Digital ID Goes Live for Hotel Check-Ins, Expanding Russia's 'Max' Platform

MOSCOW, Feb 14 – Starting March 1, 2026, Russian citizens will be able to check into hotels using a digital ID on the state-backed Max platform, according to a State Duma announcement. This marks a significant step in the government's push to digitize official identification.

Yekaterina Stenyakina, a member of the Duma's committee on social policy, confirmed the rollout. She noted that by April 1, the mobile app for the Gosuslugi public services portal will also be enabled for the same hotel check-in function.

The digital ID, essentially an electronic version of a standard internal passport, has been in a pilot phase since mid-September 2025. It is available to citizens over 18 and contains key personal data, including biometrics. The system displays only information relevant to the specific transaction via a scannable QR code.

Since late 2025, banks and insurance companies have accepted the digital ID for repeat client visits where original documents are not legally mandated. Multifunctional public service centers also use it for some procedures.

"Soon it can be presented at a hotel, and in the future, this will extend to healthcare and transport, where the QR code will simplify identification without the risk of losing a physical document," Stenyakina said.

However, she stressed clear limits. The digital ID is only valid where explicitly permitted by a government decree from September 2025. For numerous legal procedures—including real estate transactions, court proceedings, obtaining a foreign passport, or opening a new bank account—the traditional paper passport remains the sole acceptable document.