Domains through Gosuslugi from September 1, 2026: what should a website owner do?
From September 1, 2026 for significant domain transactions .RU, .RF and .SU You will need to identify the administrator through the Unified Identification and Authentication System (ESIA), that is, through a confirmed account on Gosuslugi. The requirement applies to individuals, individual entrepreneurs and organizations.
The main thing: the domain will not be automatically disabled on the morning of September 1 just because of lack of identification. If you do not change its data, it will continue to work until the end of the paid registration period. But without the ESIA, it will not be possible to renew a domain, register a new one, change the administrator or registrar, or change the delegation. Therefore, postponing the review until the renewal date is risky.
Short answer: the site owner must find out in advance who is the legal administrator of the domain, verify its data with the registrar and in the ESIA, obtain a verified account and go through identification in the interface of his registrar.
What domain operations will require ESIA
According to the clarifications of the Coordination Center for Domains .RU/.RF (Cyrillic), after September 1, 2026, identification will be required for any significant operation.
| Operation | What will change from September 1, 2026 |
|---|---|
| Registering a new domain | Registration is not possible without an identified administrator |
| Domain renewal | It will not be possible to extend the registration period without the ESIA |
| Change of administrator | Identification of participants in the transfer of rights will be required |
| Transfer to another registrar | The operation will be available after identification |
| Changing delegation and DNS | The administrator must be confirmed through the ESIA |
| Normal operation of the site until the domain expires | Continues unless significant operation is required |
The rules apply specifically to national zones .RU, .RF and .SU. For .COM, .ORG and other international zones, the rules of the relevant registries and registrars apply.
What happens if you don't pass identification?
The most dangerous scenario is not related to September 1, but to the end date of domain registration.
- Until the end of the paid period, the domain continues to work if its parameters do not need to be changed.
- You cannot renew a domain without identifying the administrator.
- After the expiration of the term, delegation ceases, and the site, along with corporate email, may become unavailable.
- Upon completion of the preferential renewal period, registration is canceled.
- The vacated domain can be registered by another person or organization.
For a business, this is not only a risk of losing a website. The domain can host mail, personal accounts, integrations, APIs, advertisements, OAuth authorization, payment notifications, and links in documents. Even a short downtime affects multiple systems at once.
How to understand who a domain is registered to
Don't confuse the site owner, bill payer, and domain administrator. Legally significant is the person specified in the agreement with the registrar as the administrator.
Check in your registrar's personal account:
- Full name of an individual or name of an organization;
- TIN and OGRN for a legal entity;
- passport and contact information for an individual;
- email address and phone number;
- expiration date of registration of each domain;
- availability of access to the registrar account and backup recovery methods.
If the corporate domain is registered to a former employee, contractor or executive as an individual, this needs to be corrected. Until September 1, the transfer of rights can be carried out according to the current registrar procedure. After this date, the operation will require identification of the parties through the ESIA.
Step-by-step preparation for individuals and individual entrepreneurs
- Open the domain card in your registrar's personal account.
- Compare your full name, date of birth, passport details, address, email and phone number with the information on Gosuslugi.
- Make sure that the Gosuslugi account is confirmed and not simplified.
- Correct outdated information from the registrar or ESIA before starting the procedure.
- Start identification through the registrar interface and allow the transfer of the necessary data.
- Check that the confirmation status has appeared for all domains and contracts that you manage.
A typo, old passport or change of surname may lead to data discrepancies. It is better to leave time to contact support rather than start checking the day before renewal.
What to prepare for a legal entity
A company needs an organization account in the ESIA. It must be associated with a verified manager or authorized employee account.
Before identification, check:
- whether the name, INN, OGRN and legal address are the same;
- whether the powers of the employee who will undergo the procedure are valid;
- whether the domain belongs to the company itself, and not to an agency or individual;
- does the company have access to the administrator’s email and the registrar’s personal account;
- whether someone responsible for DNS renewals and technical changes has been appointed.
It is worth checking groups of companies especially carefully. The brand, site, and payer may be different legal entities, but only one specific entity is the domain administrator.
Checklist for business until September 1
| Check | Normal condition | Risk |
|---|---|---|
| Domain Administrator | Company or controlled authorized person | The domain is registered to a resigned employee or contractor |
| Registrar details | Coincident with the ESIA | Old passport, address, full name or details |
| Account | Verified record of an individual or organization | There is only a simplified notation |
| Registration period | Known and included in the calendar | Extension is expected in September-October with no time reserve |
| Accesses | There are two responsible employees | Login and 2FA are held by one person |
| DNS and mail | Documented, there is a backup copy of the zone | Nobody knows which services depend on the domain |
| Payments | Auto-renewal is enabled and payment method is up to date | Payment depends on the old card or personal account |
Free SEO audit of your website
Leave a request and our specialists will find areas of search traffic growth.
If the domain is maintained by a contractor
Ask the contractor to answer four questions in writing:
- Who is designated as the domain administrator?
- Which accredited registrar is it registered with?
- Who and when will be identified through the ESIA?
- How will the company gain full control of the domain upon completion of the contract?
Payment for a domain by an agency does not make the agency its legal owner and does not confirm the rights of the customer. In the contract for site support It is better to separately assign the administrator, the renewal procedure, accesses and the procedure for transferring the domain.
Do I need to transfer my domain to another registrar?
The new requirement itself does not mean that the domain must necessarily be transferred. First, check whether your current registrar supports identification through the ESIA and whether it has published instructions for your administrator type.
It makes sense to consider a transfer if the registrar does not provide a clear identification scenario, does not allow access to be distributed among employees, or does not provide the documents and domain portfolio management necessary for the company. But do not transfer the domain on the last day: after September 1, changing the registrar will also become a significant operation.
What to check with your domain
Domain inventory is good at identifying related technical risks. Check the validity of the SSL certificate, SPF/DKIM/DMARC records for mail, backup contacts, DNSSEC, redirects between domain versions and the canonical site address.
If the administrator or DNS changes, prepare a non-stop transfer plan in advance. A DNS error can take down your website, email, and external integrations all at once. For a complex project, it is reasonable to carry out technical and legal compliance audit before administrative changes.
FAQ
Will the domain be disabled on September 1, 2026 without Gosuslugi?
No. If you do not need to change information or perform significant operations, the current domain will continue to work until the end of the paid registration period. But it will not be possible to extend it without identification through the ESIA after September 1.
Which domains require identification through the ESIA?
The new requirements apply to the domain zones .RU, .RF (Cyrillic) and .SU. International zones like .COM are not subject to this rule.
Is it possible to renew a domain in advance before September 1st?
Technical feasibility and maximum extension period depend on the rules of the zone and the registrar. Early renewal does not eliminate the need for identification for future significant operations, but may reduce the risk of emergency shutdown. Check with your registrar for availability.
Do I need separate identification for each domain?
The administrator is identified as part of interaction with the registrar. If domains are registered to different persons, under different agreements or with different registrars, the procedure may differ. Check the status of each domain in your personal accounts.
What to do if the domain is registered to an employee?
Agree on the transfer of administration of the company. Until September 1, 2026, this can be done according to the current registrar procedure. After the date of entry into force of the rules, identification through the ESIA will be required for transfer.
Do legal entities need public services?
Yes. You will need an organization's account in ESIA and a verified account of a manager or authorized employee associated with this organization.
Is it possible to change DNS without authentication after September 1st?
No. The focal point classifies delegation changes as significant operations that will require administrator identification.
What to do if the data from the registrar and the Gosuslugi do not match?
Correct the information in the source where it is out of date and repeat the identification. If there is a significant discrepancy or the domain is registered to another person, you need to contact the registrar’s support and confirm your rights with documents.
Useful on the topic
- Legal and compliance requirements for the site
- Site support and maintenance
- Compliance audit of digital processes
- Case of migrating an online store to Next.js
- Digital ruble from September 1, 2026: payment acceptance on the website
The material is for informational purposes only. The interface procedure and the list of available identification methods depend on the registrar and may be updated. Before any significant operation, please check your registrar's instructions for the latest instructions.