Migration card: Registration of a migration card, sample for citizens, filling out in 2021 and other questions

Since January 2007, the Federal Law “On Migration Registration of Foreign Citizens and Stateless Persons in the Russian Federation” and the Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation “On Approval of the Rules for Migration Registration of Foreign Citizens and Stateless Persons in the Russian Federation” have canceled the registration of foreign citizens and stateless persons citizenship at the place of stay and migration registration of foreign citizens at the place of stay in the Russian Federation has been introduced.

• A foreign citizen or stateless person (foreign citizen) upon arrival must receive and fill out a migration card. The card contains information about a foreign citizen and serves to control his temporary stay on the territory of the Russian Federation, and when leaving the Russian Federation it is subject to surrender (return) when passing through passport control.
• Migration card forms can usually be obtained in advance on board the aircraft. They can also be found in the arrivals hall at special counters in front of the passport control line. We recommend filling them out in advance, on board the aircraft, to avoid long queues at passport control.
• At passport control at the airport, foreign passengers must present a passport and a completed migration card along with other

our identity cards and travel documents. In this case, the seizure of the passport and migration card is not allowed.

What is a Russian migration card

A migration card is a state-issued document provided to citizens of foreign countries and stateless persons. Issued when crossing the border (entry) of the Russian Federation.

Obtaining a migration card for a foreigner is mandatory except in cases provided for by law (not necessary for sailors, aircraft crew members and train crews for up to 24 hours or according to transport schedules). It serves as confirmation of legal border crossing.

The migration card is the main document when processing:

• Registration;
• Obtaining a residence permit
• Legal employment.

The lack of a migration card for a foreigner is a violation of existing legislation, namely paragraph 1 of Article 18.8 of the Code of Administrative Offenses , which entails various penalties.

A foreigner without a migration card or with a migration card filled out with errors becomes a “lawbreaker.” Many migrants encounter police immediately upon arrival in the capital on the streets and in public places.

Train stations and airports are a favorite place for police officers, where such checks usually take place. A foreigner with a “problematic” migration card can become “easy prey” for dishonest police officers.

Carefully read the rules for obtaining and issuing a migration card and DO NOT BREAK THE LAW!

Documents for obtaining MK

Upon initial receipt of the form, only identification is required from an incoming foreign guest. This is a passport (regular or foreign). In the future, if you plan to extend the term of the MC, you will need to provide an application requesting an extension, an employment contract (for students - a contract for studying at a university), a work patent, copies of passport pages with a photo, registration.

Validity period and cost of MK

Residents of those countries with which Russia has visa-free travel receive MK for 90 days. It is issued absolutely free of charge. Residents of countries outside the EAEU (Uzbeks, Moldovans and others) must register with the Federal Tax Service a week in advance. In contrast, citizens of the EAEU states (Belarusians, Armenians, Kyrgyz, Kazakhs) can do this in 30 days. Immigrants from Tajikistan, neighboring Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, are given 15 days for this procedure.

Grounds for extending the MC term

The migrant card is valid for 90 days for any foreigner, regardless of his citizenship, provided that the visa period is longer than this period. If you draw up an employment contract during this time, the MK will be valid for another 9 months. It cannot operate for more than a year, and this period cannot be extended. But it is quite possible to extend the time spent in the Russian Federation.

They do this in two ways:

• Border crossing. A working and easy way to extend a migration card or change the data on it (for example, change the purpose of stay). The migrant travels abroad to Russia, and then returns back and fills out a new form.
• No departure. The period is extended if the foreign guest has obtained a temporary residence permit or Russian citizenship, entered study, issued a patent or work permit, or has been diagnosed with a serious illness requiring immediate hospitalization. During late pregnancy, it is possible to renew a migrant card without leaving the territory of the Russian Federation.

It should be taken into account that all facts giving the right to renew the card directly in Russia must be confirmed in writing.

Where to get a Russian migration card

You must inquire in advance about how to obtain a migration card, before going through passport and visa control. Filling out the document requires concentration and there should be no mistakes.

The form is presented by an official representative of the transport service when crossing the border of the Russian Federation.

A migration card is usually issued:

• Bus driver,
• aircraft crew member (stewardess),
• train conductor or
• customs control officer (for those who cross the border on their own).

The requirement to transfer funds for a migration card form is illegal! This document is provided to every foreign citizen free of charge.

Filling out the migration card should begin immediately (before arriving at your destination). The law does not specify where exactly you will fill out the migration card. The main thing is that by the time you clear customs, all the necessary data has already been entered into the document.

The law requires that a foreign citizen:

• promptly informed about the need to fill out a migration card;
• allocated the necessary time to study the form in detail and enter information;
• We provided a place equipped with all necessary supplies.

Please read the contents of the migration card form carefully before filling it out.

The migration card form must be filled out without errors. Even a minor mistake can be considered fraud. To avoid unintentional errors, all points on the map are duplicated in English.

Pros and cons of different methods

1. When submitting a request to the GUVM the main advantage is receiving an official written response that can be presented in court. Minuses:
   long waiting period for a response (14-30 days);
2. the need to appear in person at the territorial authority to submit an application or send a request by mail, which also takes time.
3. By telephone you can quickly obtain information about the authenticity of a migrant’s card. The downside is that it is not always possible to get through to the help desk on migration issues the first time.
4. The online service is the fastest and easiest way to obtain information about the authenticity of a foreigner’s documents. The disadvantages are that the service does not check the migration card, but other documents. This method is for reference only; its results are not valid in court. Also, such a check does not always produce the correct result.

In other publications on our portal, we talked about what a foreigner should do if he has lost his migration card and how to update the document by receiving a duplicate in case of loss, damage or theft.

How to fill out a Russian migration card

When starting to enter information, you need to familiarize yourself with paragraphs 5 and 6 of the rules for using the Russian migration card , namely:

• the card must be filled out in printed capital letters in Russian (Cyrillic), or using the Latin alphabet;
• The card is filled out directly by the person crossing the border of the Russian Federation or his authorized representative.

The migration card for a child is filled out according to the general rules, with the exception of some nuances:

• a legal entity cannot be entered in the column indicating information about the receiving party,
• The birth certificate will serve as a document confirming the identity of a child under 14 years of age.

Well, then the migration card, a sample of which is presented on our website, is filled step by step with the relevant information.

Information that must be contained in the migration card form:

The following information must be indicated on the migration card form:

Identification data:

• first name, last name and patronymic;
• floor;
• Date of Birth;
• number and series of identity document;
• citizenship;
• visa number, if available.

Data on time of stay in the Russian Federation:

Current legislation limits the period of stay of citizens of other states on Russian territory to three months (90 days). However, if necessary, foreign citizens have the opportunity to apply for an extension of stay after this period. Otherwise, you should leave the country. Further stay in Russia will be considered illegal and will serve as a basis for punishment.

Purpose of coming to Russia:

The Russian migration card provides several possible arrival options:

• official;
• tourism (eng. Tourism);
• commercial (eng. Business);
• study (eng. Education);
• work (eng. Employment);
• private (eng. Private);
• transit (eng. Transit).

You need to highlight the desired option.

It is important to think about this point in advance. You can change the purpose of the visit only when leaving Russia and receiving a new form when entering back into Russia.

The discrepancy between the data specified in the migration card and the real state of affairs may be considered an attempt at fraud.

If it later turns out that the real goal did not correspond to the previously stated one, then in accordance with paragraph 2 of Article 18.8 of the Code of Administrative Offenses, a foreign citizen may be fined in the amount of 2 to 5 thousand rubles. or expelled from Russia. If a foreigner indicated the purpose of the visit as “private”, “tourism” or “transit” on the migration card, then he will not be able to obtain a work permit or study in Russia.

Indication of the individual or legal entity inviting you to visit the Russian Federation.

The migration card must indicate the inviting party and the locality of the inviting party. For a legal entity this is the name, for an individual - full name.

The completion of the form registration procedure is affixing a signature. The form should be signed after careful verification.

Otherwise, it may be rejected at the checkpoint.

Or, in the future, migration registration will occur in violation of the rules established by law.

To prevent this from happening, before parting with the form, it is advisable to take another look at the sample migration card.

Next, you need to hand over the entry part (“A”) to the customs officer, and keep the exit part (“B”) for yourself.

After this, you can safely proceed to Russian territory.

A sample of a completed migration card can be seen below:

Sample of a completed migration card

Filling rules

Filling out the migration card is easy. No documents other than a passport and a visa (if required) are needed. At passport control, as a rule, there is a sample of filling out the migration form.

The migration card application form consists of two parts:

• Part A – entry information.
• Part B – information about departure.

They are identical. Upon entry, part A remains with the border guard, part B - with the foreigner.

The migration card is filled out in Russian. For foreigners who do not speak Russian, filling out in English is acceptable. The card must be filled out without any marks or corrections using a blue or black ballpoint pen. We do not recommend using a gel pen for this, as the characters may become smudged.

The immigration form is filled out for each person entering, including children. If a foreigner is not able to fill out the card himself, any other person can do it for him.

We will analyze in detail all the points of the migration card.

The country whose border you are crossing.

There is no need to select it separately; it will be visible on the stamp that will be given to you at the border.

Series and number of the migration card.

There is no need to fill out anything here, since the numbers should already be indicated. These document details are required when applying to the Main Migration Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs or when drawing up an employment contract.

Full Name.

Write as they are indicated in your document in Cyrillic or Latin. If there is no middle name, then you do not need to write anything in this field.

Identity document.

Write here the series and number of your international passport or internal passport, if you are entering using it.

Visa number.

If you are entering Russia on a visa, please enter its number here.

Purpose of the visit. Select the purpose of your visit and highlight the option you need:

1. Service. Applicable to delegations or at the invitation of the Russian government.
2. Tourism. If your goal is to travel, select this item.
3. A commercial. If the purpose of your trip is business negotiations, business meetings.
4. Studies. If you are entering on a study visa or have come to the Russian Federation to study.
5. Job. If you come to work.
6. Private. If you come to visit friends, either for marriage or for treatment.
7. Transit. If you are traveling through Russia to another country.

The purpose of your visit cannot be changed. If your plans change, you need to leave the country, then enter it again and get a new migration card.

If a foreign citizen comes to work, he must indicate work as the purpose of the visit. If “tourism” is indicated on the migration card, he will not be able to be issued a work permit or a labor patent. If you come to the Main Department of Migration Affairs of the Ministry of Internal Affairs with such a card, the employees will consider it a lie and a concealment of the real purpose of the visit. In this case, the foreigner will have to cross the border again and indicate the correct purpose of the visit on the new migration card.

For non-compliance with the real and stated purpose of the visit, you can be fined up to 5,000 rubles and deported from the country. Therefore, it will not be possible to come to Russia as a tourist, or to visit relatives, and then get a job legally.

Information about the inviting party.

If you are traveling at the invitation of a company, please indicate its name here. If you are traveling by private invitation, please indicate his last name, first name and patronymic. If on other grounds, it is enough to indicate the city in which you will stay for a longer period. There is no need to indicate the exact address.

Duration of stay.

This is the planned period of stay in Russia, which is recorded from the date of crossing the border. If you are entering on a visa, indicate its duration. If you have a return ticket, please indicate your departure date.

If you are entering without a visa, we recommend that you indicate the maximum allowable period of stay in Russia. It can be extended later. For example, if you are entering from Ukraine, then you can stay in Russia for a maximum of 90 consecutive days. Specify this exact period. There is nothing wrong with leaving early. If you write on your card that you are leaving in 1 month, and you yourself will spend 90 days here, there will be nothing wrong with that either, since by law you have the right to stay in Russia for that long. But if you leave later than 90 days, you will have to provide reasons for staying in Russia all this time.

If you have a temporary residence permit or permanent residence permit, please indicate your approximate departure date. In reality, in terms of time, you can stay in Russia for the entire period that the temporary residence permit or residence permit is valid. But temporary residence permits and residence permits can be extended while in Russia, so theoretically you can stay in the Russian Federation as long as you like.

Signature.

Sign the migration card, by doing this you confirm the accuracy of the information you provided and are responsible for its authenticity.

Service marks.

Entry into the Russian Federation and exit from the Russian Federation. Leave these fields empty; they will be filled in by an employee of the Main Department of Migration Affairs of the Ministry of Internal Affairs when registering.

Entry into the Russian Federation.

Here the border guard will give you a stamp with the date you crossed the border.

Errors when filling out.

The most common mistakes when filling out a migration form are typos in the first and last name, date of birth or passport number, incorrectly recorded length of stay and incorrectly indicated purpose of the visit.

If you make a mistake when filling out the migration card and immediately notice the errors, it’s okay. Just ask for a new form. If you notice a typo or error later, restore the migration - it's free. We will tell you how to restore the migration card in this article below.

If employees of the Main Directorate for Migration Affairs of the Ministry of Internal Affairs find an error, you may be fined up to 5,000 rubles, refused to issue, or have previously issued documents canceled: labor patent, residence permit, temporary residence permit.

Features of registering a foreigner

Once in the Russian Federation, you should not think that the documentation procedure is over.

Paragraph 3 of Article 20 of the Federal Law “On migration registration of foreign citizens and stateless persons in the Russian Federation” states that you need to register for migration no later than 7 calendar days.

The same federal law establishes that either the foreign citizen himself or the receiving party is obliged to notify the migration registration authority of his arrival at the place of stay.

The host party can be any individual or legal entity that provides a place for permanent residence or employment opportunity under an officially formalized agreement.

Documents that will be needed for migration registration:

• migration card;
• identity document: passport of the state of which he is a citizen, or any other valid on the territory of the Russian Federation and containing identification data.

If a foreign citizen owns a home designated as a place of stay, then he must register for migration on his own.

It is also possible to register for migration by mail through a postal notification .

If a foreigner checks into a hotel, sanatorium, holiday home, etc., then migration registration must be carried out by this organization. The following are not subject to migration registration:

• seafarers for 24 hours in the port territory,
• crew members of civil aviation aircraft according to the vehicle movement schedule,
• teams of trains and crews or teams of other vehicles participating in international traffic, according to the vehicle’s schedule.

on the territory of the Russian Federation at airports or at stations provided for by schedules (schedules) for the movement of these vehicles.

In what situations is it required to present an MK?

A migrant/foreign citizen’s migration card is needed primarily to confirm legal entry into the country. It is better to always keep it with you - in case you are asked to present documents by the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

It is unlikely that you will be stopped for or without reason, but situations are different. One day I was crossing the road in the wrong place and I was stopped by traffic police officers who were dealing with an accident that happened nearby. They issued me a fine, and for this they demanded my passport, migration card and temporary registration. I suppose that if I didn’t have them with me, the clarification of the circumstances would have taken much longer.

When else is MK needed?

• When registering for migration;
• When applying for a job;
• Upon receipt of a patent for work;
• When extending the period of temporary stay;
• When submitting documents for a temporary residence permit or temporary residence permit;
• When purchasing insurance;
• When preparing medical certificates for filing for temporary residence permit/temporary residence permit.

As you can see, the Russian migration map appears in most situations of interaction with government agencies. Therefore, it is highly undesirable to lose it. But what if this did happen?

Validity of the migration card over time and conditions for its extension

As usual, a migration card is valid for 90 days. The validity period of the migration card cannot be less than the period of the visa.

You can extend the validity of your migration card in several ways:

Border crossing.

Having left the Russian Federation for a short time, any foreign citizen has the right to return to the country. Upon re-entry, he will have to fill out a new migration card.

This method is very common among foreigners. To do this, you need to travel to any country and then immediately return back, naturally, filling out a new document. Crossing the border to get a migration card can be done on your own or with the help of third parties. A significant advantage that a trip for a migration card provides is the ability to change the purpose of entry.

Traveling outside Russia to obtain a migration card may result in administrative prosecution. FMS employees may perceive criminal intent if you crossed the border many times in a short time.

Extension of a migration card without leaving your location

It is possible to extend a migration card without leaving Russia if:

• obtaining a permit or patent to fulfill labor obligations (a petition from the employer is required);
• obtaining citizenship or temporary residence permit;
• successful admission to a Russian educational institution;
• a disease requiring immediate treatment in Russia;
• late pregnancy.

Such grounds must be documented.

When a trip to the border to get a migration card from Moscow or any other city is not possible, then this option will be the only way out of the current situation.

It is important to monitor the validity period of your migration card. A small delay will result in a fine of 2 to 5 thousand rubles. A significant stay, exceeding 120 days, threatens deportation from the country and a ban on entry in the future.

What to do if your stay has ended

Your actions depend on the reason and for how long you violated your stay. Here the best advice would be not to hide, but to contact the Main Migration Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs personally and explain the reason for the violation. If the violation is considered insignificant, you will be given a protocol, a decision on administrative liability and a fine. Save the payment receipt and all documents, show them to the border guards when leaving the territory of the Russian Federation if they have any questions. In any case, try to leave the country as quickly as possible so as not to receive an entry ban.

If the violation is considered significant, in addition to a fine, you may be deported from the country and banned from entry for a period of 3 to 10 years.

Difficulties and consequences of the procedure for obtaining a TRP (temporary residence permit)

You should contact the FMS to obtain a temporary residence permit immediately after registering for migration. It should be taken into account that the validity period of the migration card is limited, and obtaining permission takes a lot of time. The desire to obtain a temporary residence permit should be notified when passing through customs. This will significantly increase the likelihood of approval of the temporary residence permit.

A temporary residence permit is issued on the basis of a valid migration card.

If a foreigner has received a temporary residence permit, then there is no need to extend the validity of the migration card.

For a short-term and single visit to the Russian Federation, there is no need to undergo such a complex procedure.

A citizen who has received a temporary residence permit does not have to renew his migration card, because his status changes.

When is this required?

Document renewal is usually required if a foreigner has lost his ticket or it has been stolen along with other things. Another common reason: inaccuracies when filling out. The card will also have to be changed if:

• it incorrectly indicated the full name, purpose, and timing of the visit;
• it was hopelessly damaged (in the wash, in a fire, etc.);
• the foreigner did not have time to prepare documents for a patent within 30 days;
• The tourist needs to change the purpose of his visit, since he found a job in the Russian Federation and decided to stay.

If the data in the migration card differs from the passport data or a period exceeding 90 days is indicated without the necessary grounds, then usually the foreigner is asked to correct the errors while checking the documents.

But if the inaccuracies go unnoticed, then it is best to change the card, especially if you plan to apply for a temporary residence permit, apply for citizenship, or participate in the state program for the resettlement of compatriots. In this case, errors in the migration card can become a serious problem . For example, a patent will simply not be issued if the document indicates the purpose of the visit as “tourism” and not “work”.

Independent crossing out and adding new inscriptions to the document is not permitted.

Considering the complex procedure for updating a card, it is better to carefully monitor its safety and be careful when filling it out.

Algorithm of actions in case of loss (loss) of a migration card

Contact the nearest police station

If you lose your migration card, you must immediately contact the nearest police station with a statement about the loss of your migration card. Next, the police department must issue a certificate or certificate of loss of the card.

Contacting the territorial branch of the FMS and submitting an application

With the issued certificate and other documents (identity card, travel documents, etc.), you must contact the territorial office of the FMS with a request to issue a duplicate migration card.

Migration help desk telephone numbers:

+7 (495) 636-98-98 ; +7(495) 587-07-87 in Moscow; +7 (812) 573–30–02 in St. Petersburg; Phone numbers in Russia can be found here .

In this situation, the foreigner must contact the territorial body of the Federal Migration Service within three days with an application for its restoration and an identity document. After confirmation of the legal crossing of the border by a foreigner, he will be issued a duplicate migration card free of charge.

If for any reason a migrant neglects this rule, then at the very first check of documents he will be prosecuted under Article 18.8 of the Code of Administrative Offenses .

The punishment for not having a migration card varies depending on where the offense is recorded:

• on the territory of Moscow or St. Petersburg - this is usually a fine and expulsion from Russia.
• in other regions you will usually only be given a fine.

Leaving Russia and filling out a new form

Those citizens who discovered the loss of their migration card immediately before leaving the country can submit a corresponding application to a border service officer. He is obliged to provide a new form, which will need to be filled out in the same way as the first option, correctly indicating all the data, including the reason for entry and details of the receiving party.

Never try to buy a migration card after seeing a tempting offer. This may lead to the possession of a counterfeit, which, of course, will not pass the test against a single information database and may result in criminal liability for you.

Extension

Russian law does not provide for the opportunity to renew the migration card itself without leaving the country. It is possible to extend the period of stay based on a previously issued document. As mentioned above, the maximum duration of the MK is one year; it cannot be extended in any way. After its expiration, you can continue to legally reside in Russia by choosing one of two legal methods:

1. Leave Russia to return again and receive a new form from customs, which will be valid for a year (subject to the above conditions).
2. Visit a government agency with a request for an extension without having to leave the Russian Federation (cross the border). This option presupposes the presence of serious reasons. It is advisable to apply if a foreigner receives a work patent or renews a previously obtained one, or has a medical certificate indicating the need to remain for treatment in Russia. Also, the reason for applying may be studying at a Russian university, providing a temporary residence permit to an emigrant, or waiting for a response on an application for granting civil status.

The petition is submitted to the GUMV along with confirmation of the existing grounds for remaining on Russian territory for a long period of time. In most cases, the reason for applying is a work patent. Documents on the extension of the MK, if the foreigner does not leave Russia, are submitted to the GUMV employees only by the receiving party of the migrant.

A private individual, employer or educational institution on behalf of a foreigner provides the government agency with a package of the following documents:

• petition on behalf of a foreigner;
• identification documents;
• a photocopy of the contract with a resident company or university (grounds confirming temporary stay);
• a valid migrant card;
• check for payment of state duty.

The employer, representing the interests of his foreign employee, submits to the GUMV a petition on behalf of the company, a notice of the signed employment contract, and a form from the receiving party. Migration service employees check the papers for authenticity, legality and correctness of the entered data, and the absence of offenses on the part of the foreign person. If no violations are found, then a mark for renewal is placed on the migration registration card.

The application from the employer is filled out according to the sample. The document is addressed to the head of the GUMV at the place of residence. The text contains a request to provide the foreigner with additional time for legal residence in Russia. The employer indicates the period during which the employment contract with the visitor will be valid, as well as the name of the foreigner, his personal data from the passport, the number of the labor patent and its validity period. Below, the manager or personnel officer with authority signs.

Submitting a migration card

They hand over their migration card upon departure. This must be done, otherwise information about departure will not be provided to the migration service, the migration card will continue to be valid and sooner or later the period of stay will be significantly exceeded. This threatens a ban on further entry and exit. The duration of the ban on entry into the Russian Federation depends on the number of days of delay ( Article 27 of the Federal Law of August 15, 1996 No. 114-FZ “On the procedure for leaving the Russian Federation and entering the Russian Federation” ):

• a three-year ban for those who exceeded the legal period of stay by 90 days in one visit or by 180 days in several visits;
• a five-year ban for those who exceeded their legal stay by 270 days;
• a 10-year ban for those who exceeded their legal stay by more than 270 days.

How long can you stay in the country?

If you came to the Russian Federation with a visa, the permitted period of stay is equal to the period for which the visa was issued. If you come from a country with a visa-free regime, then you can stay in Russia for 90 days.

Citizens of Belarus have no restrictions on the time they can stay in Russia.

If you have a temporary residence permit or residence permit, your period of stay increases to three, five or more years, depending on the documents issued to you.

Examples of countries whose residents can come to Russia for 90 days without a visa: Azerbaijan, Abkhazia, Armenia, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Israel, Moldova, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Ukraine.

There is a restriction for visa-free entry: you can leave and enter as many times as you like, but in total you can only stay in Russia for 90 days in each of 180 days. That is, after these 90 days you must have a valid reason for being in Russia, for example, a work permit or temporary residence permit. Otherwise, you will have to leave Russia for at least the next 90 days.

Residents of the LPR and DPR can stay in Russia without a visa for 180 consecutive days. After this, they must leave Russian territory, but can immediately return back.

Checking the entry ban into Russia

Every foreign citizen planning a trip to Russia has the opportunity to check whether he is allowed to enter the country. The data can be found on the website of the Main Migration Directorate by following the link: https://services.fms.gov.ru/info-service.htm?sid=3000

The official website of the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs on migration issues looks like this:

Official website of the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation

Here you will need to enter your data in the appropriate sections. The result will be known within a few seconds. Scrolling down the page will reveal fields that need to be filled out. They will be marked with an asterisk (*). Some of the fields to fill out can be seen in Figure 4:

checking the authenticity of the migration card

checking the authenticity of the migration card

You can also use the online service on the website of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation by following the link https://mvd.rf/services-guvm .

On the page that opens, you need to select the section you are interested in and go to the desired page:

ban on entry into the Russian Federation

A small questionnaire will also open here, by filling out which you can obtain accurate information regarding the current bans on visiting the Russian Federation.

Reasons why a migrant may renew his card

Extension of a foreigner’s document is possible in the following situations:

• If an employed person regularly pays for a patent, which gives him the right to work.
• If an accident occurs, a sudden life-threatening illness or late pregnancy, which requires the person to be immediately referred to a specialized clinic.
• If the migrant managed to obtain temporary residence permit status.
• In the event that a visitor successfully passes the entrance exams to a university in our country and falls under the quota for admitting foreigners to study.
• In a situation where a visitor, during his legal stay in the Russian Federation, has submitted documents to obtain the status of a citizen of the Russian Federation.

All of these reasons give the migrant the opportunity to extend his temporary stay in Russia, however, no one can give him a guarantee that the migration services will make a positive decision on his issue.

Checking the authenticity of the migration card

There are three ways to check the authenticity of a migration card:

1. Call the migration service. The employee can confirm or deny the authenticity of the document. To do this, you need to provide his details, clarify your first and last name, as well as the time of entry into the territory of the Russian Federation. You can find contact numbers on our page in the TELEPHONES AND ADDRESSES section.
2. Personally contact the department of the Central Internal Affairs Directorate or the Federal Migration Service with a corresponding application. Employees are required to check the documents and give their opinion regarding authenticity. You can also find the necessary addresses on our website.
3. Check the data in a special section of the official website of the Main Directorate for Migration Issues. Link to the site and detailed instructions for filling out below.

To use the online service, you should go to the website https://mvd.rf/services-guvm and select the tab in the figure below:

checking the authenticity of the migration card

Next, you need to fill in your own identification data and the field with your individual migration card number.

This service is designed specifically to protect against scammers. If the online check does not give the desired result, you should immediately contact the police or the Federal Migration Service.

Entry/exit procedure for changing data

In order to change the information on the card, you must complete the following steps:

1. Leave the Russian Federation, undergo customs inspection and migration control (present your passport and give your coupon B to the border guard).
2. Return to the Russian Federation by train, bus, plane or car and fill out the card form again. Make sure that the entry stamp is stamped (on your passport and card).
3. Collect your passport and exit portion of your migration card (coupon B) from the border guard.

It is very important to ensure that the border guard puts an entry mark in the “For official marks” column (in both parts of the migration card - both in coupon “A” and in coupon “B”).

When entering the territory of Russia, you must register again , i.e. go through the procedure again. Naturally, if a foreigner has exhausted his days of visa-free stay, he will not be able to use entry-exit to update documents and extend deadlines.

Migration card for residents of the DPR and LPR

Citizens of the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics are required to fill out migration cards on a general basis if they are citizens of Ukraine. When crossing the Russian border by a Ukrainian citizen living on the territory of the DPR and LPR, the migration card must be filled out on a general basis. The only exception is that, in accordance with Decree of the President of the Russian Federation dated February 18, 2017 No. 74, passports of citizens of the LPR and DPR are temporarily recognized on the territory of the Russian Federation as official identity documents.

Summing up

Thus, a migration card is one of the most important documents for any foreigner temporarily entering the territory of the Russian Federation. An exception is made for residents of states that have signed the Treaty on the EAEU.

It is important to fill out this document correctly, especially the column about the purpose of the trip, and keep it throughout the entire stay. Errors, inaccuracies, or untimely restoration of a damaged or lost card can result in fines, deportation, or a long-term ban on visiting Russia for a foreigner.