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Work and Employment

Employment Procedure

EAEU Citizens

Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan. They work in Russia almost on equal terms with Russian citizens.

  • No patent or work permit required
  • Basis for work — an employment or civil-law contract
  • Migration registration, SNILS, and INN are required
  • The employer notifies the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the contract's conclusion and termination
  • No Russian language exam is required for work

Visa-Free Countries — Patent

Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Azerbaijan, Moldova, and other countries with visa-free entry to Russia.

  • The patent must be obtained within 30 calendar days of entry
  • Comprehensive exam on Russian language, history, and legislation, medical examination, VHI policy, fingerprinting
  • A fixed monthly advance income tax payment
  • Patent term — from 1 to 12 months, then renewal
  • The patent is valid only in the issuing region and for the specified occupation

Visa-Required Countries — Work Permit

Citizens of countries requiring a visa to enter Russia. Most of the process is handled by the employer.

  • The employer needs a quota to hire foreign workers
  • A permit to engage foreign labour and an entry invitation
  • A personal work permit for the employee
  • A work visa is issued based on the invitation
  • Highly qualified specialists (HQS) are hired outside the quota

What is a Work Patent

A patent is a document that gives citizens of countries with visa-free entry to Russia the right to work for organisations and individuals. A foreign citizen applies for it independently within the first 30 calendar days after entry. Below are the main conditions: where and when to apply, validity period and renewal, the monthly payment, and its link to a region and occupation.

A foreign citizen applies for the patent independently. The application and the package of documents are submitted to the migration division of the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs within 30 calendar days of entering Russia. A decision is made within 10 working days.

The patent is issued for a period of 1 to 12 months. It is automatically renewed for the period for which the advance income tax payment has been made, but for no more than 12 months in total from the date of issue. After one year, the patent can be renewed once for a new term without leaving Russia.

While the patent is valid, a fixed advance income tax payment (Article 227.1 of the Russian Tax Code) must be made. Its amount is a base sum multiplied by the federal deflator coefficient and the regional coefficient of the Russian constituent entity, so the final payment differs across regions. If the next payment is not made on time, the patent ceases to be valid.

The patent is valid only in the constituent entity of Russia where it was issued. To work in Khanty-Mansiysky District — Yugra, the patent must be obtained in Yugra. Work under the patent is permitted only in the occupation (specialty, position) specified in it.