Start with a 2-НДФЛ certificate from your employer — it is the standard Russian income proof and is filed automatically with the tax authority (ФНС). If you are self-employed or have additional income sources, add a 3-НДФЛ personal tax return. If the bank is performing source-of-funds checks, they may also ask for a справка об отсутствии задолженности (debt-free certificate from the ФНС) or a справка о налоговом резидентстве (tax residency certificate). We advise which combination best matches your institution's request.

A 2-НДФЛ is an income certificate issued by your employer, showing your employment income and taxes withheld during the tax year. It is filed with the ФНС automatically and is the most common proof of employment income. A 3-НДФЛ is a personal tax return, filed by self-employed individuals, contractors, or anyone reporting additional income (rental income, capital gains, etc.). If you are a regular employee, you likely need only a 2-НДФЛ. If you are self-employed, self-filing is required, and you will need a 3-НДФЛ.

Your employer issues the 2-НДФЛ and files it with the ФНС — we can request a certified copy from them or the ФНС using a power of attorney (доверенность) that gives us permission to act on your behalf. The same applies to 3-НДФЛ: you can file it through your ФНС personal account (ЛК) online, or we can help you file and retrieve it using a power of attorney. Once we have it, we scan and translate it for you.

Most foreign institutions (visa offices, mortgage lenders, banks) accept a certified or notarized translation without an apostille, especially for a 2-НДФЛ or 3-НДФЛ. However, some countries or specific institutions may require an apostille on the notarized copy. We advise based on your destination country and institution — tell us where the certificate is going and we will confirm whether an apostille is needed.

In most English-speaking countries, these terms are used interchangeably: a certified or sworn translation is one signed by a professional translator and notarized by a public notary, confirming the accuracy and completeness of the translation. Some European countries have specific notary or translator requirements. We provide notarized/certified translations as standard, and we can arrange country-specific formats (e.g., apostille on the notarized copy, specific notary wording) upon request.

If your ФНС account is accessible and the certificate is on file, retrieval usually takes 7–15 business days. Translation takes an additional 3–5 days. If you need a power of attorney filed first, add 2–3 days for that. Once the translation is ready, we email you a scan the same day and ship the original by international courier, which typically adds 2–5 weeks to the EU or US, depending on courier routing.