For 2024 First-year Students
Dear first-year students,
Below you can find a list of important steps, which you will need to follow at the start of your studies in order to cope with all organizational matters successfully.
Check the Notice Board
Before all students receive and activate their corporate emails and SmartLMS accounts, the information on your studies and first steps will be published at the Notice Board. There you can already find:
- schedule of organizational meetings
- tracks assignment procedures
- schedule for the first week (Sept 2-7)
- information on providing the necessary documents and student ID photos to the study office
Check in to the dormitory (if you do not reside in Moscow or in Russia)
For international students
You will be assigned a place at the dormitory automatically in the International Applicant's Personal Account.
You can get access to the Dormitory section in your personal account after completing your consent to study at HSE University and going through the recognition procedure, but not earlier than August 19, 2024.
Check-in for first-year bachelor's and master's students will take place starting from August 21, 2024. Your accommodation referral will be valid for 10 days.
You will already have a place reserved at one of the dormitories when you arrive in Russia.
Please make sure to download the accommodation referral from your Personal Account, print it, and have it on hands when checking in to the dormitory.
You must also have the following documents on you when checking in to the dormitory:
- your passport (ID);
- a copy of the bio page of your passport with personal data and photo;
- your migration card;
- a vaccination certificate issued by a medical institution in any format (please note that measles vaccination is mandatory);
- a voluntary health insurance policy covering the whole period of your stay in Russia;
- a medical certificate confirming you do not have any contraindications or medical precautions that would preclude living in a dormitory (form 086у or similar) – see Annex 8.
If you want to learn more about medical documents required for dormitory check-in, please visit the website of the Office of Staff and Student Benefits.
If you have any questions, please reach out to us at zaselenie@hse.ru
Study the guidelines about your visa and migration registration (if you are an international student)
HSE Visa and Registration Centre
Address: D005/D006, Building D, 11 Pokrovsky Bulvar, Moscow (visiting hours: 10.00 am – 6.00 pm).
You can ask your questions at the Student Service Centre (submit and receive documents): 2:00 pm to 6:00 pm, Monday–Friday, at 11 Pokrovsky Bulvar, Entrance 5 (from Pokrovsky Bulvar)
Phone: 8 (495) 531-00-63
Email: visa-registration@hse.ru
Website: https://ivisa.hse.ru/
Mandatory medical examination, fingerprinting, and taking of official photographs for international students
Starting from December 29, 2021, amendments to the Federal Law "On the Legal Status of Foreign Citizens in the Russian Federation" have taken effect. These amendments now require all foreign nationals who come to Russia for 90+ days, including for educational purposes, to complete a medical examination, undergo fingerprinting, and have their official photograph taken.
Individuals who do not comply with these mandatory procedures or do so after the deadline may face penalties such as an administrative fine or a reduction in their allowed stay in Russia.
HSE University partners with City Polyclinic No. 3, where international students enrolled in state-funded places within the Russian Federation's 2024/25 quota can complete a complimentary (free) medical check-up by scheduling an appointment in advance. Information on how to register for the medical check-up will be published on the website of the HSE Visa and Registration Centre.
Get a student ID card
Student ID cards will be issued and handed out in the Study Office (Pokrovskiy blvd, 11, office T518, 10-30 am - 18 pm) after September 11th.
Please put your photos for ID cards in the box in the closet in the hall of the 5th store, building T, at any time. Please sign the backside of your photo (your name and programme).
Alongside photograph please hand in to the study office the signed copies of the Acknowledgment Form for HSE Internal Bylaws and the Consent for Processing Personal Data (templates below) as well as the original of your bachelor's diploma and its official translation (if you are a quota student) before September 8. More info in the notice.
Get a library card
Follow this link to learn more about how to use the HSE University library.
To get a library card, please complete the online registration form on the library's website (you will need your student ID card and your HSE University email to sign up). After submitting the form, you will receive your library card number, which can be found in HSE App X.
You can now access the library's electronic resources remotely by clicking on this link.
If you have any questions, please reach out to the HSE University Library Hotline or contact the library on social media at https://vk.com/hselibrary or https://t.me/s/hse_library/.
If you are interested in joining a guided tour around the library or want to learn more about searching for information in printed and electronic resources, please send an email to library@hse.ru.
Get a Moscow Social Card
This card gives you discounts for riding on public transportation within the City of Moscow and on suburban trains. To get one, you will need to visit one of the “Moi Dokumenty” Multifunctional Public Services Centres (in Russian: МФЦ, or MFTs) in Moscow.
Step 1: Verify your details on Moscow Social Register to check your status as a bachelor's/master's/doctoral student or medical resident in Moscow.
Step 2: Register at the www.mos.ru website and submit an application for a Moscow Social Card in your personal account. Your application will be reviewed within 30 calendar days. You can monitor the status of your application either in your personal account or via this link.
If you are an international student, you will need to get a SNILS (personal insurance account number, in Russian: СНИЛС) before you can apply for a Moscow Social Card.
Where can I get my SNILS?
You can apply for a SNILS in person at the nearest office of the Pension Fund of Russia, or visit a “Moi Dokumenty” Multifunctional Public Services Centre (in Russian: МФЦ, or MFTs).
Make sure to have the following documents on you:
- an ID (passport or residence permit);
- a notarised translation of your ID.
A list of Pension Fund branches in Moscow:
https://sfr.gov.ru/branches/moscow/info/~2022/05/21/7034
A list of MFTs offices in Moscow: https://www.mos.ru/pgu/ru/md/
Get a bank card for your scholarship (issued by VTB, MIR payment system)
The Accounting Office and Admissions Office at HSE University partner with Branch 7701 of VTB Bank. You can get a bank card with free banking service and corporate design to receive your scholarship.
These bank cards will be automatically issued to all first-year students, including foreign nationals, who are eligible for scholarships at HSE University. If you have previously studied at HSE University and received scholarship payments via a bank card, these payments will continue to be deposited into the same card.
If, for any reason, the university is unable to issue a bank card for you, you will be notified via your university email account.
Once the bank cards are ready, they will be handed out to students in line with an established schedule either on campus or at VTB branches.
Check your university email to find out where and when you can pick up your scholarship card.
HSE University Accounting Office
(for any enquiries regarding scholarships and other payments to students and questions about getting a scholarship bank card)
Email: std@hse.ru
Certificates on income/scholarship amount: https://lk.hse.ru/service-detail/61
Apply for a study certificate (optional)*
You can apply for a study certificate at the Student Service Centre starting from September 1, 2024.
* You do not need to apply for a study certificate to check in to the dormitory, these documents will be issued automatically.
Get an e-pass to visit university buildings
E-Passes for the 2024-2025 academic year are issued on a first-come, first-served basis.
You can apply for a pass at the following address:
- Bolshoy Trehsvyatitelsky Lane, 3 rooms, No. 114
- Pokrovsky Boulevard, 11, room Z-117, Z-101 Cultural Center
- Myasnitskaya, 11 rooms, No. 116
Working hours:
- Monday-Friday from 10:00 to 18:30
- Technical break from 13:00 to 14:00
- Saturday, Sunday – closed
To apply for an electronic pass, you must have the following:
- Students - student ID or passport.
- Foreign students - a certificate from the visa and migration support center (Migration service certificate).
Detailed information at the link: https://www.hse.ru/org/hse/aup/security/propusk
Before applying for an e-pass, please make sure to submit copies of your migration documents to the HSE Visa and Registration Centre and get a relevant receipt. You can do it either during the orientation session for international students which will be held between August 27 and August 31 or by visiting the Student Service Centre in September (2.00 pm – 6.00 pm Monday–Friday).
Useful links
HSE Academic Handbook – you can find answers to all questions about the study process at HSE University here.
HSE bylaws and Regulations can be found in respective sections.