Russia Introduces Apartment-Building Administrators and Expands Use of Digital Passports
Russia is expanding its national digital passport program and introducing a new governance role for apartment buildings, marking a significant step toward a more integrated digital public‑service ecosystem
New Rules for Digital Identity and Housing Governance
Beginning December 1, 2025, Russia will expand the use of its electronic (digital) passport. Citizens will now be able to use digital identification in banks, financial institutions, and a range of state and commercial services once their identity is verified.
The same date introduces new housing‑sector regulations: placing air conditioners, satellite dishes, or similar equipment on the façade or roof of an apartment building will require approval from a general meeting of residents. A new role—the “administrator of an apartment building” (administrator MKD)—is being created to organize these meetings and coordinate with property‑management companies.
These changes reflect a broader legislative shift that touches on digital identity, housing management, and the delivery of public services. Expanded use of the digital passport reduces bureaucratic obstacles, while new housing rules alter decision‑making processes within residential communities and may reshape how multi‑unit buildings are governed.
Building a Foundation for Digital Immunity
The wider use of the digital passport represents the next step toward a fully developed digital‑identity infrastructure. Over time, it could be integrated into banking, insurance, state services, utilities, mobile applications, and more. This strengthens the country’s digital ecosystem and simplifies identity verification and remote service delivery.
A key question remains: how will Russia ensure secure storage, processing, and protection of citizens’ personal data? The need for reliable infrastructure may stimulate domestic innovation in identity management, encryption, data‑governance tools, and cybersecurity—contributing to what officials call a “digital immunity” framework.
While these innovations are currently tailored to internal administrative needs, scalable and interoperable solutions could eventually give Russian developers an export pathway to countries seeking digital‑identity frameworks and modernized residential‑management systems.
A Gradual Digital Transformation
Russia’s digital‑identity initiatives have been in discussion since the 2010s, but the legal foundation emerged only in 2023, when a presidential decree proposed equating the digital passport on the Gosuslugi platform with its paper counterpart.
Housing‑sector digitalization has advanced in parallel. In 2024, a new national standard (GOST) established rules for managing apartment buildings, regulating maintenance, shared property, and interactions between residents and management organizations. In February 2025, additional standards for “smart apartment buildings” were adopted as part of an ambitious nationwide modernization plan through 2030.
Digital services have advanced alongside regulation: smart‑home tools, virtual concierges, online building management, and resident‑management platforms became increasingly common in 2024–2025.
A Catalyst for Industry and Public Services
The latest regulatory changes are more than administrative updates—they are components of an emerging digital state infrastructure. They simplify service delivery, reduce paperwork, and enable broader access to remote services. In the medium term, they are expected to stimulate markets for digital‑identity solutions, property‑management platforms, e‑governance tools, and cybersecurity technologies.
The success of new apartment‑building governance mechanisms will depend heavily on resident participation, administrator training, and the transparency of management processes.
