🇷🇺 Happy Russia Day!

Every year on June 12, Russia celebrates Russia Day – a national holiday dedicated to the country’s sovereignty, history, and future.

The date marks the adoption of the Declaration of State Sovereignty of the Russian Federation in 1990, an important milestone in the country’s modern history.

Today, Russia Day is celebrated across the country with:

🎶 Concerts and cultural events
🎆 Fireworks in many cities
🏛 Open-air festivals and exhibitions
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Family gatherings and public celebrations

For many Russians, the holiday is an opportunity to reflect on the country’s rich history, cultural diversity, and achievements, as well as to look ahead to the future.

Russia is home to more than 190 ethnic groups, stretches across eleven time zones, and combines countless regional traditions into one shared national identity.

Whether you already live in Russia, are planning to move here, or are simply interested in learning more about the country, we wish you a wonderful Russia Day!

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⚠️ New Medical Examination Rules for Foreign Nationals Starting September 1, 2026

New regulations governing the medical examination of foreign citizens in Russia have been approved and will come into force on September 1, 2026.

📌 Under the new rules, foreign nationals will generally be required to undergo a medical examination within 30 calendar days of entering Russia.

The medical examination will be required for those applying for:

• a Temporary Residence Permit (TRP)
• a Temporary Residence Permit for Educational Purposes (TRP-E)
• a Residence Permit (RP)
• a work permit
• a work patent (including renewal)

🏥 Following the examination, the following medical certificates will be issued:

• A certificate confirming the presence or absence of drug or psychotropic substance use without a doctor’s prescription, including new potentially dangerous psychoactive substances;

• A certificate confirming the presence or absence of infectious diseases that pose a risk to public health, including HIV infection.

📄 Medical certificates will be issued in electronic form and uploaded to a federal registry within 24 hours of completion.

Additional regulations establishing the examination procedure, certificate formats, and validity periods are expected to be published before the new rules take effect.

We will continue to monitor these changes and keep you informed of any important updates.

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❗️Russia Increases Government Fees for Immigration Services

A new federal law increasing government fees for a number of immigration procedures was officially published on June 26, 2026.

📅 The new fee schedule will take effect one month after the date of official publication.

Some of the new fees include:

• Invitation to enter Russia – 8,000 RUB per invited person (previously 960 RUB)

• Permanent Residence Permit (PRP) – 30,000 RUB (previously 6,000 RUB)

• Temporary Residence Permit (TRP) – 15,000 RUB (previously 1,920 RUB)

• Russian citizenship application (including renunciation of citizenship) – 50,000 RUB (previously 4,200 RUB)

✅ Who is exempt from these fees?

1. Citizenship applications

Foreign nationals who were previously citizens of the USSR and participate in the State Program for the Voluntary Resettlement of Compatriots, as well as their family members.

2. TRP and PRP applications

Foreign nationals and stateless persons who have been officially recognized, under a Presidential Decree, as being of interest to the Russian Federation, as well as their family members.

3. Citizenship and PRP applications

Foreign nationals who have signed a contract to serve in the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation during the Special Military Operation.

⚠️ Important: If you submit your application before the new law enters into force, you will pay the current (lower) government fees, not the increased rates.

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🇷🇺 RuID App: What Is It and Who Needs It?

The pilot program for the Gosuslugi RuID app, designed to identify foreign nationals entering Russia under the visa-free regime, has been extended until December 31, 2027. This means that, for most travelers, using the app remains voluntary.

📱 With the RuID app, foreign nationals can:

• Submit a pre-arrival notification before entering Russia;
• Access services for foreigners, such as booking an appointment with the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MVD) or purchasing medical insurance;
• Check whether their information appears in the Register of Controlled Persons;
• Receive notifications about government services in their personal account;
• Present a QR code generated after crossing the Russian border and verifying their Gosuslugi account.

🌍 The app is available in multiple languages, including Russian, English, Arabic, Armenian, Spanish, Kazakh, Kyrgyz, Chinese, Korean, Portuguese, Tajik, Uzbek, and French.

🚛 Who must use RuID?

Starting July 1, 2026, the app is mandatory only for professional foreign drivers performing international road transport operations within Russia.

⚠️ Important: At the moment, using the RuID app is voluntary for all other foreign nationals.

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💵 New Immigration Fees Are Now in Effect

The new regulations introducing new and increased government fees for immigration services in Russia have officially entered into force. We covered these changes in detail in an earlier post.

Here’s a reminder of some of the updated fees:

• Invitation to enter Russia – 8,000 RUB
• Multiple-entry visa – 6,000 RUB
• Temporary Residence Permit (TRP) – 15,000 RUB
• Residence Permit (RP) – 30,000 RUB

💰 Important: Foreign nationals may request a refund of a paid government fee within three years from the date of payment.

A refund is generally available if:

The fee was paid in a larger amount than required by law;
The applicant decides to withdraw the application before it is submitted;
The authorized authority returns the application without considering it.

⚠️ However, if your application is reviewed on its merits and the requested service is denied, the government fee is not refundable.

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❗️Russia Introduces New Restrictions for Applicants Seeking Citizenship, TRP, and RP

On August 4, Russia adopted a new law under which foreign nationals may be denied Russian citizenship, a Temporary Residence Permit (TRP), or a Residence Permit (RP) if they have an outstanding or unexpunged criminal conviction for a crime committed either in Russia or abroad.

If citizenship, a TRP, or a RP has already been granted, the documents may be revoked if such a conviction is later discovered.

📄 Foreign nationals who hold dual or multiple citizenship, permanent residence permits, or other documents granting the right to reside permanently in more than one country must provide criminal record certificates issued by the competent authorities of:

- each country of their citizenship;
- and each country in which they have permanent residence rights.

The following categories of applicants are exempt from this requirement:

1️⃣ Children under the age of fourteen;

2️⃣ Individuals recognized as refugees or those granted political or temporary asylum in Russia;

3️⃣ Foreign nationals serving under contract in the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation or those who have participated in military operations as part of the Russian Armed Forces;

4️⃣ Other categories established by law (for example, individuals who have already submitted such certificates previously).

⚠️ Important: The law will enter into force 180 days after its official publication.

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🇷🇺 The Walker Family Immigration Case: What Actually Happened?

Recently, an immigration controversy surrounding the family of D. Walker has been gaining attention.

Who is Justice Walker? He is a farmer from the Altai region who took to social media to complain that the migration authorities were preparing to revoke the residence permits of his wife and children.

Justice himself has lived in Russia since 1994 and is a Russian citizen. Russian citizens cannot be deported from their own country.

However, his wife and children are not Russian citizens and reside in Russia on the basis of Residence Permits (RPs). They failed to submit their annual notification confirming their residence on time, meaning that they had violated the rules governing their stay in Russia.

As a result, the family received a notification requiring them to visit the migration authorities. The purpose of the visit was to clarify their information and explain the situation regarding the late submission of the required documents.

There was no plan to deport the Walker family from Russia.

At the same time, an official representative of the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs stated that the family’s legal status in Russia had been resolved.

⚠️ Important takeaway from this case

Regardless of whether you are a well-known public figure or an ordinary foreign resident, the requirements of Russian immigration law apply equally to everyone.

Being publicly known does not exempt anyone from their legal obligations. Foreign nationals are expected to comply with the same rules and keep their immigration documents and notifications in order.

At the same time, a violation does not automatically mean deportation. The Walker case shows that each situation can be assessed individually, taking into account the specific circumstances.

📩 Planning to move to Russia or facing difficulties with your immigration status?
Contact us – we can help you understand the requirements, prepare the necessary documents, and navigate the legal process.

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🇷🇺 Important Update for Foreign Nationals with a TRP Issued Under Presidential Decree No. 702

This is important news for foreign nationals who obtained a Temporary Residence Permit (TRP) under the simplified procedure based on Presidential Decree No. 702 of August 19, 2024.

Under the new rules, foreign nationals will be able to reapply for a TRP on the same grounds — based on their commitment to Russia’s traditional spiritual and moral values — no earlier than 6 months and no later than 4 months before their current TRP expires.

📌 A reminder: Foreign nationals may obtain a TRP without a quota and without providing a certificate confirming their knowledge of the Russian language, Russian history, and Russian legislation if they declare their commitment to traditional Russian spiritual and moral values.

⚠️ Important: Once a new TRP is issued, the previously issued TRP will be automatically cancelled.

📅 The new rules will come into force on February 1, 2027.

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🇷🇺 New Medical Examination Rules for Foreign Nationals

New regulations governing the medical examination of foreign nationals came into force on September 1, 2026.

Under the new rules, foreign nationals entering Russia for more than 90 days are required to undergo a medical examination and the necessary medical tests. The deadline for completing the procedure has been shortened to 30 days from the date of arrival.

The medical examination continues to check for:

• the use of narcotic or psychotropic substances without a doctor’s prescription, as well as new potentially dangerous psychoactive substances;

• infectious diseases that pose a risk to public health;

• HIV infection.

📄 Following the examination, a medical certificate is issued, including in electronic form.

Foreign nationals must be informed of the results of their medical examination and notified that information about the medical certificates has been transmitted to the relevant authorities. Upon request, they may also receive a paper copy of the examination results.

🏥 Medical organizations conducting examinations of foreign nationals are prohibited from transferring their rights and obligations related to the examination or issuance of medical certificates to third parties.

The medical examination must be paid for by the foreign national. However, the employer or customer of the work/services may pay the costs on their behalf.

⚠️ Important: Undergoing the medical examination is a legal obligation of the foreign national. Failure to comply may result in an administrative fine of 25,000–50,000 RUB, with or without administrative removal from the Russian Federation.

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