Why I'm Glad I Added a Trusted Contact to My Government Services Account

I've been using government services since they first launched back in 2010. As a young person, I've had to navigate the system to get things like a passport, driver's license, and even change my passport a few times – it's just something you have to do. I mean, who doesn't need to get a passport or driver's license at some point, right? I was one of the first to sign up for this service. It was a necessity, really. Without it, I wouldn't have been able to get some of the things I needed, like a foreign passport, or even get out of university.

Some people are worried about data security on this service, but let's be real – most of the time, it's our own fault if our data gets compromised. I mean, we're the ones who share our info all over the place. Of course, there are exceptions, and that's just life. But even without government services, we can still get hurt, right?

App for blocking credit as how to set upI'm not going to walk you through registering on Gosuslugi – I did it ages ago, and back then, I still got a paper letter with my password in the mail. Most people get help registering in person at some institution, but I did it on my own and voluntarily. My uncle and I filled it out together, cursing the slow website and weird question phrasing. That was a long time ago, and I'm sure it's easier now. Not many people are without a Gosuslugi account, anyway. Just don't lose your password – that's a whole different story!

I use both the browser version on my laptop and the mobile app. The latter is a game-changer, since you can access the service right from your pocket.

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How Gosuslugi saved me from nervous breakdowns

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Replacing/getting passports

App for Government Services – paying feesI have to say, the thing that really impressed me about using this service was how quickly I got my passports. I'm not a fan of waiting in lines. Who is, really? While most people were trudging along to the passport office, filling out forms by hand and waiting in crowded corridors, I was able to do it all from the comfort of my own home. I'd sit, sip some tea, click away on my laptop, and wait for the email with my appointment time. Then, I'd show up at the right time, take a glance at the queue, and before I knew it, someone would be calling my name from behind a door. It was seamless! No need to write anything down, wait around, or deal with any hassle. The system had already done all the work for me. I'd just sign my name and voila! A few days later, I'd have my brand new passport. I've always found that using the government services app gets me my passport way faster than filling out the paperwork in person at the MFC. Okay, international travel can still take a while, but at least I don't have to deal with any queues. And during the pandemic, it was a lifesaver – I could do everything from the safety of my own home, including taking photos for my application. I even ended up helping my parents with their passport applications through the app, which was a huge time-saver for them too.

Getting a Passport through the Government Services App I've never had any issues submitting applications – everything's always been approved, and I've gotten letters on time or even ahead of schedule. The system's never asked me to retake photos. If you read the instructions carefully, it's easy to get it right without any mistakes. The website can be a bit finicky and freezes sometimes, so it's best not to do anything at night. But overall, it's manageable.

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Getting a Driver's License

When I was learning to drive, the government services app came in handy a few times – I used it to book a driving test, a retest, and eventually, to get my license. As far as I remember, my driving school didn't offer any other options for booking.

Government Services AppI gotta say, getting my license was a total breeze. I signed up for it through the government services app and showed up 15 minutes early. But when I got there, the line was huge and it was in a dark corridor. People were talking about how their printer was broken or something, and they couldn't process any licenses. The guys behind the counter were arguing and measuring the corridor with their feet. I was thinking, 'Great, I'm not gonna get my license today.' But then it was my turn, and the inspector just smiled and said, 'Don't worry, since you filled everything out through the app, we can get you taken care of right now.' He took a photo of me, and a few minutes later, I had my license. They even walked me out the door and said, 'You know, everyone should use the government services app.' Meanwhile, the guys in the corridor were still stuck in line.

I'll be using this service again soon when I need to renew my license.

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COVID/Hospital ExperienceI have to say, my nerves were really saved here. My local clinic was taking their sweet time with the vaccinations, and it was a total circus. They'd call you when they felt like it, and you'd have to show up at a time that suited them, not you. I had a scheduled appointment through the government portal, but when I got there, they just told me they didn't care about the appointment and that the vaccines were all out. I'm not one to argue, so I just decided to take my business elsewhere. A call to the COVID hotline actually helped me figure out that there were vaccines available at a nearby hospital, and they even promised to look into what was going on at my clinic.

Thanks to the government portal, all my vaccination records were in order, and I was able to get vaccinated at the other hospital without any issues. In fact, I even left a review about it – click here! It shows just how well the hospital and the portal were synchronized – I even took screenshots of all the notifications and updates I received.

I've got to say, the government services really came through for me afterwards. When I was trying to reschedule my vaccination from Sputnik to Convasel, I was having a tough time. Of course, there were no vaccines available anywhere, and even medical professionals weren't getting vaccinated. I wrote on the government services platform that I needed a vaccine, and I was a bit concerned that there wasn't even a field to request one. All I could do was submit a complaint about the lack of vaccines. But guess what? A few weeks later, the vaccine arrived! To make things even better, my local clinic called me to let me know they had the vaccine available and asked me to come in when I was free, rather than making me fit their schedule. I've also written a review about that experience – check it out!

How to set up a self-exclusion on the Government Services appIn all these cases, I didn't have to deal with the hospital registration desk or anyone else. I didn't have to wait in line, argue with anyone, or ask for anything. I just opened up my laptop and wrote what I needed. My request went through the various departments, and I was kept informed by email. Eventually, someone from the administration called me to let me know that my request had been approved and asked me to come in to collect what I needed. No hassle at all!

Government Services App QuestionsI've gotta say, in emergency situations, the government services app worked way better than the people on the ground who might listen to you, but then send your request off to who-knows-where. So, I've made a mental note for future reference.

It's also super convenient for tracking my doctor visits and getting my test results updated.

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SELF-EXCLUSION FROM CREDIT

This feature just rolled out, but I'd been hearing about it for a while, so I was kind of waiting for it to go live. As soon as I found out, I set it up for myself.

Self-exclusion is a voluntary opt-out from entering into consumer credit or loan agreements. Its main goals are:

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preventing scams (once you've restricted access, neither you nor anyone else can take out a credit in your name);

protecting your finances (no one can swipe your cash by taking out a loan in your name without your consent);

avoiding court battles (you won't have to prove that the borrowed funds were taken out without your knowledge);

I know it's tempting to think you're above falling for these scams, but trust me, even the smartest people can get caught out. I've got a friend who's a tech whiz, can write his own code, and all that jazz. But even he came close to getting duped by these scammers. He said it was like hypnosis – he genuinely didn't know what was going on. And it's not like he's a dim bulb, either. He's just a victim of a well-crafted scheme. If he'd had self-restraint on credit for just a year earlier, he'd have been 100% safe.

That's why I've also helped my parents set up self-restraint on their credit. I explained it all to them in detail, so now they're in the know and actually think it's a good idea.

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What self-restraint protects you from?

No one can take out a credit in your name, not even you. That's a huge plus, given how many scams are out there.

The downsides

You won't be able to get credit anywhere quickly. You'll have to wait 2 days.

How to do it?

It's super easy. Just head to the government services website, tell the bot you want to set up self-restraint, and you're good to go.

Setting up the Government Services app self-exclusion from credit Setting up the Government Services app self-exclusion from credit Setting up the Government Services app self-exclusion from creditThen it'll take you to the application form. Honestly, it's super straightforward – even a high school student could handle it. Setting up the Government Services app self-exclusion from credit Setting up the Government Services app self-exclusion from creditApproval will come through in just a couple of minutes. Setting up the Government Services app self-exclusion from credit Setting up the Government Services app self-exclusion from creditI've got to admit, I've made a few late-night decisions about my finances, and it's crazy how tempting it can be to make a big change in the middle of the night. I've done it myself, and I'm sure I'm not alone. Even if you submit your request in the dead of night, the app will still work its magic.

Misconception

After setting up self-exclusion, you'll never hear from scammers again.

Nope, that's not how it works. Scammers will still call you, following their usual routine. Even banks will keep offering credit cards, but they won't be able to issue one – I've tested it myself. To get out of self-exclusion, you'll need to lift the restriction.

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USEFUL FEATURES OF GOVERNMENT SERVICES

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I recently needed to check something on the government services portal and stumbled upon some really useful features. For instance, I was able to see how many SIM cards are registered under my name.

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Removing old or unwanted SIM cards registered under my name

Blocking unwanted names registered under my name

Checking how many SIM cards are registered under my nameIt's really convenient that you can remove old SIM cards from the database in just a couple of clicks. I don't often change my SIM cards, but I think this feature is a must-have.Plus, you can see which organizations have access to your data here.

Government Services App Government Services App Data Access Government Services App Blocking Data Access Government Services App Who Has Access to My Data So, I decided I didn't want to give access to my email and revoked the permission. And you can do it right here in the app, too. If you've ever logged in somewhere using government services, it's likely that organization has access to your data. You can see which devices you've logged in with government services, when you logged in, and how it was done.

Government Services App Who Has Access to My DataGovernment services are introducing new security measures. While a login and password used to be enough, now you'll need to enter a one-time SMS code as well. Today, when I logged in to the app, it asked me to scan my screen with my finger to increase security.

Security Boost on the Portal I'm pretty sure there's some kind of encryption system at play here, which is awesome. I've dealt with similar file encryption systems before, and they work like a charm, so don't be afraid to give it a shot – you only need to set it up once, and the app will be locally encrypted on your device from then on.

About Trusted Contacts

Another recent addition is the option to add a trusted contact. If you head to your profile and go to the Safety section, you'll now see a new option:

Should You Connect a Trusted Contact for Extra Security? Is it worth linking up a family member or close friend for this? I think so. I've got mine set up on email, linking my account to my dad's – that way, I always know if his email password has been compromised, which is super helpful. It gives me the ability to remotely help my parents avoid scams. This notification system is like a warning signal, so they get notified if something's amiss and can jump in to help.

When it comes to scammers, it's clear anyone can fall victim, but the more you protect yourself, the harder it is for them to get through all the barriers. Let's make their life harder)

So every time I notice that security is being upped, the system's being refined, and there's a chance that it might just protect user data to some extent. I get it, any security system can be bypassed, and cybercrime's still on the rise. But on the other hand, progress isn't standing still. We'll be careful, we'll be vigilant, and we'll see what happens.

I also appreciate being able to track payments for fines, fees, and all that jazz.

App Government Services self-restriction on loans how to set up App Government Services It's convenient that the system's unified, and everything's visible in your profile. App Government Services questionsYou can see your work history, and it's true that it takes a bit longer to load here than in the tax office's portal, but you can still see most of the information, which might be useful sometimes – you need to update the information through a request (three dots on the right). This is especially relevant if your employer needs to see your work record (I never had a paper one, by the way – everything was digital from the start, but I can always check it and print it if I need to). Some people track their work history and follow their own ratings. To be honest, my work history's looking a bit dodgy to me, but it's definitely important to some people.

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Drawbacks

I've been using the government services for a while now, and they've made some major updates over time. Some issues have disappeared, while others have popped up, but it's clear that the service is still developing and working pretty well. Occasionally, some organizations don't exactly cooperate with the government services (like my clinic), but overall, the service works great. Sometimes things load slowly, or crash, but that's just normal, and if you compare it to what it was like before, it's a huge improvement. They're adding more features, improving security, and it's all coming together nicely.

Government Services App SecurityIt's super convenient that you can resolve some issues remotely.

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So, to wrap it up,

I've been using the government services a lot, and over the years, I've gotta say, I really prefer it to physical offices where the outcome often depends on the mood of the individual person. There are tons of useful features. You can resolve a lot of issues without ever leaving your home. Government services save time and stress. Their customer support is pretty good, and you can resolve issues remotely, even if you hit a snag. I actually called their hotline once, and they explained everything clearly and thoroughly. The bot's not bad either – they're clearly still improving it, which is a nice touch. I've actually started doing almost everything through the bot now – it's super convenient.

Government Services AppI've gotta say, this service is a total game-changer. It lets you tackle issues way faster than trekking down to a physical office. I'm really impressed with how smoothly it integrates with the public services and traffic police – it's like clockwork.

Thanks for listening!