“The deadline is approaching, but the feature is missing”: Kazakh woman unable to verify second IMEI for three months

Tengrinews.kz – A woman in Kazakhstan says she has been unable to verify the second IMEI number of her iPhone for several months. Tengrinews.kz looked into the situation to find out why the problem remains unresolved.
Complaint on social media
A woman shared a post on social media describing difficulties with her phone's IMEI verification. According to her, the issue has remained unresolved for three months.
“The option to add a second IMEI still hasn't appeared in the application,” she wrote.
Note: IMEI verification is the process of checking and confirming a mobile device's unique International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) number. In Kazakhstan, the procedure is used to verify that a phone was legally imported and meets regulatory requirements. It also helps determine whether a device is registered in the system or has been reported stolen or blocked.
Tengrinews.kz contacted the woman, who said she had purchased an iPhone 16 Pro Max through a popular online marketplace in January 2025.
She explained that her phone has two IMEI numbers, but she has been unable to verify the second one.

“One IMEI is linked to the physical SIM card, which I no longer use, while the other is linked to the eSIM I currently use. We traveled abroad in September. After returning, I received a notification from 6914 saying that I needed to complete verification. Initially, the deadline was October 16, but it was later extended to November 5,” she said.

“I don't know who to contact”
According to the woman, she tried to register the second IMEI through eGov, but the required option was missing from the application form.
She contacted customer support twice. Both times, she was told that the feature was temporarily unavailable, with no information about when it would be restored.
“I don't know who to contact or how to resolve this issue. The deadline is approaching, but the feature is still unavailable,” she said.
Why can't users verify a second IMEI? System provider explains
Tengrinews.kz contacted the IMEI verification system provider to find out why the option to register a second IMEI was no longer available.
According to the company, starting March 25, 2025, owners of phones that had already been used in Kazakhstan before the new regulations took effect were allowed to register a second or third IMEI through a simplified procedure.
This option was available during a transitional period and also applied to smartphones using eSIM technology.
The system provider said the public had been repeatedly informed about the registration deadlines and procedures through media reports and official announcements.
However, the simplified verification procedure for additional IMEI numbers has now been suspended.

“The simplified procedure for verifying additional IMEI numbers is currently suspended following the discovery of cases in which it was used for fraudulent purposes,” the company said.

The provider clarified that a different procedure applies to newly imported devices. When submitting a verification application, owners must provide all IMEI numbers associated with their phone.

“Under the standard procedure for verifying newly imported devices, all IMEI numbers belonging to a single device must be included in one application and are checked as part of the established verification process,” the provider explained.

What should existing phone owners do if they haven't verified their second IMEI?
The company advised users in this situation to contact their mobile network operator.
“They can seek advice on whether it is possible to switch SIM cards between the device's slots in order to use an IMEI that has already been registered on the network,” the company explained.
The woman who raised the complaint has since submitted another verification application and is now awaiting a response.
Why Kazakhstan introduced IMEI verification
New mobile phone verification rules came into effect in Kazakhstan on March 25, 2025. The authorities introduced IMEI checks to combat the illegal import of smartphones.
Under the system, phones are divided into three categories:
Whitelist: Devices that have successfully passed verification.Greylist: Devices that require additional checks.Blacklist: Devices with incorrect or counterfeit IMEI numbers.
Owners of phones on the greylist are given up to 30 days to complete verification. If they fail to do so, their device's access to mobile networks may be restricted.
Meanwhile, phones imported into Kazakhstan before March 25, 2025, that had already been used on the country's mobile networks were supposed to receive verified status automatically.
Why have problems occurred?
Following the introduction of the new rules, Kazakhstanis began reporting errors during device registration and receiving warnings that their phones could be blocked.
Tengrinews.kz previously reported that such notifications were also sent to smartphone owners who activated a second SIM card or eSIM for the first time.
There have also been complaints from users who encountered system errors or had their verification applications rejected.
Initially, IMEI verification was handled by the private company ATS Mediafon KZ. However, following criticism, the authorities decided to revise the verification mechanism.
Since October 9, 2026, Kazakhstanis have been able to complete IMEI verification through the government's eGov portal or the eGov Mobile app.