Russia (RU)

Must be valid for at least six months beyond visa validity and have sufficient blank pages for stamps. A notarised Russian translation of the passport data page is commonly required when dealing with Russian authorities, banks, and employers. Make multiple certified copies before travel.

Entry authorisation issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MID RF) matching your purpose: tourist, business, work, study, or private. E-visas are single-entry and valid only at authorised border crossings; they are not available to all nationalities. Work visa (рабочая виза) must be arranged by the sponsoring employer through the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MVD). Always check current eligibility at the nearest Russian consulate before travel, as the e-visa programme has been subject to changes.

Paper slip issued at the border on entry. Records the purpose and duration of stay. Must be kept with your passport at all times and surrendered on departure. Required for migration registration, hotel check-in, applying for a TRP (Temporary Residence Permit), and exit checks. Losing a migration card is a serious legal problem — keep it in a secure location.

Proof that your host, employer, or hotel has registered your place of stay with MVD (Ministry of Internal Affairs) / GUVM. Hosts must register within 7 working days of your arrival (hotels register automatically within 24 hours). The registration slip confirms your address in Russia. Required for extending your stay, applying for a TRP, obtaining an INN/SNILS, and bank account opening. Failure to register is an administrative offence.

Foreigners on most visa categories must hold a Russian VHI (ДМС) policy for legal stay and to access non-emergency medical care. Employed workers may be enrolled in the compulsory OMS (обязательное медицинское страхование) system by their employer. Major VHI providers in Russia include Ingosstrakh, RESO, and Sogaz. Keep the original policy and insurer's emergency number accessible at all times.

12-digit taxpayer identification number issued by the Federal Tax Service (FNS — Федеральная налоговая служба). Required for employment contracts, payroll deductions, opening a bank account, and property transactions. Apply at any FNS office or through the Gosuslugi (Госуслуги) government portal with your passport and migration registration. Issued within a few days.

Individual social insurance number issued by the Social Fund of Russia (SFR — Социальный фонд России, formerly PFR). Required for employment, access to Gosuslugi digital services, pension contributions tracking, and many government benefits. Your employer usually registers you with SFR on your first day. Also used as your login identifier on the Gosuslugi portal.

Required for family residence permits, school enrolment, inheritance proceedings, and citizenship applications. Russia is a Hague Apostille Convention member — foreign-issued birth certificates must be apostilled. Certified Russian translation by a notarially certified translator (нотариально заверенный переводчик) is required for use with Russian authorities.

Required for family residence permit, property rights, tax filings, and inheritance. Russia is a Hague Apostille Convention member — apostille required. Certified Russian translation by a notarially certified translator required. Marriage registration with ZAGS (ЗАГС — Civil Registry Office) may be required for some legal proceedings.

Required for work permits (especially teaching and healthcare), some long-stay residence applications, and regulated professions. Must be obtained from your home country and any country where you have resided in the past 5 years. Russia is a Hague Apostille Convention member — apostille required. Certified Russian translation required.

Required for work permits, recognition of foreign qualifications, and university applications. Academic recognition is handled by Rosobrnadzor (Рособрнадзор — Federal Service for Education Supervision) and the National Centre for Public Accreditation (ENIC Russia). Russia is a Hague Apostille Convention member — apostille required. Certified Russian translation by a notarially certified translator required.

Foreign driving licences are valid in Russia for up to 1 year from first entry. After that, foreign nationals with a valid Russian TRP must exchange their home licence for a Russian one at the GIBDD (ГАИ/ГИБДД — Traffic Police). An International Driving Permit (IDP) alongside your home licence is required for temporary driving. Licences issued in non-Cyrillic scripts require a certified Russian translation. Some nationalities must retake the theory test.

Required for bringing pets into Russia: international veterinary certificate (Form No. 1 for animals from abroad), microchip certificate (ISO 11784/11785), rabies vaccination record (at least 21 days before travel), and import permit from Rosselkhoznadzor (Россельхознадзор — Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance). Present to the border veterinary inspection post (ПВКП) on arrival.

Russian authorities, banks, notaries, and employers typically require notarially certified Russian translations (нотариально заверенный перевод) of foreign documents. This applies to passports, degrees, birth/marriage certificates, and employment records. Translations must be done by a Russian-licensed interpreter and certified by a notary. Where the issuing country is a Hague member, an apostille on the original is required in addition.