Legal overviews
Attention! New obligations for foreigners
- Author: Olga Anisimova
- Service: Labor and Migration Law
- Date: 27.12.2021
Starting December 29, 2021, amendments to the Law “On legal status of foreigners” will take effect (Federal Law No.274-FZ dated 01.07.2021). Under these amendments, foreigners entering Russia must undergo a medical examination, as well as be fingerprinted and photographed. Olga Anisimova, Senior Associate of Capital Legal Services, gives an overview of the requirements in this brief.
Foreigners entering Russia to work, including highly qualified professionals, must undergo the procedures within 30 calendar days from the date of entry or the date of applying for a renewed work permit, whichever comes first. Therefore, foreign workers who leave Russia for, and return after, Christmas and New Year holidays must undergo medical examination, as well as be fingerprinted and photographed within 30 days of their return. Those staying in Russia must undergo these procedures when applying for a renewal of their work permit.
Foreigners entering the Russian Federation for non-work related purposes for a period exceeding 90 days must undergo medical examination and be fingerprinted and photographed within 90 days from the date of entry.
First, they must undergo a medical examination. The medical examination includes lab tests and an X-ray as to the use of narcotic drugs or psychotropic substances without a doctor's prescription or new potentially dangerous psychoactive substances, infectious diseases posing a hazard to other individuals, including tuberculosis, human immunodeficiency virus-related (HIV-related) diseases, COVID-19 and other diseases mentioned in the list adopted by Order No.384n of the Russian Ministry of Health Care dated 29.06.2015 (as amended on 15.06.2015). The results will be available within five work days.
The list of medical organizations entitled to conduct such medical examination in Moscow is given in Decree No.1517-PP of the Government of Moscow dated September 28, 2021. A foreigner must submit the medical certificates to the Ministry of Internal Affairs in person.
Please note that prior to the medical examination, a foreigner must register with the migration office, since the document confirming their migration status must be presented during the examination. In addition, their passport with a notarized translation and their migration card must be submitted.
After the medical certificates expire, a medical re-examination is required within 30 days, with supporting documentation being provided. Currently, these certificates are valid for three months.
Having received the medical certificates, a foreigner must go through fingerprinting and be photographed. Fingerprinting is performed only once on a personal visit to a territorial division of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, with documents confirming the medical examination.
Violation of the deadline, failure to comply with these requirements, or if a foreigner is revealed to have socially dangerous diseases (including COVID-19) may be grounds for a reduced period of stay in the Russian Federation, a ban on entering the Russian Federation or denial/cancellation of their work permit. That is why employers are recommended to monitor the status of medical certificates and the compliance with the deadlines for receiving or renewing them.
These requirements do not apply to diplomatic employees and members of their families, citizens of the Republic of Belarus, children under age 6, as well as to those who have a temporary or permanent residence permit in the Russian Federation.
We will continue to monitor the developments and will keep you updated.