As of 1 September 2026, the Federal Law No. 569-FZ* comes into force, introducing mandatory identification of domain name administrators through the Unified Identification and Authentication System (the “ESIA” or “Gosuslugi” portal).
The requirement applies to both Russian and foreign legal entities and individuals acting as domain name administrators or planning to register a domain.
According to the draft Government Resolutions currently under review (ID 166378* and ID 166376*), the new rules will apply to .ru / .рф / .su domains. They will affect not only new domain names but also previously registered domain names. It will be impossible to renew a domain name without confirming the administrator’s data through the Gosuslugi portal.
Proposed registration procedure
To register a domain name, the applicant must:
Following successful verification, registrars enter the domain names and administrator data into the Domain Name Registry. However, only registrars included in the “white list” are authorised to do so. This list is maintained by specialised non‑profit organisations* (referred to as coordinators).
Domain names are registered for one year. Registration can be renewed an unlimited number of times. To renew, the administrator must have a Gosuslugi account and submit an application to the registrar two months before the registration expires.
Coordinators will also maintain a “stop list” of domain names that are not permitted for registration.
Practical conclusions and recommendations
To comply with the new rules, domain name administrators should take the following steps:
These amendments are intended to enhance the transparency of the Russian internet segment and provide effective protection for internet users against fraudulent activities. We recommend that companies audit their registered domain names in the .ru / .рф. / .su zones, create an ESIA account in advance if necessary, and re‑register their domain names.
*In Russian
The requirement applies to both Russian and foreign legal entities and individuals acting as domain name administrators or planning to register a domain.
According to the draft Government Resolutions currently under review (ID 166378* and ID 166376*), the new rules will apply to .ru / .рф / .su domains. They will affect not only new domain names but also previously registered domain names. It will be impossible to renew a domain name without confirming the administrator’s data through the Gosuslugi portal.
Proposed registration procedure
To register a domain name, the applicant must:
- Submit an application on the registrar’s website and enter into a service agreement with the registrar,
- Authenticate via the Gosuslugi portal at the time of submitting the application, and
- Provide consent for the registrar to access certain personal information about the applicant.
Following successful verification, registrars enter the domain names and administrator data into the Domain Name Registry. However, only registrars included in the “white list” are authorised to do so. This list is maintained by specialised non‑profit organisations* (referred to as coordinators).
Domain names are registered for one year. Registration can be renewed an unlimited number of times. To renew, the administrator must have a Gosuslugi account and submit an application to the registrar two months before the registration expires.
Coordinators will also maintain a “stop list” of domain names that are not permitted for registration.
Practical conclusions and recommendations
To comply with the new rules, domain name administrators should take the following steps:
- Complete identification via the ESIA when registering a domain name,
- Maintain a valid ESIA account for domain name renewal purposes, and
- Transfer the domain name to another registrar if the current registrar is not included in the “white list.”
These amendments are intended to enhance the transparency of the Russian internet segment and provide effective protection for internet users against fraudulent activities. We recommend that companies audit their registered domain names in the .ru / .рф. / .su zones, create an ESIA account in advance if necessary, and re‑register their domain names.
*In Russian
Authors
- Shermet Kurbanov, Senior Associate, Co-Head of Intellectual Property & Digital Law, shermet.kurbanov@sl-legal.ru
- Elizaveta Isaeva, Associate, elizaveta.isaeva@sl-legal.ru