RUSSIAN BANKRUPTCY • MEDICAL TRAVEL
Compensation for travel to a place of treatment and back is protected from enforcement where provided for by federal law. However, a medical referral alone does not turn any transfer or the cost of purchased tickets into a protected payment.
Checked on 7 September 2026. This guide concerns the recipient’s Russian personal bankruptcy during asset realisation. Eligibility for a medical travel benefit and how to apply are separate questions.
Compensation has been awarded
Document the legal basis and the specific account credit.
A free ticket is provided
This is not cash income in an account or an amount available for withdrawal.
You pay for the journey
Do not assume automatic reimbursement or exclusion of the expense.
Which compensation is protected?
Point 16 of part 1 of Article 101 of Federal Law No. 229-FZ concerns compensation for travel to treatment and back, including an accompanying person, where that compensation is provided for by federal law. The key is the payment’s legal basis, not simply an illness or the word “travel” on a bank statement.
In bankruptcy, the protected receipt must be distinguished from other funds. Article 213.25 of the Bankruptcy Law governs exclusion of assets and resolution of disagreements; paragraph 1 of Supreme Court Plenum Resolution No. 48 explains the administrator’s role. A dispute concerns the particular payment and its documented amount.
Four situations to keep separate
| Situation | Meaning | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Awarded cash reimbursement for travel | Protection under Article 101(1)(16) may apply if its conditions are met | Federal basis, award decision, recipient and account credit |
| Free travel using a voucher or referral | Provision of a service is not a payment into a bank account | Benefit rules and ticket arrangements before travel |
| Tickets bought with personal funds | Spending money does not by itself establish entitlement to reimbursement | Whether the relevant programme permits reimbursement |
| Money needed for a future journey | A question of substantiating additional necessary expenses, not protection of an already awarded payment | Medical necessity, route, cost and available benefits |
A free ticket does not promise repayment of every expense
The Social Fund describes a separate free-travel procedure for federal benefit recipients: the required documents and referral for treatment matter. Check the particular programme before buying a ticket. Rules for one recipient category cannot be applied to every patient, and bankruptcy does not itself establish entitlement.
If a person pays for the journey, first determine whether reimbursement is available under the relevant programme. Only then can the treatment of awarded compensation in bankruptcy be assessed. Point 16 of Article 101 protects a defined income category; it does not itself give every patient a right to receive money for a journey.
If a single combined sum is transferred, request a breakdown. Travel protection does not automatically cover a hotel, medical services, salary or holiday pay.
Documents for the financial administrator
- Award decision. Establish the exact name of the compensation, legal basis, recipient and amount. If the document only says “reimbursement”, request an explanation from the payer.
- Bank statement. Preserve the date, amount, sender, payment description and available income-code information. If money moved between your accounts, provide the complete chain.
- Travel evidence. Depending on the circumstances, a referral, tickets, accompanying person’s documents and calculation may be needed. This is a practical evidence list for bankruptcy, not a universal application checklist for the benefit.
- Written request. State the case number, disputed amount and applicable provision. Ask for an arrangement to access the protected funds, attach documents and retain proof of delivery.
If a future journey needs funding
Where no compensation has been awarded, anticipated expenses should not be presented as an already protected payment. Paragraph 2 of Plenum Resolution No. 48 allows additional exclusion of assets in exceptional circumstances to provide for the normal subsistence of the debtor and dependants, including necessary expensive treatment. This involves judicial assessment and creditors’ interests, not automatic approval of every travel expense.
Support the proposed journey with a referral, evidence of why treatment is needed at that location, dates and route, a reasonable cost calculation and information about available free transport. Explain why the funds normally retained are insufficient. Neither approval nor the amount of an additional exclusion can be guaranteed in advance.
If the bank restricts access or money is debited
Establish what happened: restrictions on transactions, transfer to the debtor’s main account, or distribution of funds. Request the transaction document and give the administrator evidence of the money’s purpose. Protection of the receipt does not automatically remove all card restrictions.
Unresolved disagreements go to the arbitrazh court handling the bankruptcy. A letter to the administrator or a court application does not automatically stop distribution; urgent protective steps require separate assessment. Do not conceal the receipt or transfer it to relatives to bypass the procedure.
Illustrative example
An account receives salary and ticket compensation awarded on a federal legal basis. The request identifies each receipt separately and includes the compensation decision. The entire balance cannot be labelled protected just because part of it relates to treatment. If some compensation has already been spent, show the transactions and remaining balance instead of claiming the original amount again.
This is a teaching example, not a description of a particular court case.
Frequently asked questions
Is compensation for an accompanying person protected too?
Point 16 includes an accompanying person but retains the requirement for a federal legal basis. Identify the actual recipient and payment type, not merely the fact that two people travelled together.
Can I keep money a relative sends for tickets?
A transfer does not become compensation under point 16 simply because it is marked “for treatment”. If money is objectively needed for the journey, additional expenses and supporting evidence are considered separately.
Can I personally open a new account for compensation?
During asset realisation, the general prohibition on the debtor personally opening accounts applies. This compensation does not itself remove it. Agree payment arrangements with the administrator and bank.
I have bought tickets — must the Social Fund refund them?
Not necessarily. Entitlement to reimbursement depends on the recipient category and the particular programme. A free-travel benefit should not automatically be treated as reimbursement of any independently purchased tickets.
Separate guide: receiving salary during bankruptcy. Salary is treated differently from targeted compensation.
Need to assess a payment or travel expenses?
At an initial consultation, we can review the compensation basis, treatment documents, bank statement and financial administrator’s response.
Book an initial consultation