Migration registration for a foreign national starts with identifying the applicable procedure: an ordinary arrival notification or the special experiment in Moscow and Moscow Region. Then check the actual address, immigration status, deadline, applicant and proof that the required steps were completed. Address registration does not itself extend lawful stay in Russia.
Checked on 3 November 2026. This guide concerns foreign nationals’ registration at a place of stay. Registration of Russian citizens and a foreign national’s registration at a place of residence follow different procedures.
⌖ Which procedure applies?
- Identify the status: temporary stay, temporary residence permit (RVP), permanent residence permit (VNZh), nationality, visa or visa-free entry and purpose of travel.
- Check the region and category: for participants in the Moscow experiment, special rules replace the ordinary rules in Chapters 3 and 4 of Law No. 109-FZ, subject to specific exceptions.
- Identify the actual accommodation and receiving party. The address must reflect a legally recognised basis; purchasing a nominal registration is not a substitute.
- Choose the applicant and filing channel: the receiving party or the foreign national personally in the cases permitted by law.
The receiving party is not necessarily the person who arranged the invitation. Their obligations differ: see the inviting party’s duties. Separately check lawful stay under the 90-day rule and grounds for extension.
◷ When must the arrival notification be filed?
The general deadline under Article 20(3) of Law No. 109-FZ is seven working days from arrival at the place of stay. This is not a universal seven-day period after crossing the border. International agreements, special categories and the type of accommodation matter.
| Situation | Rule | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Ordinary procedure, without exceptions | 7 working days from arrival at the place of stay | Actual arrival date and any applicable international agreement |
| Hotel and other cases under Article 20(3) | One working day following arrival; Article 20(3.1) sets a special rule for non-working days | The administration’s duty and registration confirmation |
| Highly qualified specialist and family members | Exemption for up to 90 days from entry; for a qualifying move, up to 30 days, then up to 7 working days | HQS status and Article 20(4.1), not merely a job title or salary |
| Compatriot resettlement programme participant and accompanying family | Up to 30 days from arrival at the place of stay, then up to 7 working days | Programme documents and Article 20(4.2) |
| Participant in the Moscow or Moscow Region experiment | Special procedure under Law No. 121-FZ | Do not apply the ordinary deadline automatically to every action in the app |
This table is not an exhaustive list of exceptions. Nationality alone does not establish a deadline without checking the applicable treaty and travel circumstances. Use the working-day calendar and retain evidence of arrival.
Preparing information for an ordinary arrival notification? Use the arrival notification filling assistant to check required fields and date order and create a Russian-language worksheet. It prepares information for transfer to the current MVD form; it does not submit a notification. Establish the appropriate route first if a special procedure applies.
▤ Documents, applicant and proof of filing
For the ordinary procedure, prepare the identity document, migration card where required, and the visa or status documents as applicable. When moving, the detachable section of the previous arrival notification is also relevant. Accommodation details, the right to use it and information about the receiving individual or organisation must be supportable. Article 22 of Law No. 109-FZ and Rules No. 9 determine the specific documents.
| Route | Conditions |
|---|---|
| Receiving party | Files in person or electronically, through a legally designated organisation, an MFC or by post, subject to the available procedure |
| Foreign national who owns the accommodation | Actually lives in that property; Article 22(3.1) |
| Personal electronic filing through Gosuslugi | Under Article 22(3.3), the foreign national and the Russian-citizen owner have the required accounts; the owner confirms consent electronically |
| Residential tenancy agreement | Under Article 22(3.5), the foreign national files in person or electronically and attaches a copy of the agreement; for children under 18 named in it, also documents proving the relationship |
| Other personal filing cases | For example, documented valid obstacles preventing the receiving party from filing, specified visa cases, or a permanent resident with the receiving party’s written consent, under the relevant provision |
Check the result, not just transmission. Keep the detachable section bearing the required mark, or the electronic document signed by the MVD official. A portal draft, appointment or correspondence with an intermediary is not equivalent to confirmed completion. The receiving party may not confiscate the foreign national’s passport or migration card.
What should be checked before submitting the notification?
Name spelling and passport details, nationality, entry and arrival dates, purpose of travel, document supporting lawful stay, complete address, previous address when moving, receiving-party information, basis for using the accommodation, contacts and required signatures. Compare fields with original documents rather than last year’s sample.
Article 333.28(1)(19.1) of the Tax Code sets a RUB 500 state duty for registration at a place of stay, with an express exception for persons listed in Article 5(3) of Law No. 121-FZ. A separate extension of temporary stay costs RUB 1,000 under subparagraph 19.2, except where the period is determined by a visa. These are different actions; do not automatically add the amounts. Check exemptions, the recipient and current payment details before paying.
◇ Child migration registration: separate checks
Do not assume a child is registered merely because a parent’s documents were accepted. Check who the notification and confirmation cover, the actual address, the child’s documents and lawful-stay period. Address registration and permission to remain in Russia are different matters.
A parent’s personal filing can follow different routes: Article 22(3.3) of Law No. 109-FZ provides for electronic notification by a foreign national for themselves and their children under 18 at the same place of stay, subject to the specified requirements for the Russian-citizen owner and Gosuslugi accounts. The owner confirms consent electronically, and documents proving the family relationship accompany a child’s notification. This is not a universal route for any minor without checking the conditions.
Under Article 22(3.5), a foreign national with a residential tenancy agreement may file, personally or electronically, notification of their own arrival and arrival at the same address of their children under 18 named in that agreement. A copy of the agreement and family-relationship evidence are attached. Do not substitute the owner’s consent from a different filing route.
- Establish the child’s identity and nationality, applicable documents and whether a migration card is required.
- Prepare relationship evidence; if another legal representative acts, separately check proof of authority and the appropriate procedure.
- Check actual shared residence, address, filing channel and agreement terms if using the tenancy route.
- Keep the submitted information and prescribed acceptance confirmation covering the child. For electronic filing, Article 22(4.1) provides for the detachable section signed by an official to be sent to the personal account.
Can the website assistant prepare a child’s notification?
The current assistant supports an adult under the ordinary procedure with an individual receiving party. It directs child cases to a different route. Do not enter an adult age simply to pass validation. Article 22(3.3), (3.5) and (4.1) were checked on 3 November 2026 in the effective edition.
◇ Moscow and Moscow Region: the Amina procedure
The experiment runs from 1 September 2025 to 1 September 2029. It covers the visa-free categories specified in Article 5 of Law No. 121-FZ, including patent-based workers and specified workers entitled to work without a patent. From 1 September 2026, it also covers the non-work category in Article 5(3)(4), staying for more than 90 calendar days.
This does not cover every foreign national in the capital region. For the latter category, the law excludes minors, Belarusian citizens and the listed diplomatic and international categories. An RVP or VNZh holder must not automatically be treated as a temporarily staying participant in the experiment.
- Confirm eligibility by nationality, age, status, purpose and duration.
- Complete the prescribed procedure through the authorised organisation and the specialised Amina app; report the actual location.
- Report a change of actual location within three working days, subject to the exceptions in Article 5(15).
- Check registration confirmation and data transmission. If a technical error occurs, preserve its details and request correction; a screenshot alone does not restore registration.
Hotels and other organisations listed in Article 5(8) still record arrivals and departures under that statutory exception. Moving to a region outside the experiment requires ordinary migration registration. Registration at the authorised organisation’s address does not provide accommodation. If a register entry appears, separately examine its grounds and removal procedure.
↗ Moving, extending stay and correcting errors
When changing address, identify the procedure for the new location and retain earlier documents. Extending lawful stay and updating registration information are related but separate matters. A one-year tenancy agreement and a date on a notification do not replace lawful grounds for staying in Russia. Article 22(6.1) limits the registration period declared by a temporarily staying foreign national to one year; it does not grant everyone a one-year right to stay.
If filing is refused, obtain the specific reason, retain the submitted documents and reference number, and check passport details, address, status and the chosen route. Do not submit fictitious information or backdate documents. Any challenge must address the particular decision, evidence and applicable deadline.
After obtaining an RVP or VNZh, distinguish address registration from annual residence confirmation. Separate guides cover the annual RVP notification and the annual VNZh notification.
Questions and primary sources
Can every foreign national file personally?
Personal filing is permitted under specific parts of Article 22. Establish the basis first: ownership, tenancy, the owner’s electronic consent or another statutory case. A Gosuslugi account alone does not replace those conditions.
Are children automatically registered with a parent?
No. The law permits filing for children in specified cases; the child’s information and proof of the relationship are required. A parent’s participation in the Moscow experiment does not automatically place a child under the same procedure.
Must an employer register every employee at the office address?
Not automatically. Actual accommodation and the statutory basis on which the organisation acts as the receiving party must be checked. Employment-contract notification and arrival notification are different documents.
Can registration be obtained without actual accommodation?
Registration must not be replaced by a fictitious address. The experiment’s special registration at an authorised organisation is a statutory mechanism requiring disclosure of the actual location, not permission to supply false information.
Checked on 3 November 2026: Law No. 109-FZ, version dated 31 July 2025 with amendments effective from 1 March 2026; Law No. 121-FZ, version dated 31 July 2025; Rules No. 9, version dated 26 January 2026; the effective provisions of Tax Code Article 333.28(1)(19.1–19.2). Future versions are not applied. The linked legislation is in Russian.