How to get SNILS, Gosuslugi and EBS biometrics as a foreigner

Travel to Russia
21

@Stefano
Some of my experiences with SNILS, Gosuslugi, and bank accounts…

  • You can use Gosuslugi with simple biometrics before arriving to Russia, without having a SNILS (for example, for RuID, which is mandatory if you don’t have a visa). This is not enough for getting a SIM-card.
  • Not sure about lawyers, I’ve got my SNILS on an MFC. However, not any MFC will work. In St. Peter they told me there are only two MFC in the city that do SNILS (maybe they meant SNILS for foreigners).
  • Some MFC are overcrowded, some others not. It’s better to have an appointment, which you can get for the following day. If you look for an MFC in Yandex in the region you are visiting, you will see their phone number and email address, for that region. There you can find out which MFC is good for you and also make an appointment
  • I got my SNILS on the spot. The whole process took 45 minutes. I needed, of course, the migration card and the notarized translation of the passport.
  • Important: let the MFC connect your SNILS to your Gosuslugi profile
  • (I have to admit I had a Russian speaking person to help me with MFC, but even without it, it should be manageable, using translation apps)
  • After getting your SNILS, connected to your Goslugi, you can easily do the second level of biometrics (the one you need for a SIM-card) in any bank. I tried SberBank in Moscow and it went very smoothly. Here I was on my own, with my few words in Russian. You don’t have to be a customer and it is for free.
  • Then you can get a SIM card. This is also easy, once you have the biometrics connected to your Gosuslugi profile
  • Bank accounts are fairly easy to open too. Some send a representative to the place you wish, to hand over the card, configure the app and verify your documentation.
  • BUT: later I tried to connect my Russian SIM-card to my Gosuslugi profile, online… This is done via your bank, where your number should also be registered. Unfortunately, it doesn’t work for non-Russian citizens online, so I will have to go again to the MFC to let them register my SIM-card with Gosuslugi. Without this registration, there are a few things you can’t do with the app (like signing for others services). I tried yoomoney, for example, but it won’t work with Gosuslugi without the phone number being registered…

Hope that helps.

22

@Stefano
It took him about 3 months to do it. You also have to send a Power of Attorney and he can’t do it unless he gets the original. So it is not fast by any means.

23

@donFlorero
Thanks for the updates. I’m just going to wait and next time I’m in Russia I will go to MFC, my bank, MTC,
I already had a phone number from before these requirements. So I’m hoping if they block it, I can still “keep” the number. I already had bank accounts from before these requirements, so I’m thinking this all shouldn’t be too hard for me. I got my SNILS while outside of the country and I connected it to my Gosuslugi, “simplified” biometrics and it accepted it. But as you say as a foreigner we can’t get the standard biometrics done remotely. Oh well…I really hope they make a way for foreigners to do this process remotely.

24

I found an excellent notary who is very reliable and efficient. You can simply send them a copy of your passport, and they’ll prepare the translation and send it to your hotel before you arrive. You can easily contact them via WhatsApp or Telegram ros-document.ru. I needed it for a Russian phone number

25

I am interested in this whole process as I will be travelling to Russia in a couple of months.

My first question concerns the SNILS. I think I already have one: I used to live in Russia, a decade ago, and was issued with a green pension insurance card (“страховое свидетельство обязательного пенсионного страхования”). It has an 11-digit number on it. I think this is in fact what is now called the SNILS and does not need to be replaced. Can someone confirm this please?

Assuming this number is in fact the SNILS, what are the implications for the whole process of registering for Gosuslugi etc? Do I still need to go to the MFC to set up my Gosuslugi account? I suppose even though I already have a SNILS, I still need a notarized translation of my passport to register for Gosuslugi?

The most confusing aspect of this process is the question of verifying one’s Gosuslugi account. I have read all sorts of contradictory information about this process. Some sources say that verification does not require a Russian phone number as it can be done in person at an MFC office, at a bank or through a banking app, or with an authenticator app.

Can someone please clarify the best way to verfiy one’s Gosuslugi account (without a Russian phone number)? I will probably be going to a bank anyway to record my biometric data, so perhaps this is also the best place to complete verification of my Gosuslugi account? Can I do this at any bank?

26

@Jabod a decade ago, and was issued with a green pension insurance card (“страховое свидетельство обязательного пенсионного страхования”). It has an 11-digit number on it. I think this is in fact what is now called the SNILS and does not need to be replaced.

You are right, it does not need to be replaced.

27

Thank you agilebox!

Can anyone help with my later questions, about how to set up and verify a new Gosuslugi account?

28

@Jabod

To set up my Gosuslugi account in May 2025, I just went to the MFC, and at the end of the process they verified that it was active. At the time, I did not yet have a Russian phone number, so that wasn’t necessary as part of the activation process.

29

@Jabod Do I still need to go to the MFC to set up my Gosuslugi account? I suppose even though I already have a SNILS, I still need a notarized translation of my passport to register for Gosuslugi?

The most confusing aspect of this process is the question of verifying one’s Gosuslugi account. I have read all sorts of contradictory information about this process. Some sources say that verification does not require a Russian phone number as it can be done in person at an MFC office, at a bank or through a banking app, or with an authenticator app

Gosuslugi account is created or updated at the MFC. That’s where the login credentials are checked.
You must meet in person with your notarized translation of the passport. How can they ID verify you otherwise?

Login, for security reasons, uses a random pair of data in a set consisting of: phone number, email, SNIL, last five digits of passport, along password. When the account is created the MFC agent runs the verifications, you log in/out, receive SMS codes, mails, to unsure all is good. And that’s it.

I am OP of this thread, and did the process with my already existing Russian SIMs, so can’t tell about foreign SIMs now, but it should be good, because this is the point of the RuID app that is now mandatory for visa-free travelers, who must create a profile on RuID. RuID is a trimmed down version of Gosuslugi. My guess, just a guess, is that when you visit MFC with the RuID data, the agents just do the ID verification against the data you filled on RuID, complete the profile and RuID turns into full Gosuslugi.
The point with the nationality of the SIM, is that in the beginning, it seems they were not aware that the requirement coded into Gosuslugi, for a Russian SIM, created a loop locking foreigners out, hence defeating the idea. Seems this was corrected since.

in order to have a Russian SIM and full features uncapped MIR, EBS profile is mandatory, so either need to visit the bank or do it at the MFC offices that are now equipped for this, as this was also a plan (streamline everything at MFC). For sure Sber does it, and there is a Sber everywhere.
At the bank too, you identify yourself with the notarized translation of the passport, also at the mobile phone operator.

(Gosuslugi app has a lesser level of biometric self-verification, consisting of selfie and voice record, but this is useless for bank and mobile phone. )

30

Thank you both for your replies.

One reason I am very confused about this issue is that participants of the following discussion (just a couple of months ago) says that neither a Russian SIM card nor a foreign one is required to complete Gosuslugi registation. They say that verification can instead be completed using an authenticator app, such as Google authenticator.

I suppose that one disadvantage of having to use a foreign phone number to complete the verification process is that all foreign SIMs are blocked for 24 hours after entering Russia. So does that mean that I should wait for the second day of my visit before going to MFC? (Assuming it is true that a working SIM card is needed, which according to the Reddit discussion above isn’t the case). I would really like to get this sorted on my first day if possible!

31

@Jabod that participants of the following discussion (just a couple of months ago) says that neither a Russian SIM card nor a foreign one is required to complete Gosuslugi registation. They say that verification can instead be completed using an authenticator app, such as Google authenticator.

what I am sure of, is that a TOTP calculator can be added as additional 2FA login, as explained on Gosuslugi site: https://www.gosuslugi.ru/help/faq/login/101923
The idea is to be able to connect your profile in case you don’t have the phone/SIM. There is another option with a QR code in case you have the phone but not the SIM in it.
But for the creation of the account before you can add additional 2FA methods, as per current Gosuslugi page a phone number in order to receive a confirmation SMS is required:
https://www.gosuslugi.ru/help/faq/login/1
that said maybe the doc on the site is not updated.
Anyway you will see by yourself. Just half an hour to spend at the MFC, no big deal.

in case your foreign SIM has the 24hrs block, then visit MFC after the delay. Just think of having the phone charged all the time, so it won’t shut down and start a new 24-hrs block upon reboot.

32

Hello

Is the process to get a simcard easier than a year ago?

33

Antonio,
I have a SNILS document, but it is in my lawyer’s office in Saint Petersburg.
I will be coming in through the Pskov border.

Do you think I can go directly to MFC in Pskov without my SNILS, but I know the number, and I have a copy of the document?

They should be able to look that up and confirm the SNILS without me having the original document.
What do you think?

34

@Cal I went to an MFC last month with an existing SNILS number - to link it to my Gosuslugi account.

The people at the MFC just needed the number. Don’t think they looked at the social security card I had been issued (many years ago) with my number on it.

I think when they enter the number, the system will be able to cross-reference it with the existing records of the social security system. Your name should already be linked to your number in that database.

You can actually enter the SNILS number into the Gosuslugi system yourself, by logging into your Gosuslugi account. If you don’t already have a Gosuslugi account, you can create one yourself online (or, if you are already a client of a Russian bank, they can do this for you).