SNILS is the individual insurance number of a person’s personal account in the pension accounting system. Like the TIN, SNILS is assigned only once for life. The pension system implies that a working citizen makes certain contributions to the Pension Fund of Russia (PFR) during his working life, and upon reaching retirement age he becomes entitled to receive pension payments. To make payments with the Pension Fund you must obtain SNILS. The document that contains this personal account number is presented in the form of a laminated green card. In addition to the number, this card also contains data about the owner of the number. For Russian citizens, obtaining such a card is a standard procedure, but for foreigners in Russia it raises many questions. In this article we will look at how a foreigner can obtain SNILS in Russia.
Does a foreigner need to apply for SNILS?
The main purpose of SNILS is to receive a pension in the future, regardless of who the recipient is - a foreign person or a citizen of the Russian Federation. According to labor legislation, the employer must make contributions to the Pension Fund from the salaries paid to its employees. Accordingly, to transfer them you will need to provide SNILS. If the hired employee does not have SNILS, then the employer will take care of its registration independently.
Of course, unscrupulous employers may not request this number from a visiting foreigner, but the foreign citizen will ultimately face the consequences.
Important! Any citizen, when applying for a job with a Russian employer, is required to provide SNILS. If it does not exist, then it is issued by the employer.
What is SNILS and why is it needed for a residence permit?
SNILS stands for Individual Personal Account Insurance Number. It is assigned when a foreigner with a residence permit registers in the Russian pension insurance system. Until recently, the Pension Fund, where citizens are registered, issued SNILS on a green laminated A5 card.
But since September 29, in order to save public funds, when registering, a person is assigned a number, but is not issued a “green card”. All information about the account and its owner is indicated on a regular sheet of A4 paper. This form is called ADI-REG - notification of registration in the personalized accounting system.
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At the request of the applicant, the Pension Fund can provide information in the form of an electronic document signed with a qualified e-signature. This “paper” is required to be accepted by employers when applying for employment and by officials when applying for government services. But it is impossible to actually hand over an e-document, and not all organizations have already switched to electronic document management, so it is easier to obtain a paper confirmation of registration.
Why do we need SNILS, especially for foreigners? It is drawn up so that the person has the right to:
- pensions - upon reaching retirement age or when special conditions arise (disability, length of service, loss of breadwinners);
- compensation for insurance payments - upon the occurrence of insured events;
- some federal and regional benefits.
In addition, SNILS is an identifier number when registering on the portal of state and municipal services.
How can a foreigner get SNILS in Russia?
Foreign citizens may belong to different categories:
- Temporarily staying in the Russian Federation. The basis for staying in Russia is a migration card;
- Temporary residents are foreigners who have issued a temporary residence permit (temporary residence permit);
- Permanent residents of the Russian Federation are foreigners who have issued a residence permit (residence permit).
Regardless of which of the listed categories a foreign citizen belongs to, he has the right to receive SNILS. The only exceptions are highly qualified specialists; for them, a certificate is not required. You can obtain SNILS in Russia either independently or through your employer. The procedure will be the same, only the applicants will differ. To obtain SNILS, you can contact the Pension Fund or MFC (
How to get SNILS for a residence permit yourself?
The procedure for obtaining a SNILS for a residence permit does not take much time on your own. The algorithm of actions for obtaining a certificate for residents with a residence permit is the same, i.e. foreign workers, non-working migrants, and residents of retirement age are in the same position.
The document is issued exclusively in person to the migrant.
Where to go?
Only the Pension Fund processes documentation for assigning an insurance number. But submitting a package of personal papers is possible in 2 institutions.
Where to contact:
- Territorial division of the Pension Fund of the Russian Federation. This case involves wasting an indefinite amount of time (you have to wait in line). But you can get an account number on the day you apply. After comparing all the documents, the department employee enters the information into the system and issues an A4 paper with personal data.
- MFC. It is recommended to use the services of this institution only if you are unable to get to the Pension Fund. Issuing SNILS will take some time. Documents for verification are sent to the Pension Fund. Before visiting, check whether this MFC department provides this type of service.
It is allowed to send documents via Russian Post with a mandatory list of attachments. Use copies certified by a notary. The letter is sent under the heading “Valuable”. The date of delivery of the letter to the Fund is considered the first day of provision of the service.
Electronic service through the public services portal is not available for the initial registration of SNILS. An application for a duplicate of a previously issued certificate is submitted remotely.
What documents should I collect?
A visiting person receiving SNILS under a residence permit will need to create a package of documents. His list is small:
What is your registration?
Registration at the place of residenceRegistration at the place of stay
- passport (copy);
- residence permit (copy);
- translation of the passport, certified in the appropriate manner by a notary (required only if the identity document is entirely in a foreign language).
All copies are confirmed by a personal visit to the department with the originals.
The final component of the list will be filling out an application. It is written exclusively in Russian on a special form. It is issued by a department employee. A sample can be viewed here.
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In the AVD-1 format the following is written:
- personal data of the applicant (last name, first name, patronymic);
- Date and place of birth;
- registration address.
All information is taken from the passport. Upon completion of entering the information, the applicant’s signature is placed. If SNILS is issued for a child, then the parent is responsible for filling out the application.
How much does the service cost?
Registration and receipt of SNILS for a residence permit is a free procedure. Absolutely all authorities do not charge a fee for issuing a document. There is not even a state duty.
The service of obtaining SNILS for money is a fraudulent scheme.
Waiting periods and validity of the document
SNILS is issued only once in a lifetime, i.e. The document is of an unlimited duration. However, there are likely situations where a replacement insurance certificate is required.
These include:
- typos in personal information;
- change of first name, last name or patronymic (this often occurs when subsequently obtaining citizenship and a Russian-style passport).
In this case, an application is written in form ADV-2 (the form can be downloaded here), where old and new data are indicated. A copy of the document confirming the fact of data change is attached to the application.
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According to the regulations established by the legislation of the Russian Federation, PF specialists are allocated 5 working days to process information. The countdown begins from the day the application is received.
MFC carries out work within a week. 1 day is allocated for sending the package of documents.
Possible reasons for refusal
The issuance of SNILS for a residence permit is extremely rarely denied.
A negative result is possible in several cases:
- the application is written incorrectly, there are errors or the information is not provided in full;
- the passport has not been presented, its validity has expired or it has been declared invalid;
- there is no document that allows you to stay in the Russian Federation.
In other circumstances, refusal should be considered a violation of rights.
Registration of SNILS through the employer
If you follow the law, then the employer must issue SNILS to his employees; this is his responsibility. However, neither a Russian nor a foreign citizen can force him to do this. And employers often take advantage of this and shift the receipt of SNILS to the employees.
If the SNILS for an employee is received by the employer, then the procedure will be as follows: the employee must provide the employer with all the necessary documents, and the employer already transfers them to the Pension Fund. After this, the certificate is issued to the employer, and he then passes it on to the insured person.
Where can I get SNILS for a child of a foreign citizen?
This year, a document can be issued to a non-resident child under the following conditions:
- the presence of a person who is an official representative of a minor foreign national on the territory of the Russian Federation must be legal. Moreover, the basis for stay must be documented;
- If the residence permit is cancelled, the number will be retained and the child’s personal account will be open.
All papers are submitted at the place of actual registration of the child indicated in the parental permission to legal employment. For minors you will need:
- application - if we are talking about children whose age is over 14 years old, then they fill out the form independently. Their representatives do this for the kids;
- questionnaire of an authorized person who already has an insurance certificate;
- passport of one of the parents who already has SNILS;
- child certificate.
The registration procedure is standard, as for adult foreign nationals. The period through which you can receive a card is 60 - 90 days from the date of submission of the application.
From this video you will learn why you need to issue SNILS for your child:
Where can a foreigner apply for SNILS?
As noted above, a foreign citizen can apply for SNILS to the territorial division of the Pension Fund. In this case, you may have to spend some time and wait in line, but you can receive a certificate on the day of application. Having accepted all the documents, the PFR specialist will print out the certificate, then laminate it and give it to the citizen.
You can also apply for SNILS at the MFC (Multifunctional Center). This method can be used by those persons who, for some reason, cannot apply directly to the Pension Fund. For citizens, for example, the operating hours of the MFC may be more suitable. But in this case, you will have to wait some time before the certificate is in your hands. MFC employees will first have to transfer information on the citizen to the Pension Fund of the Russian Federation, and then wait until the completed certificate arrives at the MFC.
The legislation also provides for applying for SNILS via the Internet (State Services portal). But for the first time it will not be possible to obtain a certificate in this way; through State Services you can only issue a duplicate of the certificate.
Documents required for obtaining SNILS by a foreign citizen
When applying for SNILS, you will need to fill out an application. The application is a questionnaire that contains the personal data of the insured person, including full name, date of birth, place of birth, etc. In addition to the application, you will also need to provide:
- Identification document of a foreigner (passport or other document). If this document is drawn up in a foreign language, then it will need to be translated into Russian and the translation certified by a notary;
- A document on the basis of which a foreigner is in the Russian Federation (TRP, residence permit, refugee certificate).
A foreigner cannot apply for SNILS himself; a representative can do it for him. In this case, you will need to draw up a notarized power of attorney for the representative, and also present your passport when applying.
Important! If the need for SNIL arises for a temporarily staying foreigner, then instead of a temporary residence permit or residence permit, he will have to provide a migration card confirming that his presence in the Russian Federation is official. Otherwise, the list of documents for them will not differ.
Questionnaire structure
In an application to receive SNILS, a foreign citizen must provide the following information:
- “Approved by the Resolution of the Board of the Pension Fund of the Russian Federation dated dd.mm.y. in the right corner of A4 sheet;
- The title of the document is “Questionnaire of the insured person”;
After that on the left is the form of the document “ADV-1”.
Do not forget! You must write only in printed, legible letters.
- The main part of the document contains the following data of the foreign citizen who receives SNILS: last name, first name, patronymic, gender, date of birth, place of birth (city, district, region, country), type of citizenship, permanent place of residence, permanent residence address, temporary residence address (filled in if the addresses are different), contact numbers (cell or work);
- Passport information (series and number, where issued, etc.);
- Date of application;
- Personal signature;
Download
Form ADV-1
Features of registration of SNILS for foreigners from different countries
Russia has particularly warm relations with Belarus, however, if Belarusians come to Russia to look for work, then they will definitely need to obtain a SNILS. If the purpose of the visit to the Russian Federation is not work, then registration of SNILS is not required.
Citizens of Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Ukraine also enjoy certain benefits in Russia, but this does not mean that they will not need to obtain SNILS when finding employment.
Thus, for a foreign citizen staying or living in Russia, registration of SNILS is mandatory only if he plans to work. At the same time, the employer must require the provision of SNILS during employment, both for Russian citizens and foreigners. If they do not have such a document, the employer can independently prepare SNILS (
