UPDATE on COVID-19 ALERT

20.03.2020

New restrictions in Russia:

On March 17 and March 19, 2020 the Chief Sanitary Inspector of Russia published two Decrees* regarding the mandatory self-isolation regime and preventing the spread of coronavirus infection in Russia.

According hereto:

  • All citizens arriving to Russia have to observe self-isolation for 14 days from the date of their arrival. Those, who arrived to Russia before March 19, 2020 are also obligated to observe self-isolation for the remaining amount of days, e.g. someone who arrived on March 10, 2020 needs to observe self-isolation until March 24, 2020.
  • Also, everybody who arrived to Russia since February 17, 2020 and has catarrhal diseases symptoms as well as those who arrived to Russia since March 3, 2020 (also without symptoms of disease) shall be tested for COVID-2019.
  • If it is impossible to observe self-isolation at home or self-isolation regime is violated, citizens shall be hospitalized and placed in an observation-box.
  • All regions of Russia are announcing a High Readiness Mode.

What means High Readiness Mode?

  • Everybody, arriving to Russia should report to the regional hotline  (for Moscow: hotline +7 (495) 870-45-09 or report online https://covid.mos.ru/).
  • Employers are obligated to restrict employees who are subject to decisions of sanitary doctors on isolation from entering the work premises.
  • Citizens living together with persons who are on self-isolation are also required to self-isolate at home for 14 days, or for another period according to the decision of sanitary doctors.
  • It is recommended to employers to consider the opportunity to transfer their employees to remote work and properly formalize this temporary regime.
  • It’s recommended to employers to minimize business trips.
  • It’s recommended to educational facilities to switch to distance learning. Most of Moscow schools and colleagues are closing as of March 21, 2020.
  • Leisure activities with the participation of citizens are temporarily prohibited, including in the field of culture, physical education and sports, exhibition, entertainment and educational activities, in buildings, structures, facilities (premises in them). Previously, gatherings in buildings exceeding 50 people have been prohibited.

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* Decree of Chief Sanitary Inspector of Russia as of March 13, 2020 No. 6 “On additional measures on preventing the spread of COVID-2019”, published on March 17, 2020.

* Decree of Chief Sanitary Inspector of Russia as of March 18, 2020 No. 7 “On ensuring a self-isolation and preventing of COVID-2019”, published on March 19, 2020.

Update on the current migration rules applicable to foreign citizens:

From March 19, 2020:
  • It is allowed for employers to file the documents for obtaining, prolongation and correction of work permits and work visas for those foreign employees, who already legally are in Russia; the same prolongation rule applies to those who have work patents to work and stay without visas;
  • Foreign citizens who are in Russia may prolong their visas and period of their stay regardless of the visit’s aim. It should be done through the local migration authorities by their factual residence address and migration registration. Application for prolongation of validity of visa and period of stay can be prepared in free form.
  • The term of stay for foreign citizens, who came to Russia on visa-free mode shall be extended, even if the term is expired.
  • Temporary and permanent residence permits are also subject to prolongation in case of expiration.

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Official explanatory statement of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia as of  March 19, 2020  https://мвд.рф/news/item/19812878

We kindly remind of the following:

The terms of migration registration remain the same. Whenever entering from abroad, Highly Qualified Specialists (HQS) are exempted for 90 calendar days to register at their address of actual stay. After expiration of these 90 days (without exiting the country at least once) one has additional 7 business days to duly register at the factual address of stay.

If a foreign citizen has changed the address of actual stay in Russia (e.g., registered at a Russian hotel during weekends), the term for being exempt to register at the address of actual stay will be obly 30 calendar days (not 90 days!). Once the 30-day term is expired, a foreign citizen has another 7 business days for completion of due registration.

If an employment agreement with an HQS is terminated, a work visa is valid within the next 30 business days. This term is required to find a new job. If the HQS failed to find a new job within that term, he/she must leave Russia within the subsequent 30 business days. So, once an HQS is dismissed from work, he/she has 60 business days for a legal stay in Russia.

We thought it is worth to remind about these rules.