my experience in getting my profile on the Unified Biometric System (EBS).
As per the law in vigor since 01.01.2025, sales of new SIM to foreigners and opening of bank acccounts (for payment card MIR) from 01.03.25 required to have a profile on the administrative portal (Gosuslugi) and on EBS. Foreigners with SIM and bank from before have a grace period until 30.06.25.
My case is the one of foreigner with SIM and bank from before. So I used my existing Russian numbers. This may be important, actually I didn't think at the moment, to ask about foreign phone numbers.
I am very familiar with Russia since long, so I feel at home. Speak broken Russian.
Last week of February I took five days off and went to Kaliningrad meet a friend and drive around the oblast. In between i decided to get registered.
The main administrative services are centralized at the MFC (Multi Functional Center) also called "My Documents".
SNILS = a kind of social security number.
Anyone can get a SNILS, have to show at MFC with your passport and notarized translation.
as I didn't want to spend time, I ordered a translation online with notarization , with courier delivery at pick-up point convenient relatively my place of stay in Kaliningrad.
SDEK is main courier service, something like DHL, UPS, Fedex, etc.
The translation service I found online did accept non-Russian payment if needed.
I synchronized shipment as per my arrival day in Kaliningrad. (translation was done in Moskva)
so i arrived in Kaliningrad with the bus from Gdansk, went to SDEK picked the translation.
As this is a physical seal, there is a ribbon attaching the pages throught a hole:
this notarized translation has to be kept, it is needed at MFC, at the bank, etc.
I went to the main MFC on Victory Square, in front of the cathedral. Any MFC will do of course.
In the entrance a touch screen to pick the needed service, but there is an information stand where they orientate you the best. I told a lady there that I am non-resident foreigner and need a SNILS. She gave me a queue number and I went to sit and wait my turn.
half and hour wait, and I was registered at one of these desk.
An address is asked, it is a requirement, but no proof is asked, you can give whatever. I gave the hotel´s address.
No phone number and no email address asked.
Now, first delay: the lady explained me that what she filled was an application for a SNILS. Formal delivery will be after one day. I so learned that it can in fact take up to 5 days.
I got a receipt of my application, with a tracking number, and that's all:
next day I went to visit some places in the oblast, and went back to MFC with my receipt the following day. Take a queue number, wait, get to a desk, date and sign consents and have the certificate with the SNILS:
one queue number = one operation. With now my SNILS I returned to main desk to ask for a queue number for Gosuslugi. Was told to return Monday because there was technical maintenance and some services not available. It was a Thuesday, i had to be back at work Monday, so I left. i checked and there was a message of MFC Kaliningrad on their Telegram channel warning about the reduced services these day. So I could have planned accordingly if i thought of checking that channel.
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mid-April, Easter week, I was in Pskov.
Went to MFC with my SNILS certificate, passport and translation. In this one touch screens for getting a ticket are back main desk for staff only. Asked for registration into Gosuslugi and went to sit and wait:
email and phone number are required this time. Address too, but without proof. The agent looked for an address and stamp on the back of my immigration card (given at border) but there was nothing. Obviously, despite being in her twenties, she didn't know that this no longer done by hotels since long (the 2010's), she was ok with that an just told me an address is needed. I gave the hotel's one.
The registration process does require some amount of typing for the agents.
There was a glitch when she wanted to register my phone number. The confirmation SMS was not arriving. Btw. I noticed in Pskov that my MTS SIM was getting better connection than my Megafon.
Anyway no confirmation SMS was arriving in my phone despite few tries. She was patient and friendly.
In the end she told me phone number was not critical, SNILS and email with password being enough.
So she created the Gosuslugi profile on my phone, then handed it back to me to modify the password, create my own and log in. All good.
I exited MFC with my Gosuslugi profile.
Same day later in the evening, went I went to log in, I could not. SMS confirmation code was required. Further check on Gosuslugi Q&A site and I learned that TWO-FACTORS authentication is mandatory since some time, to avoid frauds. But as my phone number could not be registered when in MFC because no SMS arriving, I was stuck.
So next day I returned to MFC. The lady this time told me that indeed a phone number is mandatory because the 2-factors auth.. She had to send confirmation codes in the system few times until I finally got one.
My guess is that MFC works on different sets of databases and there can be delays in initialization by propagation of new profile data. Pure guess but possible. Or there was just too much traffic in the network the first time.After the first SMS code,, the other times I hae been logging since, codes arrived quickly.
you install Gosuslugi app, very convenient. Login asks randomly for a combo SNILS and/or email + password + SMS code.
walked out of MFC and went to the main Sber office. Touch screen in entrance, pick "EBS registration":
the lady first told me I could not be registered into EBS because I am not Sberbank customer. So I explained and showed to her on m phone the relevant page on Gosuslugi site. She read then called a coworker who confirmed and I was send to another window.
Your profile your passport with translation. Passport is scanned like at border, and the agency manager comes to check the passport photo. The data on Gosusluugi profile is also needed, I just handed my phone with the app opened. Address also required, no proof needed, so gave hotel again.
Some typing, that the agent does not on a Sberbank server, but on EBS system itself.
Then biometrics. She took a shot of my face, and, at this point, there was a log on EBS site. It didn´t load the photo. Tried couple more times but no luck. So was asked to return next day.
Did so, passport scan, manual verification from manager and sign consent had to be redone, face shot take, this time it did load., then I read three rows of numbers (0 to 9, 9 to 00, random) and that was the voice recording.
Done on EBS.
There is the Gosuslugi app, and a Gosuslugi Biometrika app.
Screenshot, with photo and voice validated, and as it reads, valid for five years:
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Summary: in theory it can all be done same day, queue 1st time in MFC for SNILS and have the certificate on the spot, return to main desk ask for another queue number for registration on Gosuslugi and get the profile created fully active. Go to Sberbank (or VTB), and get registered on EBS.
BUT there is the up to 5 days delay in issuance and propagation of the SNILS.
There can be technical maintenance, reduced service, network lag.
At the bank there may be uninformed staff.
And now the last joke. After I was EBS ready, I walked into the MTS kiosk by Pskov railway station. The guy told me i didn´t need to be EBS checked for revalidation of my number. He just scanned and registered the translated passport, as it is different than the one I had at the time I bought the SIM. I insisted about biometric check but he kept insisting there was no need, the SIM will be active after 30.06.
Then I walked into the Megafon kiosk and there the guy didn't know what i was talking about, I showed him the Gosuslugi information and he called some manager to get information. So he learned about this law....
He refreshed also my account with my passport and that's all.
mid-June I will be again in Russia, so with recheck with MTS and Megafon. This time I will probably be couple days in SPb or MSK.
