Please Note:

Your Russia SIM Card (Megafon) will require a SIM-unlocked GSM 900 / 1800 compatible international cell phone. If you do not have your own international cell phone, we have several models available for rental or purchase.

Your Russia SIM card will provide you with a Russia cellular phone number, which can be found on the top of the welcome letter inside your SIM card package. The number begins with +7926.

This service requires registration BEFORE YOU TRAVEL. You will need to provide a scan of your passport, your invoice number, full name, departure date, ICCID number, PUK, PUK 1, PUK 2, cellphone number and address. Please consult our User Guide for further details.

For a service that does not require registration consider the Passport SIM card.

Customer service for your Russia Megafon prepaid SIM card is available 24 hours a day by dialing 555 at any time from your Russia cellular phone, or 507 7777 from a land line.

For emergencies while using your local Russia GSM SIM card in Russia please dial 112 from your cell phone.

*You will need to snap out the thumbnail sized Russia SIM card along the perforated edge of its holder and then insert the Russia SIM card into your international cell phone with the gold contacts of the SIM card facing the metal contacts of your international cellular phone.

^Your Russia SIM card requires a 4 digit PIN code which can be found under the black tab located under the Russia SIM card. The PUK is only required to unblock your phone if you enter a PIN code incorrectly. Follow your cell phone manual instructions to correctly use the PUK to unblock your phone.

**When calling overseas from the United States to your Russia cell phone, callers will need to dial 011 followed by the country code 7 and then your Russia cell phone number 926... To call abroad from your Russia cell phone simply dial 00 (or +) followed by the country code and phone number.

The domestic rates are listed in 2 sections for your prepaid Megafon Lite Russia SIM card. The first section is for calls placed while you are in Moscow and the 2nd section is for calls placed while traveling outside of the Moscow region (St. Petersburg as a an example) but within Russia. All calls from your SIM card are rated per minute.

Type of Call Airtime Rate

Incoming Calls - From MegaFon-Moscow network numbers and federal numbers subscribed to BeeLine, MTS and MSS Moscow networks (926 area code)

Now if you're going to be traveling outside of the Moscow region (domestic roaming), like St. Petersburg as an example, then your airtime rates with your SIM card will be as follows:

Note: The first 5 seconds of all calls while roaming outside of Moscow are FREE.

International Calls

Making international calls from your world cell phone has never been easier than with your prepaid Russia SIM card. All rates are per minute for international outgoing calls from a Russia prepaid SIM card while in Russia. Similar to the Domestic Rates shown above, the international call rates are divided into 2 sections for the international rates. The first section is for calls placed while you are in Moscow and the 2nd section is for calls placed while traveling outside of the Moscow region (St. Petersburg as a an example) but within Russia. All calls from your SIM card are rated per minute.

For cheaper international and roaming calling rates consider the Passport international SIM card.

Roaming Calls (calls placed when traveling outside of the country)

Roaming is currently not available with your Russia service.

GPRS Data Rates (Wireless Internet)

GPRS is available with your Russia service. A GPRS compatible phone is required and the rate is $1.77 USD per 3Mb of data transmitted. GPRS is also available while roaming in Russia outside of Moscow for $0.13 USD per 100Kb.

Adding Airtime

REMEMBER: Do NOT purchase another SIM card when your airtime credit is depleted! You only need a recharge voucher! Your incoming calls are always free, even when you run out of airtime.

In order to keep your Russia service active, you need to add airtime once a month. If your account reaches $0 (zero) balance, you will need to recharge within 30 days or your account and mobile phone number will be recycled. To continue using your Russia service, you will need to purchase another SIM card.

More Information and Resources

Keeping in touch while in Russian Federation can be very a frustrating and expensive experience without an international cell phone and Russian Federation SIM card.

Sometimes a payphone takes coins (But how many is anybody's guess!!!), other times a proprietary calling card and still others only a credit card will do with accompanying instructions that would take a week to understand.

Russian Federation cellular phone rentals can significantly cut down on the frustration of calling home while abroad but the airtime rates would bankrupt all but the thickest of wallets. Airtime rates for a Russian Federation cell phone rental can typically start at $1.50 and may be as high as $2+/minute.

Think you got a deal on your world phone and plan on doing some international roaming? With international roaming charges the airtime rate you will pay is out of this world.

The Russian Federation prepaid SIM chip is a quick and easy way to convert your existing world phone into a prepaid Russian Federation cell phone for Russian Federation and as discussed is more economical then a Russian Federation cell phone rental. For your next assignment or vacation in Russian Federation, this SIM chip (combined with an unlocked GSM World cell phone) helps you stay connected while avoiding those international roaming surcharges that always accompany your 'home' SIM card while abroad. We offer a growing selection of prepaid SIM Cards for other international destinations as well as a wide variety of GSM cell phone accessories and GSM international cell phones.