Citizens of CIS states need visa to Russia?
Citizens from countries what are members of CIS can visit Russia without visas.
At the same time, citizens of Azerbaijan, Moldova, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan must present their passports in time of entering the Russian Federation. Citizens of Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan have the right to cross the borders of the Russian Federation with internal passports.
For visa-free trip to Russia citizens of the CIS countries should read and notice following materials:
The Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) is an international organization created to regulate relations between the states that were part of the USSR. Nowadays the full members of the Commonwealth are: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan.
What do CIS citizens traveling to Russia need to know?
Citizens of the CIS countries have the right to spend up to 90 days in Russia for one half-year (180 days). If CIS citizen stays in Russia more than time allotted by law without special permits and without respectful reasons, he will be prohibited enter the Russian Federation for 3 years from the moment he leaves the country.
After entering Russian Federation CIS citizen should make a migration registration at the place of residence. For citizens of various CIS countries, the timing of registration for migration registration differs: for example, Azerbaijan citizens must register at the place of stay within 10 days from the day of entry. Citizens of Armenia, Belarus and Kazakhstan can stay in the Russian Federation without registration at the place of stay for 30 days. Laws may change, so, before going to Russia, CIS citizen need to have special attention to the question of time frame and place of registration he is required to be registered with the migration service. Violation of these terms threatens large fines.
For more than 90 days per six months (during the validity period of the permit document), those citizens of CIS countries who have a labor patent, temporary residence permit in Russia or a residence permit are entitled to stay in the Russian Federation. In all these cases foreigner needs to make sure about his migration’s card stamps about extension of his stay in Russia. If CIS foreigner is studying in Russia, then his educational institution should take care of the timely extension of his stay.
How can CIS citizen get a labor patent in Russia?
Foreign citizens have the right to find job in Russia only after reaching the age of 18 and with work permit (if they enter the country by visa) or a labor patent (if they are citizens of countries with a visa-free regime with the Russian Federation). CIS citizens can work in Russian Federation by purchasing the appropriate patent. The cost of a patent is determined by each region independently, depending on need for labor migrants. To obtain a patent foreigner have to request an application within 30 days from the date of entry to the Russian Federation for the grant of a patent with the Central Office of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and attach a package of documents below:
- document of identification;
- migration card;
- medical insurance;
- medical certificates;
- migration registration documents;
- certificate of passing a comprehensive patent test.
Passing the test is a paid service provided by educational organizations with appropriate accreditation. During testing, knowledge of a foreigner in the Russian language, the history of Russia and the fundamentals of the legislation of the Russian Federation is checked. For successful pass of test, you need correctly answer more than half the questions. Upon successful completion of the test certificate will be issued with a validity period of 5 years.
After filing an application and a package of all necessary documents, patent is issued within 10 days. Validity period can be from 1 to 12 months. Within 2 months after obtaining a patent, foreigner must submit copy of the civil law or employment contract in person or by mail to the Main Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
For better knowledge of the features of labor activity of foreign citizens who arrived in Russian Federation in way that doesn’t required visa or on the basis of a patent, it is worth read article 13.3 of the Federal Law of July 25, 2002 N 115-FZ (amended on 27.12.2018) “About the legal status of foreign citizens in the Russian Federation” (amended and supplemented, using from 16.01.2019).
How can CIS citizen get temporary residence permit in Russia?
If CIS citizen plans to stay in Russia for longer than 90 days, then he should try to apply for a temporary residence permit (RVP) of Russian Federation. The number of permits is strictly limited (for example, in the Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation of November 15, 2018 No. 2496-R for 2019 quota of 83,480 RVP is established). However, some citizens of the CIS (for example, married to citizens of the Russian Federation) have the opportunity to get RWP outside this quota.
For receiving RVP, which is looks like stamp in passport, foreign citizen has to apply to the Ministry of Internal Affairs at place of registration for migration registration. In time of deciding whether or not to issue a PRT, it is taken into account that the foreigner has relatives living in Russia or real estate in the Russian Federation or a labor patent and many other factors.
Details of procedure getting of temporary residence permit by those foreigners who have the right to enter Russia without visas can be found in article 6.1 of Federal Law of July 25, 2002 No. 115-FZ (as amended on December 27, 2018) “About Legal Status of Foreign Citizens in Russian Federation” (amended and supplemented, using from 16.01.2019).
How can a CIS citizen get residence permit in Russia?
Residence permit in Russia is a document issued on a standard form for period up to 5 years. The owners of this document can freely move around the Russian Federation, work in Russia without a patent and enjoy many other advantages.
If you want to get residence permit, you must first obtain RVP and live in Russia for 1 year. After that, you need to write a request for a residence permit, collect a package of documents and submit them to the Central Office of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Among them should be documents proving the availability of sufficient funds to live in Russia, certificate on the absence of HIV, certificate confirming knowledge of the Russian language, history and the foundations of the legislation of the Russian Federation.
More details about issue of a residence permit can be found in article 8 of the Federal Law of July 25, 2002 N 115-FZ (amended on 27.12.2018) “About Legal Status of Foreign Citizens in Russian Federation” (amended and supplemented, using from 16.01.2019).
Documents for residence permit must be submitted no later than 6 months before the expiration of the validity of the RVP. The simplified procedure for issuing residence permits (without need to obtain a temporary residence permit) applies to citizens of Belarus, political refugees, highly qualified specialists and native speakers of the Russian language.
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