Published on: 2026-10-10
Source: Moscow Government – Правительства Москвы –
An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
Department of Information Technology of the City of Moscow published a new international research, which compared the Muscovite card with social cards from other countries. While in 2023 this kind of analysis involved 22 cards from 14 countries, this time the study compared 58 social cards from 33 countries around the world — from Finland and Japan to Uruguay and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Experts analyzed not only their functionality but also determined the number of preferential categories the card is available to, the formats of digitizing social support systems, and the presence of loyalty programs.
“Researching the capabilities of the Muscovite card in comparison with foreign counterparts allows for an objective assessment of the achieved results and reveals trends in social support in other countries. In the new study, we nearly tripled the sample size and emphasized the non-financial capabilities of the card: benefits, discounts, access to city services. The comparison showed that the Muscovite card remains one of the most functional in the world. It combines 76 categories of benefits and covers areas that in many other projects are implemented through separate cards and programs: transport, education, healthcare, leisure, loyalty program, and social support,” said Mariam Arevadze, head of the analytical department of the Moscow City Department of Information Technology.
As part of the study, experts examined 58 cards from 33 countries: Russia, China, Australia, Mexico, Brazil, Uruguay, Argentina, the USA, Italy, Spain, Japan, New Zealand, UAE, Uzbekistan, Colombia, Germany, Portugal, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Finland, France, South Korea, and others. The analysts focused on social cards issued to people with disabilities, pensioners, veterans, and other privileged groups of citizens to access support measures, discounts, and urban services.
According to the analysis results, the most common functions of social cards worldwide include discounts at partners, concessional travel, and access to cultural sites. Much less frequently are opportunities in education, healthcare, and targeted social support integrated into a single social card. The Moscow resident card implements all of this simultaneously, moreover with a broader scope than its international counterparts. It can be used as a travel pass, a unified library card, as well as for making doctor appointments through info kiosks in city clinics, for access and payment of meals in educational institutions, and for confirming receipt of social home care services.
For Moscow schoolchildren and college students, the card allows free access to cultural venues under the program “Museums for Children”, and older residents — to confirm attendance at classes “Moscow Longevity”. Social taxis and bike rentals are available to certain categories of cardholders, and the card’s transport capabilities extend not only to Moscow but also to the Moscow region. All of this are unique solutions in global practice.
In addition, the study surveyed more than 1,400 active holders of the Moscow citizen card. According to the results, eight out of 10 city residents said they are aware of the benefits available to them and highly appreciate the social support provided by the card. Discounted travel is the most in-demand function of the card: 96 percent of holders use it, with almost half of them using it every day. Discounts on goods and services at partner locations are used by 66 percent of respondents, and 61 percent use the card to book doctor appointments through the infomat at clinics. Among the main advantages, reliability and versatility are mentioned: the card combines many functions, as noted by half of the respondents.
One of the world’s largest loyalty programs
Loyalty programs are one of the most common non-financial functions of social cards worldwide. They exist even for cards issued in small towns, for example in Trenčín, Slovakia, or in the La Reina district of Chile. However, most such programs are designed for a limited group of benefit recipients — pensioners, large families, or people with disabilities.
The Muscovite Card loyalty program stands out in this context by its coverage: discounts on goods and services can be used by holders belonging to all preferential categories. The partner network includes more than 180 organizations and over nine thousand points — from supermarkets, pharmacies, and dental clinics to pet stores and electronics shops.
Transport capabilities
More than one billion discounted rides are made annually using the Muscovite card, and all cardholders can use the transport functionality. In global practice, only 40 percent of reviewed cards are used as a full-fledged payment method for fare, another 15 percent are not validated directly on transport but grant the right to a discount when buying a ticket. Additionally, with the Muscovite card, social taxis can be ordered for citizens with limited mobility, as well as free rides in the “Velobike” service for students. The card can be used for travel not only within the city but also in the Moscow region.
Students can also use a subscription for travel on city transport with the Muscovite card along with the biometric payment service — after activating the purchased ticket, it is enough to look into the turnstile camera in the metro to pass through Moscow Central Circle. The system will automatically recognize the subscription, additional funds will not be charged.
Leisure, education, and development
Access to cultural institutions, educational courses, and libraries is available to 32 percent of the foreign cards examined in the study. However, in most cases, this functionality is aimed at one preferential category, most often older people.
The Muscovite card allows holders to visit 440 city libraries for free, and more than 140 Moscow longevity centers, and for students — more than 125 city museums and galleries. A unique feature of the Muscovite card is the validation function: the card can be tapped on a reader to enter a museum under the ‘Museums for Children’ program or to confirm attendance at activities of the ‘Moscow Longevity’ project. Such functions among the cards reviewed worldwide are found only in the Muscovite card.
Digitalization: how social cards are developing worldwide
The study revealed a global trend — social cards are increasingly moving to a digital format. Seventy percent of the cards examined can be obtained online, 64 percent are linked to mobile applications, and some cards, such as ID Jovem in Brazil and ISI+ in Belgium, exist entirely in virtual form without a physical counterpart.
You can apply for a Muscovite card electronically on the mos.ru portal; information about it—series, number, list of services—is available in the personal account. The portal also has online services that allow you to check the status of the card and application, as well as verify a student in the student registry. In 2025 alone, users accessed the card production status check service more than 650,000 times and used the student registry verification service over 420,000 times.
Become a Moscow Resident Card holder
The Moscow Resident Card can be issued to school and college students, university students, pensioners, people with disabilities, children and parents of large families, honorary donors, and others privileged categories of city residents. You can apply for a Moscow resident card online on the portal mos.ru. You can track the status of the application and card, as well as view personal benefits associated with the Muscovite card in your personal account on the mos.ru portal in the «Documents and Data» section. The card will be ready within 30 days from the date of application submission, and a notification about its availability for pickup will be sent to your personal account on the mos.ru portal and to your email.
You can learn more about the Muscovite card on the project’s channel in the messenger “Max”, as well as from the miniseries “Moscow in Digital”.
The creation, development, and operation of e-government infrastructure, including the provision of mass socially significant services, as well as other services and offerings in electronic form, correspond to the objectives of the national project “The Data Economy and Digital Transformation of the State” and the regional project of the city of Moscow “Digital Public Administration.” More about national projects and the capital’s contribution can be found at special page.
The portal mos.ru is the core of the capital’s digital ecosystem. Today, it offers more than 460 services and features that help solve virtually any issue online. In a convenient digital format, users can pay bills, check their child’s grades and schedule at school, submit meter readings, book a pet appointment with the veterinarian, purchase tickets for plays and concerts, and much more. To have reliable access to important digital services, experts recommend using the Yandex Browser or installing it on your device. Certificates of the Ministry of Digital Development of Russia.
Promptly get the main news from the official channels of the city of Moscow in messengers “Max” and “Telegram”.
Please note; This information is raw content obtained directly from the source. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.