---
title: "Ministry of Digital Development Prepares Mandatory IMEI Registration: 14 Days Given to Legalize 'Gray' Smartphones"
description: "The Russian Ministry of Digital Development is preparing a draft on mandatory IMEI registration for smartphones imported without customs: 14 days will be given for legalization via 'Gosuslugi', after which operators will disconnect unregistered devices."
date: 2026-10-31T16:42:54.621Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/imei-registration-smartphones-customs-clearance
tags: [imei-registration, smartphones, russia, gosuslugi, mobile-market]
author: "Alexander Buran, Roman V."
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# Ministry of Digital Development Prepares Mandatory IMEI Registration: 14 Days Given to Legalize 'Gray' Smartphones

![A man in a jacket with an anarchist symbol looks at a police officer in front of a digital screen and a box with bricks and smartphones](https://xab.info/media/2026/10/31/registratsiya-imei-smartfonov-bez-tamozhni/registratsiya-imei-smartfonov-bez-tamozhni-1.webp)

## Key Points

- The Russian Ministry of Digital Development is drafting a project on mandatory IMEI registration for smartphones imported without customs clearance.
- Owners will be given 14 days to enter the device into the database via 'Gosuslugi', after which operators will stop servicing unregistered devices.
- Devices activated on networks before April 2027 will not be subject to restrictions.
- The market predicts the elimination of up to 70% of 'gray' tech sellers and price increases of up to 40% for certain models.

The Ministry of Digital Development, Communications and Mass Media of the Russian Federation has begun developing a regulatory draft that introduces mandatory registration of unique IMEI identifiers for smartphones imported into the country without customs clearance. The initiative aims to streamline the mobile device market and restrict the circulation of improperly imported equipment. According to the ministry's plan, owners of gadgets purchased independently abroad, as well as counterfeit devices, will be given a limited period to legalize the device.

### Fourteen Days for Legalization

Under the terms of the draft requirement, users are given exactly 14 days to enter their device data into the unified database via the 'Gosuslugi' portal. This mechanism is intended to give owners of 'gray' and foreign smartphones an opportunity to formally register the device and maintain its functionality on domestic operator networks. Thus, the project establishes a transitional period during which restrictions can be avoided without waiting for the rules to fully enter into force.

### What Happens After the Deadline

Upon expiration of the two-week window, unregistered devices will completely cease to be serviced by Russian cellular operators. In practice, this means that a device not entered into the database will be disconnected from voice communications, mobile internet, and SMS. At the same time, the project includes a provision: devices activated on networks before April 2027 will not be subject to the new restrictions. This norm avoids the mass disconnection of equipment already in use and smooths out the effect of introducing the rule.

### Impact on the Legal Market

Experts and retail representatives emphasize that the innovation will not create inconvenience for customers of official stores. Officially imported equipment, they say, will continue to be entered into the unified database automatically, without the end user's participation. In other words, the registration mechanism will remain 'invisible' to those who purchase smartphones through legal channels with full customs clearance.

### Forecasts for the 'Gray' Market

Market participants, by contrast, expect tangible consequences for the illegal segment. According to their estimates, increased control and the reduction of illegal supply channels could lead to the elimination of up to 70% of 'gray' tech sellers. Against this backdrop, the cost of individual device models is projected to rise by up to 40%. Thus, the innovation is capable of significantly redistributing prices and the supply structure on the Russian mobile device market.

As follows from the presented data, the result of the drafted project will be a stricter binding of every smartphone operating on the network to the IMEI accounting base. For legal consumers, the changes will remain practically unnoticeable, while for the circulation of equipment imported without clearance, the rules will tighten significantly.

## Fact-Check & Sources

- [Ты бунтарь и против системы? Значит, получишь кирпич вместо смартфона, если не добавишь его в базу IMEI](https://www.goha.ru/ty-buntar-i-protiv-sistemy-znachit-poluchish-kirpich-vmesto-smartfona-esli-ne-dobavish-ego-v-bazu-imei-xzBYyK) - The source describes the IMEI registration project being developed by the Ministry of Digital Development, the 14-day deadline via 'Gosuslugi', the April 2027 exemption, and market forecasts (up to 70% of sellers, up to 40% in price). The project is at the development stage.

## FAQ

### How many days will be given for IMEI registration?

Exactly 14 days to enter the device into the unified database via the 'Gosuslugi' portal.

### What will happen to an unregistered smartphone?

After the two-week period expires, Russian cellular operators will completely stop servicing it.

### Will devices already in use be subject to restrictions?

No, devices activated on networks before April 2027 will not be subject to the new restrictions.

### Will this affect customers of official stores?

No, officially imported equipment is entered into the unified database automatically, without the buyer's participation.