INN for Foreigners in Russia: How to Obtain It
INN is a personal taxpayer number in Russia: 12 digits assigned by the tax service (FNS). A foreigner needs it not only for taxes: without an INN, you cannot pay for a work patent, and employers, banks, and the State Services ask for it. The number is assigned once and for life — even if you leave Russia and return after several years, your INN will remain the same.
Good news: the INN itself is free, and the application can be submitted to the tax office, MFC, or online through a personal account. Bad news: mistakes in the surname, date of birth, or passport in the documents create problems later — with the bank, the employer, and on State Services. Therefore, it is important to ensure that the data is written correctly everywhere from the start.
In Brief: What to Do
- Check that you have documents that grant the right to stay in Russia: passport, migration card, registration, visa, or patent.
- Make a notarized translation of your passport into Russian if you don’t have one yet.
- Submit an application for tax registration: in person at the tax office at your place of residence, through MFC, or online.
- Obtain a statement with your INN — either paper or electronic. There is no fee, the service is free.
- Check your INN on the official FNS service and verify your surname and date of birth against your passport.
- Keep the number and the statement: you will need them for the patent, work, bank, and State Services.
Who Must Have an INN
According to the law “On the Legal Status of Foreign Citizens” (115-FZ) , foreigners who:
- work under a patent — the INN is indicated when paying, and the patent itself is reissued through State Services under new rules;
- have a temporary residence permit (RVP) or a residence permit (VNZh);
- work under an employment or civil law contract (the tax agent — employer — submits information about you to the tax office);
- opened a business or self-employment in Russia;
- acquired property or transport subject to taxation;
- conducted taxable transactions.
In practice, banks also ask for the INN when opening an account or card, as do telecom operators and employers. They cannot demand the number “just like that,” but many operations are unavailable without it — it is more convenient to obtain it immediately upon entry, rather than delaying until the document is urgently needed.
Where and How to Submit an Application
| Method | How It Works | Who It’s Easier For |
|---|---|---|
| Tax Office | In person, at your place of residence | Those who need a standard, “guaranteed” path |
| MFC | The application and documents will be accepted and forwarded to the tax office | Those who have an MFC nearby but no tax office |
| Online, through the FNS personal account | Application and scans — via the internet, response will come electronically | Those who have an account (e.g., through State Services) |
| Through an employer or representative | Documents are submitted by an authorized person with a notarized power of attorney | Those who cannot come in person |
The standard registration period is 5 working days after the tax office receives the application. The result is a notification or a statement with your INN. Check the form and current requirements at the time of submission: forms and procedures sometimes change.
What Documents Are Needed
- passport and its notarized translation (if there are no details in Russian in the passport);
- document confirming the right to stay: migration card, registration, visa, RVP, or VNZh;
- application in the FNS form (use the current form — check it at the time of submission);
- document confirming the address: RVP or VNZh with a registration mark contains the address; if such data is absent, separate confirmation will be required;
For a child, a birth certificate and a document of the legal representative — parent or guardian — are needed. Do not hand over originals to anyone: copies are sufficient for intermediaries, and pay special attention to the original passport — what to do if the employer keeps documents and what to do if documents are lost .
How to Check Your INN
You can check and obtain a duplicate certificate for free on the official FNS service “Know Your INN” : enter your surname, first name, date of birth, series, and passport number — and the service will show your number. This is also a way to ensure that the tax office recorded your data correctly.
If the service says that the INN is not found, and the number was assigned to you, there may be three reasons:
- an error in the spelling of the surname or in the date of birth in the tax database — a correction is needed;
- the data has changed (new passport, name change), and the tax office is unaware of it;
- registration was done on an old document, and it needs to be linked to the new one.
In all cases, correct the data rather than obtaining a “new” INN: the number is assigned once, you will not be given a second one, and discrepancies later block access to State Services and raise questions with the bank — what to do if the data does not match .
Common Mistakes
- writing the surname differently in different documents: the bank, tax office, and State Services see discrepancies and refuse;
- buying a “ready-made INN” from intermediaries: only the tax office assigns the official number, the service is free;
- obtaining a “second INN” without correcting the error in the data: there is no legal second number;
- thinking that the INN replaces registration, patent, or RVP: it is only a tax number, it does not replace migration status;
- assuming that an employer’s or intermediary’s error automatically relieves you of responsibility: you will have to answer during verification.
FAQ
Is the INN mandatory for every foreigner in Russia?
No. It is mandatory for those who work under a patent, have RVP/VNZh, pay taxes, or own property. Others need the number as the situation arises — when requested by a bank, employer, or government agency.
Can you obtain an INN without RVP and VNZh?
Yes, you can: just a passport with a translation and a document of legal stay, such as a migration card with registration, is sufficient. This is how most labor migrants under a patent obtain their INN.
How much does it cost and how long does it take?
The service is free. The standard registration period is 5 working days from the day the tax office receives the application.
How to find out your INN if you don’t have the document?
Through the official FNS service using passport data — the number will be shown online. If the service does not find the number, contact the tax office: there may be an error in the data in the database.
Does the INN change when you change your passport or surname?
No, the number remains for life. But you need to inform the tax office about the new passport or surname so that the data in the database matches the documents.
What to do if you find an error in the INN documents?
Do not ignore the discrepancy: gather documents with the correct spelling and submit an application for data correction to the tax office. While the data does not match, there may be problems with the bank, employer, and State Services.
How We Can Help
Having trouble obtaining an INN, the tax office cannot find your number, or the data in the documents do not match? Describe the situation to a migration law attorney right on this page — through the form below. The attorney will advise you on what documents to prepare and how to correct the error so that the INN does not interfere with work, banking, and document renewal.