Bank Account and SIM card

HSE University staff salaries are transferred either to VTB MIR bank cards or to SBERBANK MIR bank cards. Both banks belong to the national payment system. The cards are issued free of charge within a corporate programme.

HSE employees are free to choose any option for receiving their salary.

How can I apply for a bank card?

Please visit the HSE in St. Petersburg Accounting Department  to fill in the application form for your bank card.
You need to take your passport, its notarized translation, a valid migration card and your registration slip with you.
If you need support, please contact HR Centre for International Faculty HR Department HSE St. Petersburg.

Your bank card will be issued within 7-10 working days from the date when your application is submitted. Please note that Russian banks require that you have a Russian mobile phone number when opening a new bank account. This is necessary because your mobile phone number is going to be linked to security settings of your bank card and to your mobile app. 

We suggest that you purchase a Russian SIM card prior to the process of starting your bank card application.

SIM card in Russia

Here is a list of the main mobile networks operators in Russia:

• MTS
• T2
• Beeline
• Megafon
• Yota

You can choose any mobile plan you wish. Please be sure to buy your SIM cards at authorized mobile stores only.

From January 01, 2025 all foreign citizens will be required to undergo biometric registration to obtain SIM cards. More information (in Russian) - here. 

The documents needed to issue a SIM card:

1. passport
2. notarized passport translation
3. SNILS - individual insurance account number (it is often provided by the employer, but can be obtained independently through Multifunctional Centers in St. Petersburg)

4. migration card and registration slip
5. confirmed entry on the State Services Website “Gosuslugi” (‘Госуслуги’) - a website that provides online state services

6. verified biometrics in the Unified Biometric System - a digital platform that verifies a person's identity based on their biometric data

7. IMEI-number - a unique number that is assigned to each device with a sim card slot. It consists of 15 characters and can be found by dialing *#06# on the device keypad.

 
Step 1. Confirm your entry on the State Services Website “Gosuslugi”

1. Сreate an account on the Gosuslugi website.
2. In order to confirm the entry visit ‘My Documents’ multifunctional centre (‘Многофункциональный центр «Мои документы»’) or bank.
3. If you already have a Russian SIM card and you are a client of one of the banks listed here, you may confirm the entry on Gosuslugi via online bank app.
4. Enter the Gosuslugi website and click on the button “Register” (‘Зарегистрироваться’).
5. Select the registration method “Online via Internet bank“ (‘Онлайн через интернет-банк’).
6. Follow further instructions. 

 Step 2. Verify your biometric data

To register verified biometric data in the Unified Biometric System (UBS, the page is available only in Russian) follow the guidelines:

1. Visit a bank office;
2. Submit the documents to the bank officer;
3. The bank officer will ask you to look at the camera and repeat the sequence of numbers in Russian. To practice numbers pronunciation please have a look at this video;
4. Biometric data will be registered immediately. Its status may be checked:

         - in the personal account on Gosuslugi;
         - in the app “Gosuslugi Biometrics” (‘Госуслуги Биометрия’);
         - in the personal account on UBS.

Step 3. Conclude an agreement with a mobile operator

Check the number of your active SIM cards – it cannot exceed 10. To check the number of active SIM cards contact your mobile operator.
To obtain a SIM card visit a mobile operator office.
An officer will draft the agreement. Revise it carefully and sign it if everything is correct.
The SIM card can be activated immediately in the mobile operator office or later on Gosuslugi website.

Step 4. Accept the notification in Gosuslugi account

         - After buying a new SIM card/re-registering a SIM card you will receive a notification in your Gosuslugi account;
         - Accept the notification;
         - A SIM card will be activated.