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Foreign client verification

A client with a passport from Uzbekistan, China or Germany goes through the same KYC session as a Russian citizen: the document is recognised without manual entry, a residence permit or visa is added as a second document, and the Ministry of Internal Affairs register of controlled persons and international PEP screening run in the same check.

195+ countries and territories: passports and ID cards are recognised without choosing the country
10 ₽ residence permit, temporary residence permit or visa — as a second document in the same session
5 ₽ a check against the police register of controlled persons
36 ₽ international sanctions and PEP screening
Latin script, Cyrillic, MRZ Selfie and Liveness Cloud in Russia or your own environment

A client with a foreign passport: where the standard KYC flow stumbles

One flow for any passport

The model determines the country and document type itself; the second document and the checks for a foreign national are switched on by a flow rule based on citizenship. The list of documents is on the page foreign document recognition.

  • 01

    The form expects a Russian passport

    The fields “series and number”, “issuing unit code” and “place of birth as per passport” do not fit a passport from another country. The client enters data however they can or leaves.

  • 02

    One passport is not enough

    Under 115‑FZ a foreign national also needs citizenship and the data of a document confirming the right to stay in Russia — if they are required to have one. The standard flow does not ask for a second document.

  • 03

    The check package will not work

    The “16 in 1” package is designed for a Russian passport: the INN-by-passport and passport validity checks will not run for a foreign national. You need your own set — including the register of controlled persons, which the package does not contain.

  • 04

    The stay is about to expire

    A migration card and a visa are valid until a date. Details that were correct when the account was opened may be out of date three months later — and the person may end up in the register of controlled persons.

  • 16 000+ document types in the list
  • 195+ countries and territories
  • 1 session passport, second document, selfie and databases

Identifying foreign nationals under 115‑FZ: what details to record in the profile

The list of details about an individual client is the same for everyone, but for a foreign national it adds citizenship and a document confirming the right to stay. What comes from recognition and what the client enters themselves — in each card.

  • Identity

    From a foreign passport.

    Set up the profile

    Information

    • surname, first name, patronymic — if there is one under national custom
    • citizenship
    • date of birth
    • type, number, issue date and validity period of the document

    Source

    • recognition of the visual zone and MRZ; citizenship — from the country code in the document
    • address — from the profile
  • Right to stay

    If the foreign national is required to have the document.

    Add a second document

    Document

    • migration card — number, stay start and end dates
    • residence permit or temporary residence permit — number, dates
    • visa — number and validity

    Source

    • A residence permit, temporary residence permit and visa are recognised as a second document for 10 ₽
    • the client enters migration card data in the profile; card recognition is available on request
  • Validity

    The documents are valid on the date.

    Discuss renewal

    At the entrance

    • the validity of the passport and the stay document is checked in the session — an expired document stops the flow

    Later

    • the stay end date is saved in the client record, and your system uses it to request new documents and repeat the register check

The requirement is Art. 7, Part 1, Sub-part 1 of 115‑FZ on countering money laundering; for banks — Bank of Russia Regulation No. 499-P

How a foreign client is verified: six steps of one session

The flow is the same as for a Russian citizen, but with a fork by citizenship. The client does not have to choose the document’s country from a list.

Step 1

Profile with citizenship

The client enters citizenship and contacts. If citizenship is not Russian, the flow switches on the foreign national branch: a second document and a different set of database checks.

The client enters citizenship in the profile
Step 2

Foreign passport

The platform determines the country, type and side of the document, recognises the fields in Latin script and in the original language, matches the MRZ and check digits, and looks for signs of editing and of a photo taken from a screen.

Foreign passport recognition
Step 3

Document confirming the right to stay

Residence permit, temporary residence permit or visa — as a second document of the same session; migration card data — in the profile. For a client abroad, a flow rule skips this step.

Data of the document confirming the right to stay
Step 4

Selfie and Liveness

The client takes a selfie and passes the liveness check. The face is matched to the photo in the passport shown at step 2 — one-to-one, within this session.

Selfie and liveness check
Step 5

Database checks

Ministry of Internal Affairs register of controlled persons, international sanctions and PEP screening, the Rosfinmonitoring list, wanted lists and courts — by full name and date of birth from the recognised passport.

Database checks for a foreign national
Step 6

Decision and review date

Your system receives the outcome and the check results. A match with a PEP or the register goes to the responsible officer, and the stay end date goes to the client record.

Outcome and review date of the details

Checking a client against the register of controlled persons: which operations are banned

  • Who is on the register

    Foreign nationals who have no legal grounds to be in Russia: the stay, temporary residence permit or residence permit has expired, the document has been annulled, or a decision on expulsion or deportation has been made. This is the expulsion regime under Art. 31.1 and 31.2 of the law on the legal status of foreign nationals.

  • Accounts and transfers

    A person on the register is refused a bank account and banking operations. The exceptions are mandatory payments, credits to their account and cash withdrawals of no more than 30 thousand roubles a month.

  • Transactions and registration

    Buying property and vehicles, registering them, and registering a company or sole proprietorship are banned. For realtors, car dealers and business registrars, a register check is part of the deal.

  • How to check

    One person — free of charge on the register operator’s website. A stream of clients — in a NeuroVision KYC session for 5 ₽ by full name and date of birth, and then again later: a person may enter the register after the account has been opened.

The restrictions apply from the date the details are entered in the register until they are removed. Russian citizens do not need the check — they are not in the register. How the register works in hiring is described on the page foreign worker checks.

A foreign national under 115‑FZ: PEPs, delegated identification and the simplified procedure

The obligations under 115‑FZ on countering money laundering are the same for all clients, but four rules concern foreign nationals directly.

  • Citizenship and the data of a document confirming the right to stay are part of the mandatory details, if the foreign national needs such a document (Art. 7, Part 1, Sub-part 1) Your company
  • A passport, residence permit, temporary residence permit and visa are recognised in one session, and the fields arrive in your system without retyping NeuroVision

  • Take reasonable measures to identify foreign public officials among clients and update the information on them regularly (Art. 7.3, Part 1, Sub-parts 1 and 4) Your company
  • Accept a foreign public official for service only by written decision of the head or deputy, with measures on the sources of funds (Art. 7.3, Part 1, Sub-parts 2–3). Matches are found by PEP screening NeuroVision

  • A bank, broker, investment platform operator and other listed organisations may delegate the identification of a foreign client to a foreign financial organisation (Art. 7, Part 1.5‑11) Banks and brokers
  • A bank may open an account for a foreign client without personal presence if identification was carried out in this way (Art. 7, Part 5) Banks and brokers

  • Remote simplified identification methods rely on Russian identifiers: SNILS, INN, ESIA (Art. 7, Part 1.12) Your company
  • If a foreign client has none, the details are collected in full under Part 1 of Art. 7 — a document, a selfie and checks in one KYC session NeuroVision
  • This is guidance, not a legal opinion; the exact text of the provisions is in ConsultantPlus. Remote identification methods in general are covered on the page remote customer identification.

A set of database checks when the passport is not Russian

The “16 in 1” package is not suitable for a foreign national — some of the checks need a Russian passport. Here is a set that works by full name and date of birth from a foreign document. Each check returns its own result row. All checks and parameters are in the database check catalogue and documentation.

  • Register of controlled persons

    5 ₽. Whether a person has a legal basis to be in Russia. The first check for a foreign national who lives or works here.

  • International screening

    36 ₽. Public officials and their associates, sanctions lists, regulator measures and adverse media worldwide.

  • Sanctions lists

    5 ₽. OFAC, the European Union, the United Kingdom, the UN — if you do not need full international screening.

  • The list of terrorists and extremists

    5 ₽. The Rosfinmonitoring list: a match is grounds to freeze the operation and report to the agency under 115‑FZ rules.

  • Wanted lists

    5 ₽ per database. Wanted lists of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Federal Penitentiary Service and the Bailiffs Service by full name and date of birth.

  • Courts, debts and bankruptcy

    5 ₽ per database. Enforcement proceedings, bankruptcy records and courts — for a foreign national who lives in Russia and takes an instalment plan, a loan or a lease.

Biometrics at the border and RuID: what this changes in your face check

  • What the state collects

    Under Government Resolution No. 1510, foreign nationals submit an entry application through the RuID app, and at the border their face photo and fingerprints are taken. The experiment has been extended to the end of 2027.

  • It does not replace your identification

    This is a record for border and migration control. You still collect and verify the client details and documents under 115‑FZ yourself.

  • Face matching — in your session

    The face in the selfie is compared with the photo in the passport the client has just shown, and Liveness is checked. If they come back a year later — a document and Liveness again, not a search through old photos.

  • Automatically by biometrics — through the UBS

    Confirming identity by biometrics without a document is lawful only through the Unified Biometric System. The terms and procedure are on the page identification through the UBS.

A selfie for establishing identity is biometric data: obtain the client’s written consent before taking it. More about matching is on the page passport and selfie verification.

Identifying non-residents: a foreign national in Russia and a client abroad

“A foreign client” means four different scenarios. The second step and the set of checks depend on where the person is and which document they hold.

  • A foreign national in Russia

    Documents: a passport and a document confirming the right to stay — a migration card, visa, temporary residence permit or residence permit.

    Checks: register of controlled persons, PEP screening, wanted lists.

    • Passport
    • Residence permit / temporary residence permit / visa
  • A client abroad

    Documents: a passport or ID card; there is no stay document for Russia — the law requires it only if it is mandatory.

    Checks: international sanctions and PEP screening.

    • Passport
    • ID card
  • A stateless person or a refugee

    Documents: a residence permit for a stateless person, a refugee certificate or a temporary identity certificate — recognised as foreign nationals’ documents.

    Checks: as for a foreign national in Russia.

    • Stateless person
    • Refugee
  • A non-resident company

    Documents: incorporation documents of the foreign company and its representative’s passport.

    How: the representative is checked by the KYC session, the company — by the service counterparty checks.

    • KYB
    • Representative

Who most often receives clients with foreign passports

Where there is money and a contract, a full foreign national check follows; where there is only registration — a passport and Liveness are enough.

  • Banks and brokers

    • an account or brokerage agreement with a foreign national
    • residence permit, temporary residence permit or visa as a second document
    • PEP and register checks before opening Learn more
    • Also: brokers
  • Payments and currency exchange

    • wallet and transfers for clients from the CIS and Asia
    • register of controlled persons before operations
    • sanctions and PEP Learn more
    • Also: currency exchange
  • Telecom operators

    • a foreign passport without manual entry
    • selfie matched to the passport photo
    • subscriber data in your system Learn more
  • Hotels and tourism

    • a guest’s passport from 195+ countries and territories
    • visa and migration card in one session
    • no queue at the desk Learn more
    • Also: tourism
  • Realtors and car dealers

    • checking a foreign buyer before the deal
    • register of controlled persons — part of the deal
    • a passport and a second document in one session
  • Marketplaces and platforms

    • a foreign seller’s passport without manual entry
    • a second document and database checks
    • sanctions and PEP before the first sale

How much does checking a foreign client cost

The session price is the same as for a Russian citizen. A second document and database checks are added to the session at price-matrix prices, with no subscription fee.

  • Document

    from 16 ₽ per session

    Enable

    Recognition of a foreign passport and anti-fraud: screen, printout, photocopy, pasted photo, editing. A residence permit, temporary residence permit or visa — +10 ₽.

  • For foreign nationals

    Document + liveness

    from 29 ₽ per session

    Enable

    Everything from the “Document” package plus a selfie or Liveness and matching the face to the passport photo. Plus the register of controlled persons — 5 ₽.

  • Extended

    on request

    Calculate

    A document, a second document, Liveness, the register of controlled persons and international sanctions and PEP screening in one session.

An example set: “Document + Liveness” from 29 ₽, residence permit — 10 ₽, register of controlled persons — 5 ₽, international screening — 36 ₽: from 80 ₽ per client. The session price falls with volume — the calculator in the price matrix.

Integration: the same as for a Russian passport

A ready-made capture screen for any passport

Web SDK for the site and mobile browser, SDK for iOS and Android: the frame and prompts help capture the photo page, the MRZ and both sides of an ID card without glare. The widget text is in the client’s language.

Verification on a website and in an app

Terms

  • A 1-month trial on your clients’ documents
  • No separate contract is needed for foreign documents
  • Support under contract

Glossary: citizenship, right to stay, expulsion regime

Terms from the profile, 115‑FZ and conversations with compliance.

Non-resident
In KYC talk — a client who is not a Russian citizen or lives abroad. The exact meaning depends on the law: currency, tax or 115‑FZ.
non-resident
Document confirming the right to stay
A document confirming a foreign national’s right to be in Russia: a migration card, visa, temporary residence permit, residence permit.
stay permit
Migration card
A document with the entry date and the stay period. The profile records the number and both dates.
migration card
Residence permit
A document that gives a foreign national the right to live in Russia permanently.
residence permit
Register of controlled persons
The Ministry of Internal Affairs record of foreign nationals with no legal grounds to be in Russia.
controlled persons register
Expulsion regime
Restrictions for persons on the register: accounts, transactions, business registration, moving.
expulsion regime
Foreign PEP
A foreign public official. Accepted for service by written decision of the head.
foreign PEP
International screening
A check against PEP lists, sanctions, regulator measures and adverse media from different countries.
screening
Delegation of identification
The right of a bank or broker to delegate the identification of a foreign client to a foreign financial organisation.
reliance
RuID
An app through which foreign nationals submit an entry application to Russia as part of the experiment.
RuID

Frequently asked questions about verifying foreign clients

Yes. The session is the same: the model determines the country and document type from 195+ countries and territories itself. For a foreign national, the citizenship flow adds a second document and its own set of database checks.

Full name, citizenship, date of birth, details of the identity document, address and the data of a document confirming the right to stay in Russia, if they are required to have one (Art. 7, Part 1, Sub-part 1 of 115‑FZ on countering money laundering).

The card number and the start and end dates of the stay. Documents must be valid on the date of presentation, so it is worth saving the end date in the client record and requesting new documents when the term nears.

Yes, as a second document in the same session — 10 ₽ per document. The client enters migration card data in the profile; card recognition is connected on request.

The register lists foreign nationals with no legal grounds to be in Russia. They are refused account opening and banking operations, except mandatory payments, credits and withdrawals of up to 30 thousand roubles a month, and transactions with property and vehicles are banned. The check in NeuroVision costs 5 ₽.

No, the package is designed for a Russian passport. For a foreign national, assemble a set: the register of controlled persons, international sanctions and PEP screening, the Rosfinmonitoring list, wanted lists and courts by full name and date of birth.

They can be accepted for service only by written decision of the head or deputy, with measures on the sources of funds and regular updating of the information (Art. 7.3 of 115‑FZ). Matches are found by international PEP screening.

By a passport or ID card, a selfie and Liveness in one online session, plus international screening. A stay document for Russia is not needed if the client is not required to have one. Banks and brokers may also delegate identification to a foreign financial organisation.

No. Biometrics at the border and in the RuID app are collected by the state for border and migration control. In a KYC session, the face is matched to the photo in the passport the client has just shown, and Liveness is checked.

“Document + Liveness” — from 29 ₽, a second document — 10 ₽, the register of controlled persons — 5 ₽, international screening — 36 ₽. A typical set is from 80 ₽ per client, and the price falls with volume.

We will set up checks for clients with foreign passports

Tell us which countries your clients are from and what product they receive, — we will propose a flow with a fork by citizenship, a set of database checks and a price calculation per client.

Can't put your request into words? Book a call and our team will contact you at a convenient time

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The NeuroVision platform is listed in the Russian software registry, entry no. 19972. Rospatent certificate no. 2023661508.

Address: Moscow, Presnenskaya Embankment 12 — Moscow City business centre, Federation Tower. Nearest metro stations: Delovoy Tsentr and Mezhdunarodnaya.