Cellular communication and internet in Crimea for tourists

Despite the abolition of domestic roaming in most parts of the Russian Federation, mobile communications in Crimea and Sevastopol are charged as domestic roaming (not international). Accordingly, the cost of voice communication and mobile internet will be significantly higher. This is because due to the sanctions pressure on the territory of the peninsula until now (2021), the Russian global operators MTS, Megafon, beeline, Tele2 do not work.

This does not mean that your connection will not work, but since the work will go through the network of the local operator, your expenses will be charged as roaming. And by the way, do not forget to check in the LC or by calling the support phone of your operator whether roaming is connected to you, since it may be inactive on some archive tariffs or with a low balance. You can do this by phone:

• Megafon-8 800 550-05-00 in Russia or by calling +7 926 111-05-00 worldwide
• Beeline -
• Tele 2 -
• MTS -

Rates will depend on your operator and the connected tariff, so we advise you to check this information on your operator's website specifically for the tariff you have connected, and preferably before the trip itself. For reference, here are the rates for individual popular tariffs from some operators so that you understand the scale of the costs that lie ahead:

• On Tele-2 tariffs without connected options.. Incoming calls and SMS are free; outgoing in Russia-3 rubles / min. / outgoing SMS to Russian numbers-3 rubles/SMS; the cost of 1 MB of internet traffic – 3 rubles.

• On Megafon tariffs without connected options.. Incoming calls and SMS are free; outgoing in Russia-3 rubles / min. / outgoing SMS to Russian numbers-2 rubles/SMS; the cost of 1 MB of internet traffic – 2.2 rubles.

• On Beeline tariffs without enabled options.. Incoming calls and SMS are free; outgoing in Russia-2.5 rubles / min. / outgoing SMS to Russian numbers-2.5 rubles/SMS; the cost of 1 MB of internet traffic – 2.5 rubles.

• On MTS tariffs without enabled options.. Incoming calls and SMS are free; outgoing in Russia-3 rubles / min. / outgoing SMS to Russian numbers-2 rubles/SMS; the cost of 1 MB of internet traffic – 1 Rub.

Please note that if the cost of minutes of calls is not very different from the usual ones on your tariffs, then you will have to pay a lot for the Internet, since your "home" packages will not work here, payment is only for traffic per megabytes. For example, opening several pages of news and social networks can easily "eat" up to 10 MB in a couple of minutes of surfing, and this is from 20 rubles of cost. Talking about listening to music and watching videos is not necessary at all, so it's better to look for ways to save money, which is further discussed.

Ways to save on mobile communications and the Internet in Crimea

To save on mobile communications and the Internet in the Crimea, there are several ways:

• Minimize the use of a "home" SIM card

  Refuse to use the mobile internet, make calls and accept incoming calls only in extreme cases. At the same time, SMS and incoming calls will be free, and mobile internet can be replaced by WiFi in accommodation facilities and cafes. WiFi today is available in almost all accommodation facilities, including private housing, with the exception of only the most budget options and campsites.

• Enable special options and tariffs of the "home" operator

  If you need to actively use the Internet and voice communication strictly on your number, you will have to connect the paid options of your operator. Worth saying. That pleasure is not cheap, but in any case it is more profitable than using just roaming. Possible options should be clarified with your operator immediately before the trip, since offers and their cost often change, but here is a selection of options for reference*:

  Operator / option	Cost	Conditions
  Tele-2 / Internet on the peninsula	connection is free, the fee is 300 rubles / day	It is given 200 MB/day at high speed and then Unlimited with a limit of 128 Kbit/s.
  Tele-2 / Easy internet on the peninsula	Connection 36 rubles, fee 6 rubles / day	1MB of traffic-2.5 rubles; outgoing traffic in Russia-3 rubles / minute
  Megafon / Vacation without worries	Connection is free, the fee is 159 rubles / day	Package of 200MB Internet; outgoing in Russia 3 rubles/minute
  Megafon / Vacation without worries+	Connection is free, the fee is 299 rubles / day	A package of 1GB of internet and 60 Minutes outgoing in Russia
  Beeline / Business internet in Crimea for 950	Connection 950 rubles for 31 days, no subscription fee	Pack of 500MB of internet every day
  Beeline / 100 MB for 99 ₽ before the end of the day	99 rubles / day	100MB of traffic per day is given, and when they are exhausted, 99 rubles are re-written off and a new 100MB package is given
  MTS / Home package +	500 rubles / month	There are packages of calls, internet, SMS included in your tariff. All incoming calls are free.
  MTS / Home package	50 rubles / day	There are packages of calls, internet, SMS included in your tariff. All incoming calls are free.

  * Cost and conditions as of 2021. They may change, check immediately before the trip.

• Buy SIM card of local operators

  On the territory of Crimea and Sevastopol there are several local operators that offer much more profitable options for tourists and vacationers than using a native operator. Therefore, if you are without the Internet and phone "like without hands", we recommend this option. You can buy a SIM card and activate it in local communication salons, and if you are traveling on a tourist package, some tour operators provide such a SIM card for free or distribute it through guides.

  Here are the operators and links to the pages with the description of tariffs:

  • Operator "wave" or Volna Mobile. It offers tariffs with internet packages, minutes and their combinations from 300 rubles/month, as well as tariffs without a subscription fee. For vacationers there is a special tariff "resort" with unlimited calls in the Russian Federation and the Internet for 420 rubles/month, there are other suitable options. All rates - https://volnaobile.ru/tariffs/.

  • Operator "Win Mobile". There are tariffs from 100 rubles/week and a special tourist tariff "just a vacation" with unlimited calls in the Russian Federation and the Internet for 420 rubles/21 days. All rates - https://www.mobile-win.ru/

  • Krymtelekom Operator. It offers a large line of tariffs with flexible conditions, but it will be difficult to immediately understand. The minimum tariff plan starts from 5 rubles / day for 150 MB/day. All rates - https://ktkru.ru/private/mobile/tariffs/