Job Discussion Forums

popema · Joined: 06 Jul 2010 Posts: 4

I'm flying out to Moscow on Monday 12th July to teach English for 6 weeks and I'm thinking that I'd like to use a mobile while I'm out there. I have a mobile phone here in the UK and I would like to take it with me to Moscow and get a Russian SIM to use in it.

Can anyone give me any information about how to go about getting a SIM card in Moscow (presumably a Pay As You Go SIM) and which are the best networks do use? How much would I reasonably need to pay to get this SIM?

Thanks
Martin

nemnoga · Joined: 12 Dec 2008 Posts: 21 Location: Russia

Well, to get a SIM isn't so difficult, you'd need your passport as well as your registration, and it's best to give them the address of your school for a contact address. So long as you have a tri-band GSM phone, there ought not to be any problems.

As far as companies go, they are all pretty much the same, although some offer deals and generally, unless you're using 3g, almost no one has a plan. I've got three myself; Beeline, Megafon, and a local company's SIM. Be prepared to use Russian, as most clerks in retail also generally don't speak English Smile

nemnoga · Joined: 12 Dec 2008 Posts: 21 Location: Russia

Oops, and as for prices, to start off is about 250 roubles, which includes some airtime, local calls are a few kopeks per minute (roaming up to 4 roubles per minute) but for calls abroad, I'd recommend getting a calling card where you can call a local number and then your long distance call, otherwise it would be quite expensive. I use the one from Evroset, 300 roubles gives me 2 hours worth of calling to Canada, for example.

gondwana66 · Joined: 03 Jul 2010 Posts: 29

From memory, another good all round card was AIST. You can use it for OS calls or for dial-up internet. And also consider Skype for OS calls.
If your Russian language is not up to scratch just get one of the teachers, staff or students from the school to help you. My school originally put the SIM in their name before I was registered but the privilege was abused by some other teachers and all of a sudden I had no phone because the school cancelled all the phone contracts. It was no real problem though, I just went and got another Megafon SIM.

popema · Joined: 06 Jul 2010 Posts: 4

Thanks Nemnoga and Gondwana66 for your replies, they were very helpful. I have a much better idea of what I need to do now. I speak Russian reasonably so that will make things a little easier. I'll have to check whether my current mobile is Tri-band GSM tomorrow.

Thanks again,

Martin

Sashadroogie · Posted: Fri Jul 09, 2010 6:11 am Post subject:

On a related point, has anybody roamed with their Russian phone recently? I ask because the last time I tried to use mine on roaming, my SIM wouldn't operate. Upon my return to Russia, Megafon told me that the roaming function was only available to foreign subscribers while their registration was valid. However, registration is invalidated once you pass through the airport and go abroad. A classic catch-22. In fact, for some other strange reason, I couldn't even roam outside of Moscow.

Anyone know anything about this?

gondwana66 · Joined: 03 Jul 2010 Posts: 29

Hmmm. A foreign subscriber probably means someone who registered their SIM outside Russia. Typical Russian beaurocracy though.
Last time I left Russia I bought a new SIM in Latvia for the duration and didn't worry about roaming coz it would cost too much

Sashadroogie · Posted: Sat Jul 10, 2010 7:51 am Post subject:

Always best to have a couple of activated non-Russian SIM cards in one's wallet when exiting Russia. Just easier than setting things up with the Russian providers.

One of my local friends was at pains to explain to me that these regulations were necessary to combat terrorism. I won't relate the details of the apoplectic fit I threw in reply.

Sashadroogie · Posted: Sat Jul 10, 2010 7:56 am Post subject:

gondwana66 · Joined: 03 Jul 2010 Posts: 29

I didn't have the problem of lack of service outside my registered area which was Samara. I was able to use my Megafon SIM in Samara, Moscow and Petersburgh. But then maybe that was because my Russian wife actually registered the card.

Sashadroogie · Posted: Sun Jul 11, 2010 1:33 pm Post subject:

Aha. If it is registered in a local's name then it not an issue, I think. To be honest, I gave up trying to figure out what was being said to me in the Megafon head office because it didn't make a whole lot of sense. Easier just to roam on my foreign SIMs, and Russia remains safe from subversive atrocities.

gondwana66 · Joined: 03 Jul 2010 Posts: 29

Gee, if you managed to get a little bit of sense out of them, you did well Wink

PS: you wouldn't want to be mistaken for Georgian or anything like that Wink