Delay in Enforcement of Mobile Phone Lockdown Without Verified IMEI-Codes Temporarily
As of March 24, 2025, the Ministry of Digital Development, Innovation, and Aerospace Industry of Kazakhstan has amended the rules for identifying and verifying mobile devices. These changes aim to protect consumer rights, create transparent and fair conditions for doing business, and address issues such as economic and social problems caused by duplicate IMEI codes.
The verification process includes checking the device's declared specifications, the legality of its import, the presence of accompanying documents, and a check of the IMEI code in the database of lost, stolen, or blocked devices. Citizens can verify the IMEI code of a device on the website https://imei.rfs.gov.kz before purchasing it.
Importers are required to verify all imported devices. Until May 25, 2025, businesses and citizens can legalize previously imported but not yet sold devices on the portal https://kz-imei.kz. Devices not legalized after May 25, 2025, will be restricted from accessing mobile services.
Devices connected to the network and not registered within 30 days will be added to the 'black list' and blocked. However, devices already operating in Kazakhstan's mobile networks before March 25, 2025, will continue to operate in the previous mode and are automatically included in the "white list."
Mandatory verification is required for importers, individuals, and authorized service centers under specific circumstances. For technical reasons, authorized service centers must verify the IMEI code in case of replacement. According to the "Consumer Protection Law," subscriber devices are not subject to return or exchange.
The new measures also aim to reduce the volume of shadow turnover of mobile equipment and prevent the purchase of counterfeit or stolen phones. A detailed instruction on how to register one's phones according to the new rules was previously provided by the department.
It's important to note that these new rules apply only to devices imported into Kazakhstan after March 25, 2025. For authoritative details on these regulations, it may be necessary to consult official Kazakhstan government publications, regulatory bodies like the Ministry of Digital Development, Innovations and Aerospace Industry of Kazakhstan, or legal databases with recent legislative updates directly from Kazakhstan.
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- In order to comply with the new regulations, importers, individuals, and authorized service centers in the aerospace industry, technology, finance, and the mobile device industry must verify all imported mobile devices before they can be sold or used in Kazakhstan.
- To monitor and address issues such as economic and social problems caused by duplicate IMEI codes, the Ministry of Digital Development, Innovation, Aerospace Industry, and Finance in Kazakhstan has implemented strict measures to regulate the import and usage of mobile devices, including the verification process and the creation of a "white list" and a "black list" for devices.
