Additional requirements to foreigners in Russia

On 1 July 2021, the President of Russia signed two federal laws introducing additional requirements to foreigners.

From 29 December 2021, there will be requirements for foreigners to undergo medical examinations to prove the absence of dangerous infections (including HIV and COVID-19) and drug addiction.

The documents proving undergoing a medical examination need to be presented to the migration authority in person:

• Within 30 days of entering the country to perform labour activities or when applying for a patent or obtaining a work permit (including highly qualified specialists (HQS)), and
• Within 90 days – for foreigners arriving in the RF for other purposes for a period exceeding 90 calendar days.

The list of infectious diseases was approved by the Russian Ministry of Health in Order No. 384n of 29.06.2015.

The medical examination includes:

• blood tests: determination of IgG antibodies to Treponema pallidum by enzyme immunoassay and determination of antibodies to Treponema pallidum by passive haemagglutination reaction; determination of antibodies to Treponema pallidum by non-treponemal test (NTT);
• total determination of M, G class antibodies (IgM and IgG) to human immunodeficiency virus HIV-1 and HIV-2 and of the p24 antigen in human serum or plasma;
• X-ray of lungs or X-ray examination of the lungs;
• molecular biological testing of sputum for Mycobacterium tuberculosis DNA by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) (if medically indicated);
• laboratory testing for COVID-19 using nucleic acid amplification techniques;
• bacterioscopic examination of a nasal mucosal scrape (Ziehl-Neelsen stain);
• examination by a phthisiatrician;
• examination by a dermatovenerologist;
• examination by an infectious disease physician.

It should be considered that the medical examination, including the issuance of a certificate and a medical report, is carried out within a period not exceeding 5 working days from the day the foreigner applies to the medical organization. For the time being, such medical examinations are expected to take place once every three months (when medical documents expire; not including 30 days to submit them to the Russian Ministry of the Interior). However, according to media reports, the state body plans to issue an order that will set the validity of medical documents for 1 year. According to our estimates, once the medical documents are submitted to the Ministry of the Interior, the medical examination is not required every time one enters Russia (for example, in case of frequent business trips abroad). In such situations, the general validity period of the examination results (3 months) should be the guideline.

The list of medical organizations authorized to carry out medical examinations in the territory of the corresponding subject of the RF is established by the highest executive body of state power of the RF subject.

In Moscow, the list of medical organizations is established by Decree No 1517-PP of the Moscow Government of 28.09.2021. Nevertheless, according to information from migration officials, at the moment only one organization, the State Budgetary Institution, Moscow Scientific and Practical Center for Dermatovenereology and Cosmetology of Moscow Healthcare Department, accepts medical documents.

Its current branches can be found at: https://www.mosderm.ru/branches.

From 29 December 2021, foreigners will additionally have to undergo:

• Fingerprinting and photography.

As a general rule, foreigners will have to undergo fingerprinting and photographic registration once. They will receive a document confirming that they have undergone these procedures. According to preliminary information, one of the venues for fingerprinting and photographing will be the migration centre in Sakharovo.

As a general rule, if a foreigner fails to comply with the obligation to collect biometrics and medical examinations, the period of his/her temporary stay in the country may be shortened. Moreover, on the same grounds, he/she may be refused or have his/her permits (e.g. work permit of the HQS, temporary residence permit) or annul them. In addition, a decision may be taken that a foreigner’s stay (residence) in Russia is undesirable or that no entry is permitted if a medical examination reveals a drug addiction and/or the presence of infectious diseases that pose a danger to others (including HIV and COVID-19).

An exception to the general rule are family members of Russian or foreign citizens permanently residing in Russia, provided they do not violate the legislation on the prevention of the spread of HIV infection.

The new requirements do not apply to certain categories of foreigners, for example:

• citizens of Belarus;
• persons under the age of 6 years;
• officials of international (intergovernmental, interstate) organisations, heads of certain diplomatic representations and some other categories of foreign citizens;
• foreign citizens arriving for purposes not related to labour activities for a period not exceeding 90 days from the date of entry into Russia.

Source:

• Federal Law No. 274-FZ of 01.07.2021 “On Amendments to the Federal Law “On the Legal Status of Foreign Citizens in the Russian Federation”;
• Federal Law “On State Dactyloscopic Registration in the Russian Federation”;
• Federal Law of 02.07.2021 357-FZ “On Amendments to Certain Legislative Acts of the Russian Federation”;
• Decree of the Government of Moscow of 28.09.2021 1517-PP “On Establishing Lists of Medical Organizations” in accordance with Federal Law of 25 July 2002 No.115-FZ “On the Legal Status of Foreign Citizens in the Russian Federation”;
• Order of the Russian Ministry of Health of 29.06.2015 384n (revised on 15.06.2020) “On approval of the list of infectious diseases that pose a danger to others and constitute grounds for refusing or cancelling a temporary residence permit for foreign citizens and stateless persons, or a residence permit, or a patent, or a work permit in the Russian Federation, as well as the procedure to confirm their presence or absence and the medical report on the presence (absence) of the above diseases”.