In 2025, over 200,000 foreign nationals in Russia handed over their facial and voice data to the government’s Unified Biometric System (UBS) as a prerequisite for acquiring or renewing mobile SIM cards. This surge in biometric registrations, announced by the Center for Biometric Technologies, reflects a sharp year-over-year increase and highlights the expanding role of state surveillance in everyday access to essential services.
A regulation introduced at the start of the year mandates that all foreign residents must now appear in person at designated service centers to provide biometric samples before being granted a SIM card. The UBS database, which stores both facial and vocal identifiers, serves as a central tool for identity verification across numerous public and private services, from banking to digital administration.
More: Russia’s Biometric Boom Faces Rising Data Security Fears
Authorities have stated their intention to consolidate several bureaucratic processes into a single visit. As reported by Izvestia, individuals may soon be able to register their biometrics, create a Gosuslugi account, and obtain their pension insurance number (SNILS) in one streamlined session at a government service center.
Gosuslugi functions as the digital interface between Russian citizens, businesses, and state institutions. It is the main platform through which individuals access government services online.
Beyond expanding data collection from foreign residents, the Russian government is now targeting the private sector. Over the next two years, it plans to integrate the UBS across a wide range of businesses.
“Get ready to have UBS integrated into every business in a couple of years,” Digital Development Minister Maksut Shadayev said during a February meeting with business leaders, where new anti-fraud policies and biometric implementation were discussed.
Representatives from major online platforms, including Ozon, Wildberries, Avito, Yandex, Lamoda, MegaMarket, Cian, and HeadHunter, were in attendance. These companies, however, pushed back on the proposal, describing it as an unnecessary financial burden with few real-world applications. Shadayev countered by asserting that participation would not be compulsory.
Despite that reassurance, infrastructure is rapidly being built. Sixteen firms have already received authorization to operate as commercial biometric systems (CBS), and around 200 organizations are reportedly engaging with the national biometric framework. Nearly 3 million individuals have been enrolled in UBS so far.
Sberbank reports that the bulk of its Smile to Pay users are based in urban centers like Moscow and St. Petersburg, with 25 to 44-year-olds comprising more than half the user base, followed by individuals aged 45 to 64. “The transaction count in 1Q25 has already surpassed the entire 2024,” said Dmitry Malykh, senior vice president and head of Transaction Banking at Sber.
