Please visit the HSE Front Office (here you can check out your route to the Front Office) or the Operations Service Centre 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 with you. If you need support, please contact your coordinator or the International Faculty Support Centre.

Your bank card will be issued within 7 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 online banking credentials. 

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

Please familiarize yourself with the procedure for purchasing a Russian SIM card at this link.

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

• MTS
• Tele2
• Beeline
• Megafon

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

You can collect your SBERBANK bank card in person at 19, Pokrovka Street and your VTB bank card at 28 Building 1, Pokrovka Street. 
Please remember to bring your passport, its notary translation, your valid migration card and your registration. 

Pokrovka VTB Office:

VTB Office located at 28 Building 1, Pokrovka Street 

Working hours: Monday to Friday 10 am - 7 pm; Saturday 10 am - 5 pm

The nearest metro stations are Kurskaya, Chistye Prudy and Kitay-Gorod.

The links below are walking routes to the Pokrovka VTB Office from the HSE University campus located at:

• 20 Myasnitskaya Street
• 11 Pokrovsky Bulvar (Pokrovka complex).

VTB Call Centre: 8 (800) 100-24-24

Pokrovka SBERBANK Office:

SBERBANK Office located at 19, Pokrovka Street

Working hours: Monday to Friday 9.30 am - 7.30 pm; Saturday 10 am - 5 pm

The nearest metro stations are Kurskaya, Chistye Prudy and Turgenevskaya.

The links below are walking routes to the Pokrovka SBERBANK Office from the HSE University campus located at:

• 20 Myasnitskaya Street
• 11 Pokrovsky Bulvar (Pokrovka complex)

SBERBANK Call Centre: 8 (800) 555-55-50

Please be advised that SBERBANK and VTB bank (as well as other Russian banks) may contact their clients by phone only for these two reasons:

• to invite you to the bank office;
• to advertise the bank’s new products.

If you received a phone call on behalf of your bank’s security service, be advised that this is a fraudulent phone call. Please finish the call immediately and contact the bank customer service hotline (the number is indicated on the reverse of your card) to make sure your funds are secure.

VTB as well as SBERBANK offer bank card insurance at an additional cost. Your personal funds can be protected against unauthorized access. For more information, please visit this page for VTB banking offers and this page for SBERBANK (in Russian).

VTB Bank is a Russian bank that offers menu in languages other than Russian in its ATMs. All you need to do is to choose the option ‘Сменить язык’ (which means ‘Change language’). After changing the language, you can use the ATM following the instructions in English onscreen). To change the language you also need to choose the option ‘Сменить язык’ (which means ‘Change language’).

SBERBANK is another Russian bank that offers menu in various languages in its ATMs, including English. To change the language you also need to choose the option ‘Сменить язык’ (which means ‘Change language’.