Important Documents

Updated: May 2025

Foreign citizens and stateless persons must adhere to the migration laws of the Russian Federation. The legal status of foreign citizens in the Russian Federation is defined by the following laws and regulations:

• Federal law No. 144-ФЗ “On the Procedure for Exit from the Russian Federation and Entry Into the Russian Federation,” dated August 15, 1996;
• Federal law No. 115-ФЗ “On the Legal Status of Foreign Citizens in the Russian Federation,” dated July 25, 2002;
• Federal law No. 109-ФЗ “On Migration Registration of Foreign Citizens and Stateless Persons in the Russian Federation”, dated July 18, 2006;
• Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation No. 9 “On the Procedure of Migration Registration of Foreign Citizens and Stateless Persons in the Russian Federation,” dated January 15, 2007;
• Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation No. 335 “On Approval of Regulations on Establishment of Form of the Visa, Procedure and Conditions of its Registration and Issue, Prolongation of Term of its Action, its Recovery in Case of Loss, and also Procedure for Cancellation of the Visa,” dated June 9, 2003, etc. 

List of documents required to have on person when present on the territory of the Russian Federation

Foreign citizens (students) may only be present and move freely on the territory of the Russian Federation when in possession of the following documents:

1. Passport/ID (with a valid visa – for visa nationals);
2. Migration card with a border crossing stamp (not required for citizens of the Republic of Belarus);
3. Temporary registration (the original copy of the detachable section of the notice of arrival of a foreign citizen/stateless person to the area of their temporary stay).

ATTENTION! Your migration card must state EDUCATION as the purpose of your visit. If not, you will have to exit the territory of the Russian Federation in order to acquire a new migration card.

ATTENTION! Foreign citizens who come to the Russian Federation to study must have a student visa issued based on an invitation from ITMO University or the Russian Ministry of Science and Higher Education.

Non-visa nationals include citizens of Uzbekistan, Moldova, Tajikistan, Armenia, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Belarus, Ukraine, Azerbaijan, and Georgia.

Registration

Obtaining a migration registration is a mandatory procedure for foreign citizens.

Foreign citizens must obtain a migration registration upon their first entry to the Russian Federation. In order to do that, you need to provide the following documents to ITMO’s Migration Services Office within three working days after your arrival:

1. Original copy of passport/ID used for entering the country;
2. Migration card (not required for citizens of the Republic of Belarus);
3. Contract for provision of paid educational services (for fee-based students).

ATTENTION! The Migration Services Office provides migration registrations exclusively to foreign citizens who choose to reside in ITMO University’s dormitories. If you reside somewhere else, your registration must be obtained by your residence’s owner (landlord) at a local Ministry of Internal Affairs (МВД) office or a multi-functional center for public services (МФЦ) or via the online services platform Gosuslugi.

Registration extension

20 working days (a month) before the expiration date of their registration, students must come to the Migration Services Office to extend their registration or period of stay (when staying in a private residence).

To extend your registration or stay, you need to provide the following documents:

1. Original copy of your passport/ID used for entering the country;
2. Migration card;
3. Temporary registration (the original copy of the detachable section of the notice of arrival of a foreign citizen/stateless person to the area of their temporary stay);
4. Contract for provision of paid educational services (for fee-based students);
5. Medical certificate, certificate confirming the processing of the subject’s data by the Ministry of Internal Affairs (МВД), and fingerprint registration.

However, if you have:

• crossed the border of the Russian Federation;
• checked in at a hotel or hospital;
• moved to another ITMO University dormitory or to a private residence;
• acquired a new passport/citizenship;
• obtained a temporary residence permit / a temporary residence permit for education purposes / permanent residency,

you must contact the Migration Services Office within one working day so that we may help you in requesting a new registration.

ATTENTION! Foreign citizens are obligated to notify the staff of the Migration Services Office in advance about their departure from St. Petersburg (or the Russian Federation).

Visa extension

Foreign citizens entering the Russian Federation for educational purposes are issued a regular student visa. A single-entry visa for a duration of up to 90 days must be obtained at a Russian Consulate through an invitation from ITMO University or the Russian Ministry of Science and Higher Education.

The period of temporary stay of a foreign citizen or stateless person  is extended through issuing a new multiple-entry student visa for up to one year.

In order to extend and acquire a multi-entry student visa, a foreign citizen must contact the Migration Services Offices 1,5 months before their visa expires with the following set of documents:

1. Passport/ID;
2. Migration card;
3. Temporary registration (the original copy of the detachable section of the notice of arrival of a foreign citizen/stateless person to the area of their temporary stay);
4. One photo (3cm by 4cm);
5. Receipt confirming the payment of the state fee for a multiple-entry visa (1,920 rubles). Request the payment details from the Migration Services Office;
6. Contract for provision of paid educational services (for fee-based students);
7. Medical certificate, certificate confirming the processing of the subject’s data by the Ministry of Internal Affairs (МВД), and fingerprint registration.

ATTENTION! A visa cannot be extended for the entire validity period of the passport. Your passport needs to be valid for at least six months beyond your visa expiration date. If your passport expires in 18 months, you need to plan in advance and apply for a new passport or renew the current one. 

Foreign citizens/stateless persons who do not reside in a dormitory must obtain a migration registration for the duration of their multi-entry visa using the address of their temporary residence at a local Ministry of Internal Affairs (МВД) office or a multifunctional center for public services (МФЦ) or via the online services platform Gosuslugi. Registration must be obtained within three working days upon receiving their visa, including the day the visa was issued, but no later than the last day of the validity period of the previous registration (see Federal law No. 109-ФЗ “On Migration Registration of Foreign Citizens and Stateless Persons in the Russian Federation”, dated July 18, 2006).

ATTENTION! Visa nationals/stateless persons who have not timely submitted the documents required for obtaining a new residence visa to ITMO University’s Migration Services Office must leave the territory of the Russian Federation within the term of their current visa and return to their studies using a new invitation.

Visa-free entry

Starting June 30, 2025, all visa-free nationals (except for citizens of the Republic of Belarus) need to complete the following steps before entering Russia:

• register and create an account on the Gosuslugi RuID app;
• upload your photo and fill out your personal data;
• submit an application indicating your period of stay no later than 72 hours before your arrival. 

Your application will be valid for 90 days. To enter the country, you need to show a QR-code that will appear in your Gosuslugi account. If you’re underage, the application details must be filled out by your parents or legal guardians. If your legal guardian is a foreign citizen or stateless person, they can submit your application only if they have a valid application for entering the country. 

In your personal account on Gosuslugi, you will find information on the status of your applications, as well as your permission or prohibition to enter the Russian Federation.

ATTENTION! This entry regime will be valid until June 30, 2026.