Bank Account and SIM Card in Russia
Cards from banks outside Russia do not work there. Open a Russian bank account in your first weeks, and get a Russian SIM card with your passport.
Example bank
Available Balance
Recent Transactions
Example: groceries
Example
-850.00 RUB
Example: travel card top-up
Example
-802.00 RUB
Example card. Your bank and numbers will differ.
Banks for Students
In Russia you pay with a Russian bank card, such as a Mir card (Russia's own bank card system), or by phone through the Faster Payments System (SBP), which makes instant transfers inside Russia.
- Has a card for foreign citizens, the same as for Russians.
- Free cash withdrawals up to RUB 150,000 (Russian roubles) a day at Sberbank ATMs.
- A partner bank of ITMO University.
Your Home Card Will Not Work
Visa and Mastercard cards from banks outside Russia do not work there. You cannot take out cash with them. Bring cash for your first days.
How to Open a Bank Account
What foreign students need to open an account.
Get registered first
Banks ask for your registration slip.
Apply
At Sberbank, fill in the form in Russian. You need your passport and a Russian mobile number.
Collect your card
Sberbank sends a text when your card is ready. Collect it at a branch.
Essential Documents:
- Passport - With your study visa.
- Migration card - The small form you fill in when you enter Russia.
- Registration slip - Proof your address is registered.
- Russian mobile number - Sberbank asks for one.
Tips
The Sberbank application for foreign citizens is in Russian. Bring a Russian speaker if you can.
Open your account after your address is registered.
SIM Cards and Plans
In Saint Petersburg, phone and internet plans start from about RUB 500 (Russian roubles) a month.
Go to a mobile shop
From a mobile operator or an electronics shop.
Show your papers
Your passport and your migration card.
Start using it
Activation usually takes a few minutes.
- Bring your passport and your migration card to buy a SIM card.
- At Sechenov University, new students must visit a bank within 10 days of arrival to confirm their biometrics (an identity check at the bank). Without it, you cannot get a SIM card. Ask your university if this applies to you.
Money and Phone Tips
Simple steps to pay and stay in touch in Russia.
Plan transfers before you fly
Your family sends money to your Russian account.
From India, use the right code
From India, tell your bank to use purpose code S1301 when you send living money to your own Russian account. This falls under the Liberalised Remittance Scheme (LRS), India's rule for sending money abroad.
Complete Guide to Russia
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Post-Arrival - Detailed Guides
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