RUSSIA – Foreign Workers and Visitors Impacted by Stricter Rules in Russia
Russia has been displaying a trend toward imposing stricter rules regarding foreign visas. Recently, the Federal Migration Service augmented regulations required for visa extensions.
Foreign nationals must have passports that are valid for six months beyond the initial expiration date of the visa. Now, those applying for visa extensions must have a passport that is valid for six months beyond the requested visa extension end date. Therefore, if a foreign national’s passport expires in less than six months beyond the requested visa end date, the term of the visa extension will be shortened to comply with this additional regulation.
This augmentation was implemented immediately. However, there is no impact on processing times. Before requesting a visa extension, employers and assignees should ensure that passports are updated accordingly.