Free Russian databases on the Net

In Russia there are databases on which you can check information about an individual (or company) for free and legally. This is especially important when you met a person online and find them suspicious, or when conducting some transactions (such as purchasing a car / apartment in Russia, buying goods online, entering into a contract with a local business partner).

They, of course, will not give you full personal information about where a person lives, who he/she is married to, and how much money he/she has in their accounts, but they will give you a general idea of whether it is worth trusting the person with whom you are communicating. These services also allow you to check yourself if necessary.

These kinds of data can be distributed legally:

- Details about companies — what business they run, where they are incorporated.

- Distribution of personal information to defend other’s interests. For example, if a criminal is wanted, their photograph and full details can be shown on television, posted in social networks and newspapers without their consent. In this case, the interests of society are more important than the interests of the wanted person.

- Information about a person's documents. This information does not reveal personal information about the owner, but is associated with documents issued in their name - for example, with a university diploma.

Remember, if you are offered data that are too personal (spouse, amount and age of children, personal property, residence, private photographs), it may well be a scam – the information will be forged or the scammers will just disappear without a trace after receiving your money. Anyway the obtainment of such personal details is punishable, as well as their sell.



At the time of writing open bases of the following departments are available in Russia (below clickable links are given):

1. Migration Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs (Управление по вопросам миграции МВД) – here you can find a lot of information potentially useful for a foreigner, such as:

• Internal or international passport of a Russian citizen. Namely, by the serial and individual numbers (серия и номер) you can know if the passport is valid (yet you will not be able to find out who it belongs to), if it is considered lost or damaged.

• Authenticity of the legal residence (known as “registration”) stamped in the internal passport, for example, if you are going to lend money.

• Work Permit and Work Patent.

• Invitation to enter Russia. Russian citizens or companies have a right to invite a foreigner to visit or work. One can invite both the employees themselves and their family members. An invitation is a basis for the state to issue a visa to a foreigner or stateless person. Here you can check if it is forged or real.

• Ban on Entry to Russia. The check can show whether a foreigner can work in Russia and whether he/she has restrictions on entering the country.

2. Federal Bailiff's Service (FSSP / ФССП) – enforcement proceeding. It may be useful for those who wish to lend someone money, as well as for employers and those who want to learn about the problems of prospective commercial partners.

3. Federal Tax Service (FNS / ФНС) – here you can find:

• Taxpayer Identification Number (INN)

• Individual entrepreneur ("transparent business" service and abstract from the register of legal entities and individual entrepreneurs): information about what kind of business he/she runs and when the person was registered as an entrepreneur. You will need the INN, or, if you do not have it, the name. This may help you spot a scam if the number and the entrepreneur’s name do not match or the INN does not exist at all.

• Self-employed person.

• If you are prohibited from employment in some positions. These restrictions may be imposed on positions in commercial organizations, municipal / federal / state employment, executive authorities, etc. This also can be done through Gosuslugi webportal.

4. State Road Traffic Safety Inspectorate (GIBDD / ГИБДД) – here you can check:

• Penalties by the car’s license plate number or the STS number (номер СТС)

• Driver - whether his/her driver license is valid and whether his/her driving privilege has been revoked. You will need the driver's license number and date of issue.

• Car by VIN code, body or chassis number, namely you can check whether the car was involved in an accident that was registered by the traffic police, whether the registration of the car was terminated, whether there are restrictions on registration actions, and whether the car is wanted.

5. Notary association (нотариальная палата). You can see here if the property you are interested in is pledged. You only need to know the pledger’s full name and, if it comes to a car, the vehicle identification number.

This database also contains information on succession cases, that is, it may let you know if a person is dead. Although it is not a very reliable way to know it, since if a succession case has not been initiated, there cannot be any information.

6. Federal Financial Monitoring Service (Rosfinmonitoring / Росфинмониторинг) – database providing a list of terrorists and extremists. It is not prohibited to communicate with terrorists, but might lead to some unpleasant consequences.

7. The databases that will let you know if a person is wanted are: Ministry of Internal Affairs (MVD / МВД) – it lists those who are wanted for having committed a crime, Federal Penitentiary Service (Федеральная служба исполнения наказаний) – who evade serving their sentences or have fled from detention facilities, Federal Bailiff's Service (FSSP / ФССП) – enforcement proceedings investigations, e g. for non-payment of child support, Interpol, FBI.

8. Ministry of Education (Министерство образования) – here you can check education documents by their number, date of issue, and holder’s name.

Tel: +7 909 961-19-09
Email: legalsolutions@inbox.ru
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