Translated with AI
Russia is considering requiring foreign citizens to purchase smartphones that will be used to track their location, according to Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs Igor Zubov.
According to him, the smartphone will contain an electronic profile of the migrant, which will allow police officers to obtain information about his location.
The deputy minister also noted that such a device would allow for timely notification of foreign citizens about document expirations, the need to arrive at a specific location, or other mandatory requirements. He added that this would help avoid situations where individuals miss important deadlines due to ignorance or inattention.
On September 1, 2025, testing of the "Amina" mobile app began in the Moscow region. It allows the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs to track users by obtaining their geolocation data. Use of the app is mandatory for adult migrants arriving in Russia visa-free.
According to the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs, by mid-December, more than 139,000 people had been removed from migration registration due to the lack of geolocation data in the system. Under current regulations, a migrant is removed from registration if their location information is not received by the system for more than three business days.
