manage, transfer, or renew these domain names will require a Gosuslugi account.
Under the new regulations, all existing domain names will remain active until the end of their current term, but they cannot be renewed without the holder’s identification through the government portal. In addition, various administrative actions, such as changes to DNS name servers or ownership details, also require identification.
Specifically, foreign individuals should note that the identification procedure requires a Russian SNILS insurance account number and identity verification. This can be done either in person at a government service center or, if the person has a Russian bank account, via a Russian bank’s mobile application.
Foreign companies must have a local branch office or representative. Alternatively, they can transfer their domain name to these entities.