The procedure for migration registration of foreign nationals during the FIFA World Cup has changed
From May 25, 2018 to July 25, 2018 a special procedure for registering foreign nationals will apply in cities hosting FIFA World Cup matches, i.e. Moscow, St. Petersburg, Volgograd, Yekaterinburg, Kazan, Kaliningrad, Nizhniy Novgorod, Rostov-on-Don, Samara, Saransk and Sochi.
Important notes:
- The registration timeframe during that period has been changed from 1 to 3 calendar days (this requirement applies to all foreign nationals, including highly qualified specialists);
- Documents for registration should be submitted to the local office of the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs or a multifunctional center;
- Post offices will not accept documents for registration of foreign nationals.
Frequently asked questions:
- What if I stay in a hotel? The hotel will automatically register you with migration authorities.
- What if I stay in a rented apartment or room? The owner of the apartment/room must register you. To this end, the owner (or his/her representative authorized under a power of attorney) must visit the migration authorities’ office or a multifunctional center with his/her ownership title to the rented property together with other documents.
- What if I work in Russia on the basis of a work visa and remain in my place of work? Either your employer or the owner of the apartment in which you live must register you.
- What if I work in Russia but visit a city hosting FIFA World Cup matches during my spare time? Either the hotel in which you stay or the owner of your accommodation must register you at the place of your stay as indicated above.
If migration registration rules are not observed, foreign nationals’ hosts (either employers or apartment owners) will be held liable for such breach. The absence of registration could also entail a fine of up to RUB 7,000 for foreign nationals with or without administrative expulsion, and the imposition of such sanctions will, in turn, negatively affect the issuance of Russian visas in the future.
To minimize the risks arising from untimely migration registration of foreign employees and foreign nationals arriving in Russia from May 25, 2018 to July 25, 2018 under business visas as well as to go and see FIFA World Cup matches, we recommend:
- Informing such foreign nationals that a new migration registration procedure has been introduced and requesting them to inform in advance about their travels and immediately inform about their arrival;
- Registering with migration authorities the foreign nationals already staying in the abovementioned cities no later than May 24, 2018.
- If apartments/rooms are rented privately, we recommend contacting the apartment owners and discussing with them the migration registration procedure and finding out whether they would handle such registration.
If you need any assistance with migration registration, please feel free to contact us. We would be pleased to prepare any powers of attorney that you may need as well as provide more detailed advice on this special migration registration procedure.
If you would like to discuss this matter further or have any questions, please write to Mika Kokkonen or Alexandra Yudina
Truly yours,
The Forte Tax&Law team