New regulations in Russia will introduce major changes to how .ru, .рф, and .su domain names are managed. These changes will have a direct impact on your customers, especially those without a local presence in Russia.
This article explains what is changing, when it takes effect, and what it means for you as a Realtime Register partner.
Under Federal Law No. 569-FZ, adopted on 29 December 2025, all domain operations for:
will require verified identification through the Russian USIA (ESIA) system via the Gosuslugi portal.
This requirement applies to all key domain actions, including:
Without this verification, domains can no longer be managed, and may eventually be lost.
From 1 September 2026
All operations on .ru, .рф, and .su domains will require USIA (ESIA) verification.
The new identification requirements are highly restrictive, particularly for non-Russian registrants.
For individuals:
A verified USIA account typically requires:
For companies:
A legal entity usually needs to:
In practice, this means that non-Russian individuals and companies without a local presence may not be able to meet these requirements.
These changes could significantly impact how you manage affected domains for your customers.
1. Portfolio risk for international customers
Customers without access to USIA may lose the ability to renew or manage their domains after September 2026.
2. Increased need for customer awareness
Many customers will not be aware of these upcoming restrictions. Early communication will be essential to avoid unexpected domain loss.
3. Potential changes to your offering
You may need to review how you position or offer .ru, .рф, and .su domains — especially for customers without a Russian presence.
At Realtime Register, we are actively investigating possible solutions to help you and your customers continue managing these domains.
This includes discussions with our providers to explore whether a proxy or local presence solution can be offered for customers who cannot meet the USIA requirements themselves.
We will share more details as soon as our approach is finalised.
While no immediate action is required, we recommend:
Early awareness will be key to avoiding disruption.
For additional background on the USIA (ESIA) requirement, please refer to:
https://www.nic.ru/en/info/esia-id/
The introduction of mandatory USIA (ESIA) identification will fundamentally change how .ru, .рф, and .su domains are managed.
From September 2026, customers without a verified Russian identity may no longer be able to maintain their domains.
As a partner, preparing early and guiding your customers will be essential.