What is SNILS and what is this document for?

Many people perceive a green pension insurance card as some kind of useless add-on to “real” documents - a passport, for example. But in the USA, a person’s insurance number is extremely important, and without the US equivalent of SNILS, it is impossible to get an official job, rent an apartment, or open a bank account. Russia is gradually moving in the same direction, albeit in zigzags. In this article we will talk about what SNILS is, what opportunities it opens up, whether it is possible to change the insurance certificate and how to get a duplicate of it if necessary.

What is SNILS and what does it look like?

SNILS is a number assigned to the personal account of a specific person in the pension insurance system. It is unique and assigned by the territorial bodies of the Pension Fund. Unlike a passport number, SNILS is assigned once in a lifetime. It does not change, even if a person changes his last name.

Read more: Replacing SNILS when changing your last name

Reference! Sometimes, due to errors, 2 SNILS numbers may still be issued.
In this case, you need to contact the Pension Fund to merge personal accounts and make appropriate changes to the information systems of pension authorities. The individual personal account number (SNILS) consists of 11 digits. It has the format "AAA-AAA-AA AA". The last 2 digits separated by a space are control digits. To calculate them, a specially created algorithm is used; thanks to their presence, automatic systems can easily determine whether the number is entered correctly or not, which reduces the likelihood of errors in various documents.

Photo of SNILS and its decoding

SNILS is issued as a separate document, which can be of 2 types:

Green laminated compulsory (or state) pension insurance card . When registering in the period from 1996 to 2002, they indicated state insurance, and later – compulsory insurance. There are no other differences between these documents. No longer issued from April 2022.

Sample SNILS

Registration Notice . It is drawn up according to the regulated form ADI-REG. Started issuing in 2022.

If before April 2022 all certificates necessarily existed in the form of a paper document, then ADI-REG notifications can be issued in electronic form. This was done to make it easier to obtain government services, reduce paperwork, the burden on government agencies, etc. For the population, the electronic version is also more convenient, but so far employers and other organizations still often ask for a “paper” document.

Reference! In some cases, the format of the certificate issued before 2022 was different. For example, instead of a laminated card, some regions of the Russian Federation issued a plastic card. The essence of the document did not change from this.

3 categories of persons receive SNILS:

citizens of the Russian Federation;
foreigners working in the Russian Federation under an open-ended employment contract (since 2012);
foreign citizens working under a contract for a period of six months (since 2012).

Changing the format of the certificate does not lead to a change in personal account. All previously issued documents continue to be valid throughout life or until circumstances arise when they need to be replaced. In practice, only the number is needed from these documents. If you present it, then the document itself usually does not need to be presented at all.

Error in document: what to do?

If the citizen’s information is incorrect in the insurance certificate or there are discrepancies with the passport, the document must be replaced. Such SNILS is considered invalid. The green card must be checked on site immediately upon receipt. If an error is discovered, you should report it to the person issuing it.

An error in a citizen’s SNILS certificate indicates one of two problems: either the operator made a mistake when entering information into the database, or the spelling of the last name (first name, patronymic) was distorted in the pension insurance database. In the first case, the problem is solved much faster and easier. The assigned pension account number remains with the citizen, all accruals continue to be made, so all that remains is to redo the SNILS card.

If the error is in the general system, then, most likely, the person will have to face the unpleasant, lengthy procedure of confirming his identity and restoring data through archives. Collecting documents manually is often necessary due to a problem such as multiple registration of the insured person. We are talking about an incident when the database contains two personal files opened for one person with two different surnames.

In order to avoid future troubles associated with discrepancies in information, it is advisable to immediately contact the Pension Fund, directly or through the MFC. Changes must be made either to the certificate itself or to the registration record.

Why do you need to have an insurance certificate of compulsory pension insurance?

Initially, personal accounts were created by the pension fund for easier accounting of funds received as insurance contributions. This information is important when determining pension benefits. Over time, the functions of SNILS have expanded significantly.

Currently, SNILS is used for the following purposes:

if it is necessary to identify a person;
when providing public services (including through online services);
to record information about a person in the Pension Fund system.

To kid

You can apply for SNILS from the moment of birth. Moreover, it is very important for parents to receive this number for their child in a timely manner. Without it, it is impossible to issue a medical insurance policy (CHI) for your baby. It is also used when assigning various social benefits, allowances, and when registering a child in various government programs.

In fact, for a child, SNILS is as important as a birth certificate. It will be needed in a variety of situations, from visiting a hospital to enrolling in a kindergarten or school.

It is also useful to read: Get SNILS for a child through State Services

For an adult

In fact, all adults cannot do without SNILS. This number is required by the employer when applying for a job. It is through this that funds are paid to off-budget funds for pensions and other insurance. Additionally, an adult will need a pension insurance certificate (its number) when applying for medical care, when applying for various benefits and allowances.

Reference! Since 2022, the personal account number of the Pension Fund of Russia is also used to identify the founders of the media, if they are individuals. individuals, not organizations.

Pensioner

Pensioners are another category of citizens for whom SNILS plays an important role. It will be required when contacting the pension authorities with any questions regarding pension payments , for example, to change the method of payment of the pension.

When applying for social benefits, applying to medical institutions or government agencies for various services, it is also impossible to do without a PFR personal account number.

It is also useful to read : How to find out the size of your pension according to SNILS

Last name change and other data changes

After marriage, a change in SNILS is not carried out if the woman remained with the same last name upon marriage. If the data (last name, first name, patronymic) changes, the certificate must be replaced. As already noted, the insurance number itself does not change; it is assigned to a person once. Changes can only be made to the information specified in the insurance certificate.

It is important that the information on the green card fully matches the passport data. Changing SNILS after marriage is carried out on the basis of an application for the exchange of a certificate, which can be submitted to the personnel department at the place of work, the Pension Fund of Russia branch or “My Documents”. A previous copy of the insurance certificate is attached to the application. The time frame for preparing a new document is the same as for the initial registration (five days if done through the MFC, or 20-30 minutes if contacted by the Pension Fund).

Where SNILS may be required

There are quite a lot of situations when you need to present SNILS or indicate its number. Usually it is requested by government agencies, employers, various medical and educational institutions, and credit organizations.

The main situations when SNILS is needed:

when applying for a job;
when registering for the State Services service;
when applying to the Pension Fund to assign a pension, recalculate it, change the method of receipt;
when receiving a compulsory medical insurance policy and applying for medical care;
when submitting documents for maternity capital;
to receive benefits;
when enrolling a child in school;
when applying for a loan.

Is it possible to find out SNILS by TIN?

Sometimes some websites claim that they can determine the SNILS number by TIN (taxpayer identification number). You shouldn't trust them - most likely, they are scammers. The TIN will not help you find out what number you have, even if you come with it to the regional office of the Pension Fund. Only having a passport can help. By presenting it exclusively, you can be sure that the staff will fulfill your request.

Even taking into account that TIN and SNILS are individual documents that will be assigned to a person only once in a lifetime, they have no connection with each other. That is, it will not be possible to find out what SNILS a person has by presenting the TIN, since the person cannot be identified due to the lack of connection between the documents. Each has its own meaning, but nothing more.

Despite the fact that the State Services website does not provide the ability to find out a number by TIN or even by last name (although it is linked to the card), the resource has a lot of other useful information and opportunities. For example, gain access to taxes, fines, etc. Let's talk about this in more detail.

Methods for obtaining SNILS

SNILS is the most important document for Russians, just like a passport. It can be issued by the employer when a person is first employed and in some other cases. also receive it in person through the Pension Fund or MFC .

Important! SNILS is issued free of charge, regardless of the chosen method of registration.

If initially almost everyone applied for SNILS through their employer, now parents of children have to do this on their own. Without this number, it is impossible to even obtain a compulsory medical insurance policy and all the required free medical services.

Advice! Pension Fund authorities recommend obtaining an individual account number in the pension system immediately after issuing a birth certificate.

When applying for a job through an employer

If SNILS has not been issued previously, then when applying for a job a person can write an application for its registration through the employer . In this case, all necessary papers are transferred to the Pension Fund by employees of the HR and/or accounting department. A person is given a completed insurance certificate directly at the enterprise.

The advantages of this design method are obvious. There is no need to waste time visiting the Pension Fund or MFC. But, alas, due to the need for a personal account number to receive almost any government services, you have to deal with its registration much earlier than a person grows up and goes to work.

At the Pension Fund branch

Children or unemployed adults are offered to receive SNILS on their own by contacting the Pension Fund. In the past, it took up to a month or more to wait for a completed certificate. At best, it was possible to immediately find out the assigned number. This problem has now been resolved. A person usually receives an ADI-REG notification with an assigned number immediately upon application, and the regulated period for its execution is 5 days.

Features of registration of SNILS through the Pension Fund:

You can contact any branch of the Pension Fund. It is not necessary to go to the department at your registration address.
In some regions (for example, the Novosibirsk region), registration of newborns in the Pension Fund system is carried out automatically. Parents can only pick up the notification.
It is not necessary to make an appointment in advance. But this can be done so as not to waste extra time in line.

At the MFC

Multifunctional centers have been opened throughout the country to make it easier for the population to receive various government services. They organize interaction with various government agencies, including the Pension Fund. You can apply for SNILS at any center, regardless of your registration address. They usually have more convenient work hours than the Pension Fund divisions, and there are practically no queues at the MFC.

In most cases, when contacting the MFC, a person receives a notification and SNILS number immediately. But sometimes due to technical problems, processing may take longer. The Pension Fund assigns a personal account within a maximum of 5 days, and sending paper documents will require 1-2 days.

What to do if you lose your certificate?

Do not despair and sound the alarm if you lose your SNILS. Regardless of the reason for the loss of the document, it is possible to restore SNILS in different ways. This procedure will not be difficult.

For example, a working citizen can submit an application for the loss of a certificate from his employer, and the organization, in turn, will transfer all the necessary data to the Russian Pension Fund. In this case, the applicant himself does not need to go to the Pension Fund.

If the owner of the lost document belongs to the category of self-employed people or is unemployed during this period, he can restore SNILS by contacting any territorial body of the Pension Fund or the MFC.

But the fastest and most modern way is to fill out an application on the State Services portal, in electronic form. This service can do this without leaving your home. After completing the application, an electronic insurance certificate will appear in your personal account on the portal. However, to obtain a duplicate on a state-issued form, the citizen will have to personally come to the Pension Fund office.

List of documents for obtaining SNILS

If an applicant over 14 years of age is applying for SNILS, then he will need a passport when submitting the application form and receiving the ADV-REG notification. In this case, you do not need to submit any additional certificates or other papers. When registering a personal account in the pension system for a child under 14 years of age, the parent must present his own passport and the child’s birth certificate .

Foreign citizens, if necessary, must submit a SNILS identification document, such as a residence permit or diplomatic passport.

The application form is filled out using the standard form ADV-1. It must contain information about the insured person, his date and place of birth, as well as information about his residential address, registration and identity document. There are usually no difficulties with filling out the questionnaire. You just need to enter the data from your passport or birth certificate.

Is it possible to refuse SNILS?

Sometimes a situation arises when a citizen wants to refuse SNILS.

Religion. Reasons of this kind are considered acceptable, since a person is an individual, and he has every right to have the position that he does not want to identify himself with any number.
Accounts are messed up. A person who wants to give up SNILS may have problems with accounts. Some accounts may be closed, others may be opened with errors.

Important!
Not long ago, a number of regions of the Russian Federation began to issue SNILS and automatically assign identification numbers to newborns. This innovation allows young parents to free up time for themselves, which they can devote to their child, whose life has just begun.

How to restore a lost or damaged SNILS

It is better not to lose documents and store them carefully. But situations in life are different. Sometimes an insurance certificate can be lost or damaged even for reasons beyond the control of the owner.

If a person has previously received a certificate (“green card”), then if it is lost, stolen, or simply damaged, it is no longer possible to receive a new one. This document format has been canceled since April 2022.

Instead of a certificate, you can always receive a new notification of registration in the pension insurance system. This paper completely replaces the old certificate. There are several options for receiving a notification to replace a lost or damaged one:

personal visit to the Pension Fund;
through one of the many MFCs;
using the “Personal Account” service on the Pension Fund website.

Important! Quite often, employers and other organizations are reluctant to accept electronic versions of the document. But you still need to know about the possibility of uploading it to your personal account.

When contacting a branch of the Fund or MFC, you will need to present your passport. If it is necessary to restore the SNILS of a child under 14 years of age, then one of the parents must apply along with his passport and the child’s birth certificate.

Attention! The law does not provide for any fines for the loss of SNILS or fees for the restoration of this document.

The restored notification is usually issued immediately. But in some cases, its production time can be up to 5 days (up to 7-10 days for MFC). At this time, it is usually quite possible to use an electronic copy printed from the Pension Fund LC.

How to replace SSOPS

The SSOPS is considered valid only when a citizen’s passport is presented with it, and therefore it can be considered valid only when it contains the current personal data of its owner. If these data change (for example, when changing your last name), in accordance with clause 4 of Art. 7 Federal Law No. 27, updated information must be reflected on the individual account.

To do this, a citizen applies to the Pension Fund or MFC with an application to replace the SSOPS - on its basis, the applicant is issued a new document with up-to-date information.

In the event of loss, theft or damage to an insurance certificate, within a month its owner must contact either his employer or independently the Pension Fund of the Russian Federation (Clause 5, Article 7 of Federal Law No. 27). Within 5 working days after such a request, the Pension Fund representative office issues a duplicate.

There is no state fee for either replacing or restoring a card.

How to find out your SNILS number

You may need a SNILS number when filling out various forms, for example, to receive a loan or apply for a benefit. Only a few Russian residents remember the 11 digits of the number by heart. It’s good if you have the original certificate or notification at hand, and you can see your personal account information in it. But, alas, sometimes there are no documents at hand, and they are far away (for example, in another city), and the application or form must be filled out quickly.

If necessary, you can find out your SNILS number in the following ways:

In the accounting or human resources department of the employer. Information about the personal accounts of the Pension Fund must be in the personal file of each employee.
At the Pension Fund branch. You can contact any department of the Foundation. To obtain data you will need a passport.
In your personal account on the Pension Fund website. A person must have a verified Government Services account to access this service.
In the LC of the State Services service. Information is available if it has been entered previously.

SNILS is one of the most important documents for Russians. It is needed to obtain many government and other services. What is mainly important is the personal account number indicated on the certificate or notification. But you still need to have the documents themselves at hand.

What does the insurance number consist of?

If we talk about how many digits are in the number, it is worth noting that there are only 11 of them - it cannot be more or less. The formation of a number from numbers is carried out automatically, in a random order (in no way related to the full name, date of birth, work of an individual and other data about him).

The format of the SNILS number is presented in the following form: “AAA-AAA-AAA BB”. Part “A” is nine numbers that are generated automatically. Part “B” is a checksum, the calculation of which is carried out using a special algorithm. An example of a SNILS number is 645 370 555 02.