We advise you of the following important changes affecting foreign citizens' stay and residence in Russia in connection with the holding of the 2018 FIFA World Cup.

According to RF Presidential Decree No. 202 on Special Aspects of Taking Enhanced Security Measures during the 2018 FIFA World Cup and the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup in the Russian Federation dated May 9, 2017 (as amended) (hereinafter the "Decree"), a very strict migration registration procedure for foreign citizens will be introduced in the cities of Moscow, St. Petersburg, Sochi, Volgograd, Ekaterinburg, Kazan, Kaliningrad, Nizhniy Novgorod, Rostov-on-Don, Samara and Saransk during the period from May 25 through July 25, 2018.

The Decree states that registration of foreign citizens at the place of stay (or registration at the place of residence) in the above-mentioned cities during the period from May 25 through July 25, 2018 must be handled by the appropriate local authority of the Ministry of the Interior of Russia or by the Multifunctional Center for the Provision of Public Services (with allowance for their operating hours) within three calendar days of the foreign citizen's arrival date at the place of stay (or place of residence). Migration registration cannot be done by sending documents via Russian Post. If a foreigner stays with an organization that provides hotel services, then the hotel administration has the same amount of time as previously to obtain such registration: on the day following the day of arrival.

Foreign citizens who entered Russia before May 25 and who are not registered at the place of stay (are not registered at the place of residence) must be registered no later than May 25.

In connection with the above, we recommend that you take the following steps as soon as possible (in the next few days):

  • Ensure that all of your foreign employees and their family members and other persons invited by your organization get migration registration.
  • Make sure in advance that the Ministry of the Interior of Russia office for your district has all the necessary documents about your organization (otherwise the district offices will refuse to do migration registration of foreign citizens).

The requirements of the Decree do not apply to foreign citizens who are participants in the FIFA World Cup, or to representatives of FIFA, subsidiaries of FIFA, confederations and national football associations that are on the FIFA lists.

Similarly, the Decree does not apply to foreign citizens whose stay in Russia is subject to the rules established by an international treaty of the Russian Federation (e.g., to members of international organizations, members of official delegations, employees of foreign embassies, consulates and some other categories of foreign citizens).

There is debate over the issue of when to get migration registration for citizens of Eurasian Economic Union Agreement member states (citizens of Kazakhstan, Belarus, Kirghizia and Armenia) working in Russia and their family members. On the one hand, the agreement gives them 30 days to get migration registration; however, on the other hand, as the migration authorities have said more than once, the categories of foreign citizens listed here should be registered within the same time as other foreigners (i.e., within three days during the FIFA 2018 World Cup). If you have citizens from these countries working for you then we recommend finding out from the Ministry of the Interior of Russia office for your district when they should be registered for migration purposes from May 25 through July 25, 2018 or assume they must be registered within three days.

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