Further to our news, on 01 July 2021 Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a law amending the Federal Law on the Legal Status of Foreign Citizens in the Russian Federation and the Federal Law on State Dactyloscopic Registration in the Russian Federation to regulate the temporary stay of foreign nationals in the Russian Federation.
These amendments imply changes aimed at mandatory fingerprinting registration, as well as the conditions for issuing a residence permit, patent and temporary residence permit categories of citizens.
Thus, mandatory fingerprint registration and photographing within 30 days from the moment of entry into the territory of the Russian Federation will be subject to:
- Foreign citizens who arrived in the Russian Federation for purposes not related to employment, for a period exceeding 90 calendar days;
- Foreign citizens who arrived in the Russian Federation for purposes related to the implementation of labor activities, for any period when applying for a patent or when obtaining a work permit.
To undergo this procedure, a foreign citizen will have to apply to the territorial body of internal affairs or to an authorized organization with an identity document and a certificate of absence of HIV infection and passed a medical examination..
In addition, this law provides for mandatory testing for the fact of using narcotic drugs or psychotropic substances for these categories of citizens.
When passing fingerprinting registration, such a foreign citizen will be issued a confirmation document, which, if technically possible, will be a card with an electronic storage medium, which will contain recorded information about the full name, place of birth, citizenship, details of identity documents, as well as a photograph and prints fingers. This document will be an identity document.
These provisions will not apply to citizens of the Republic of Belarus, to persons under 6 years old, as well as to holders of diplomatic and service passports, employees of embassies and diplomatic missions and international organizations.
Also, foreign nationals arriving in the Russian Federation in a procedure that does not require a visa will be subject to mandatory state fingerprint registration, but without the issuance of an electronic medium.
In addition to compulsory state fingerprint registration, this law introduces changes to the procedure for the validity and processing of basic documents of foreign nationals, in particular:
- Without taking into account the quota approved by the Government of the Russian Federation, citizens of Kazakhstan, Moldova and Ukraine will be able to obtain a temporary residence permit.
- The residence permit will be issued without limitation of the validity period, as well as, if technically possible, in the form of a card with an electronic storage medium, which will contain recorded information about the full name, place of birth, citizenship, details of identity documents, as well as a photograph and prints fingers.
- The term for issuing a patent will be reduced to five days if a foreign citizen is registered with a tax authority.
In addition, it is stipulated that the period of temporary stay of labour migrants from EEU member states and members of their families is extended for the period of validity of the labour or civil law contract. At the same time, if the contract is open-ended, the term of temporary stay is extended up to one year from the date of entry. The period of temporary residence may be repeatedly extended, but not by more than one year for each extension.
Similarly, the period of temporary stay of foreign nationals from visa-free countries who are family members of Russian citizens or foreigners holding a residence permit shall be extended for up to one year from the date of their entry into Russia and may be repeatedly extended, but by no more than one year for each such extension.
The law, except for certain provisions, will enter into force 180 days after its official publication – 29.12.2021. However, norms establishing the possibility of obtaining a temporary residence permit without a quota for citizens of Kazakhstan, Moldova and Ukraine, as well as the registration of a residence permit with an electronic data medium, have already entered into force – on the day of publication of the law – 01.07.2021.
For more information, please contact the consultants of the Confidence Group company.
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