Banks, Gosuslugi, and Marketplaces with a VPN: Why They Block You and What to Do

What changed in 2026

Banks have always monitored foreign IP logins, but mass restrictions started in spring 2026. According to RBC, on March 30, the head of the Ministry of Digital Development, Maksut Shadayev, gathered representatives from over 20 major companies and asked them to restrict access for VPN users by April 15. The meeting reportedly included Sber, Yandex, VK, Ozon, Wildberries, Avito, X5, 2GIS, and HeadHunter (summary by T—Zh).

Companies reportedly received a list of VPN IP addresses identified by Roskomnadzor (Russia's communications regulator) and a manual for finding others. Sources told RBC and Kommersant that refusal could mean losing IT tax benefits or being removed from "whitelists"—lists of services that remain accessible during mobile internet blackouts (Kommersant). We explain how whitelists work in our article on whitelists and mobile internet blackouts.

On April 27, the Ministry of Digital Development cited personal data security, claiming most VPNs lack privacy and attackers use them to intercept traffic. They also promised a button on Gosuslugi to report false positive VPN blocks (Expert).

Corporate VPNs are technically exempt on paper, but an RBC source admitted there is no clear technical way to distinguish them from standard VPN traffic. As a result, work connections sometimes get blocked too. We cover the legal side in is it legal to use a VPN in Russia.

What we know about Sber, T-Bank, VTB, Gosuslugi, and marketplaces

Companies rarely announce their VPN policies officially, so the picture comes from media and user reports. Here is the situation as of autumn 2026.

User-generated lists aren't perfect. A banking app might work with a VPN for one person but not another. It depends on your country, your server's IP, your specific VPN, and your phone settings. This explains why a bank might work today but not tomorrow: you switched servers, or your current IP was flagged by the service. Still, the trend is clear: Russia's largest services, prioritized by the Ministry, are the most hostile to VPNs.

If you are abroad

The Ministry claims major Russian services, including Gosuslugi, banks, and marketplaces, work normally for users abroad with foreign IPs. If something fails to load, they suggest changing your connection type, like switching from hotel Wi-Fi to mobile data on a local SIM card (Expert). Keep a Russian SIM card linked to your bank handy: when logging in from another country, the bank might request additional SMS verification.

Why a bank or Gosuslugi blocks you with a VPN

Restrictions rely on a few mechanisms. How to fix the issue depends on which one triggered the block.

The service sees the VPN server address

With a VPN on, the site sees the server's address, not yours. This address is usually foreign and clearly belongs to a data center. In spring 2026, companies also received a list of known VPN addresses from the Ministry. So, a service might block you even on a Russian VPN server if its address is on that list.

Bank anti-fraud flags the login

Logging in from a new address, especially abroad, triggers anti-fraud systems looking for scammers and compromised accounts. Results vary: extra verification, a phone call from the bank, or a temporary freeze on transfers. This was true before 2026, and split tunneling fixes it by showing the bank your real address.

The app detects a VPN on your phone

Android and iOS don't hide active VPN connections from apps. Some apps check for this specifically and demand you turn the VPN off, even if their own traffic bypasses it. Split tunneling won't help here.

Gov websites and DDoS attacks

For state services, the Ministry cites personal data protection. Additionally, during massive DDoS attacks, providers sometimes temporarily block foreign traffic, taking down sites for foreign IPs. In this case, the Ministry advises trying again later.

The marketplace shows the wrong city

Even if a VPN isn't blocked, services use your IP to determine your city. With a VPN, a marketplace or delivery app might show the wrong region, prices, or delivery times. Streaming services might block a movie licensed only for Russia.

How to find out what is happening to you

Before tweaking settings, figure out which mechanism triggered the block. It takes two minutes.

1. Turn off your VPN and open the app. If it still doesn't work, the VPN isn't the problem. Check your internet, update the app, or look for outage news. Major banks go down, too.
2. If it works without the VPN, turn the VPN back on and add the app to your exclusions (on iPhone, route Russian sites directly). If it works now, the service was reacting to the VPN server's address. You can leave your VPN on.
3. If the app still asks you to turn off the VPN despite the exclusion, it's detecting the active VPN connection on your phone. You have to turn off the VPN while using this app.
4. If the app asks you to turn off the VPN when it's already off, see the tip "If the VPN is off but the service still asks to disable it" in the next section.

What to do: split tunneling and other options

Split tunneling

This is the most convenient option. The VPN client sorts your traffic: Russian apps and websites route directly through your regular connection, while everything else goes through the VPN. Banks and Gosuslugi see your real Russian IP, and the VPN stays on. We explain how this works in what is split tunneling.

If you use Byte VPN, we recommend the Incy app for Android and Hiddify for Windows. Add your subscription link to the app and configure exclusions there using the guides in the table.

What to exclude

It's easier to list all the Russian apps you use and exclude them all at once. Usually, this includes:

• banks and payment apps;
• Gosuslugi, tax apps, and Russian Post;
• marketplaces, food delivery, and Avito;
• taxis, car-sharing, and maps;
• mobile carrier apps: MTS, MegaFon, and Beeline also started asking users to disable VPNs in April 2026, otherwise some app data won't load (iPhones.ru);
• streaming and book services: Kinopoisk, Ivi, Wink, KION, and Litres were added to the list of VPN-hostile services in April (Hi-Tech Mail).

Once your list is ready, do the following:

1. Add banks, Gosuslugi, marketplaces, and carrier apps to the exclusions, or enable a rule to route Russian websites directly.
2. Reconnect the VPN: many clients only apply new rules on the next connection.
3. Force-close the banking app entirely and open it again.
4. Make sure your other traffic still goes through the VPN: an IP checker should show the server's address. We show how to do this in how to check your VPN.

iPhone limitations

You can't exclude entire apps on an iPhone, so VPN clients use routing rules: Russian domains and IPs go directly, and everything else goes via the VPN. Usually, you just enable a built-in rule for Russia or add a rule for Russian domains and IPs manually. Banking apps sometimes connect to servers outside the .ru zone, so this isn't foolproof. If the app still won't open, you will have to turn off the VPN while banking.

Site rules aren't perfect. A Russian service might load data from a foreign server, and vice versa. If something partially breaks, add the domain to your exclusions or temporarily disable the VPN to compare.

Turning off the VPN temporarily

Reliable and requires zero setup, but it gets annoying if you need the bank multiple times a day. Best when the app detects the VPN directly on your phone and exclusions fail. Don't forget to turn the VPN back on when you're done.

A separate device

Some people keep banking and Gosuslugi apps on a second phone or access them from a home PC without a VPN. This is a solid option if you have a spare device and hate tweaking settings.

If your VPN is on a router

When a VPN runs on your home router, banks and Gosuslugi break on every device in the house. You have to configure exclusions on the router itself: many models can bypass the VPN for Russian IPs or specific devices. If yours can't, it's easier to move the VPN to your phones and PCs and configure exclusions in the apps.

If your VPN won't connect at all after setting up exclusions, that's a different issue. Follow the steps in why my VPN won't connect.

What not to do

Restrictions created a market for "solutions," some of which are more dangerous than the problem.

• Do not install programs, profiles, or "modified" banking apps promising to bypass VPN checks. Only download banking apps from official stores or links on the bank's official website.
• Do not disable phone security features based on advice from strangers in chats or comments.
• Never share codes from SMS or push notifications. Bank staff and VPN support will never ask for them.
• If someone calls or messages you claiming to be from the bank or Gosuslugi, demanding you confirm something urgently because of your VPN, hang up and open the app yourself.

Split tunneling is completely safe. It doesn't trick anyone: the bank gets your real IP, just like it would without a VPN, and the connection remains protected by HTTPS encryption.

If the bank already blocked your transactions

Sometimes, logging in with a VPN causes the bank to restrict transfers or block access pending a security check. It's annoying but fixable. Call the bank using the number on the back of your card or their official website, or use the in-app chat if it opens. Never call numbers from SMS messages or click links in them, even if they look legitimate. Once unblocked, set up an exclusion for the banking app so it doesn't happen again.