Checked on 1 November 2026
If a foreign national appears in Russia’s register of controlled persons (RKL), establish the ground for the entry and a lawful basis for its removal. An online check reports whether information is present; it does not replace MVD decisions, migration-status documents or an entry-ban check. Paying someone to “delete the database entry” does not create legal grounds.
⌕ How to check the register of controlled persons
Official checks are available through the MVD service and the Gosuslugi form. Checking whether information is present is free. Enter document details accurately, including surname, given name, patronymic where applicable, date of birth, document series, number and issue date. Save the result and check date. If the passport has changed or an error is apparent, explain it in your MVD request and attach evidence.
Under Article 31.2(6) of Federal Law No. 115-FZ, the person is deemed notified from the publication of information on the register operator’s official website. Waiting for a paper letter is therefore not a safe strategy. Check your status, especially after document changes or a migration decision.
▤ Why a foreign national may be included
The register records foreign nationals present in Russia without lawful grounds to stay or reside. Article 31.2 links inclusion to specific circumstances. The following are key groups, not a replacement for the complete statutory list.
| Possible ground | What to examine |
|---|---|
| Expiry of authorised stay, temporary residence, education-related temporary residence or permanent residence | Validity and extension documents; inclusion on this ground starts on the day after expiry |
| Cancellation of a visa or residence permission | The decision, date, notification and any cancellation of that decision |
| Administrative expulsion, deportation, reduced stay, undesirability, an entry ban or an exit restriction | The precise act, authority, references and statutory point when information is entered |
| Asylum decisions, termination of citizenship without another stay basis, and other statutory circumstances | The individual decision and current legal status rather than an oral explanation |
A federally authorised experiment may provide additional inclusion grounds under Article 31.2(2.1). If the MVD reply refers to such an experiment, request the precise provision and facts relied upon. Do not assume that any application malfunction automatically proves the entry lawful.
RKL is not identical to the older list of persons prohibited from entering Russia. A historical example of removal following an amnesty does not establish a current general amnesty or replace today’s register rules.
⚖ Which restrictions apply?
The removal regime applies from inclusion in RKL and ends upon removal. Article 31.1 of Federal Law No. 115-FZ sets restrictions concerning registration of individual entrepreneurs and legal entities, acquisition and registration of property and vehicles, marriage, certain driving-licence matters and banking operations.
Residence or place of stay cannot be changed without permission from the supervising territorial MVD authority. The law also restricts travel beyond the relevant Russian region and municipality, except departure from Russia. The independent departure route must be agreed with the territorial MVD authority at the person’s actual location.
Banking restrictions do not automatically confiscate money
Article 31.1(2)(7) provides for refusal to open an account or perform other operations, but makes exceptions for transfers for mandatory payments, incoming transfers to the controlled person’s account and cash withdrawals of up to RUB 30,000 per month. There is a separate account-opening exception for foreign nationals serving the types of criminal sentence specified in that provision.
If a bank refuses an operation, request its legal basis and the list of available operations. One bank request cannot be promised to remove all restrictions, and an RKL entry should not be described as confiscation of the balance.
Article 9.1 requires attendance when ordered and notification of specified information, including obstacles to departure and the planned route. Repeated failure to fulfil duties may lead to a deportation decision and placement in a special facility. Challenging an entry does not authorise ignoring existing requirements.
↗ How information is removed from the register
Article 31.2(7) lists the grounds. Practical routes for a living applicant are departure from Russia, acquiring lawful grounds to stay, cancellation of the underlying decision, or a court ruling that it is unlawful. The law also provides for removal upon death or a declaration of death. The relevant facts and documentary basis must exist.
| Situation | Documents to prepare | What is insufficient |
|---|---|---|
| Lawful status existed but the information is wrong | Passport, valid permission, extension evidence, registration records and chronology | A screenshot alone, without status evidence |
| The underlying decision was cancelled | The cancellation act, original references and confirmation that information was transmitted | An official’s oral promise |
| A court found the decision unlawful | The court act, entry-into-force information and implementation requests | Merely filing a claim |
| The person has left Russia | Border-crossing and departure-date evidence if the entry remains | A purchased ticket without actual departure |
Departure and removal from RKL do not grant permission to return. Check any entry-ban decision separately. If a deportation decision exists, account for its enforcement and consequences.
✎ What to request from the MVD and when to go to court
Contact the migration division of the territorial MVD authority at the actual place of stay. Keep the request’s registration and attachments. Article 9.1 establishes rights to obtain information about the regime’s grounds, inspect decisions and challenge them.
Outline of a correction or removal request
“Please state the date and legal ground for including my information in the register of controlled persons, the decision references and issuing authority, and provide available copies. I consider the information incorrect / the ground for retaining it no longer applicable for the following reasons: [facts and dates]. Please examine the attached documents, remove the information if a statutory ground exists, and provide a written response.”
Add identifying details, a reply contact, attachments, date and signature. Select the relevant reason and explain the facts. This is a request outline, not a universal court-claim form or a guarantee of removal.
If the dispute concerns an existing underlying decision, assess a separate challenge to that act. If it has been cancelled but the information remains, the issue may be a specific failure to act. Article 219 KAS RF generally allows three months to challenge a decision from learning of the rights violation unless a special period applies; inaction has a separate rule. Another letter does not necessarily restart the deadline.
Where enforcement of a migration measure is threatened, consider interim protection under Article 85 KAS RF. Sending a claim or complaint does not itself suspend enforcement. The competent authority’s act and updated information establish the practical outcome, not an intermediary’s promise.
? Frequently asked questions
Will a child be removed automatically?
Do not rely on age alone. The legal representative should establish the ground, collect the child’s documents and evidence of representative authority, check stay periods and submit a focused request. The child’s status must be assessed using their own documents.
Does a valid work patent guarantee no entry?
No. Check payments, validity, the stay basis, MVD records and any independent decisions. A patent card alone does not disprove every inclusion ground.
How many days does removal take?
No single deadline can be promised for every situation: correcting an error, receiving departure information and challenging an underlying decision are different processes. Request case-progress information and documentary confirmation of the outcome; repeat the official check after implementation.
Sources: Articles 9.1, 31.1 and 31.2 of Federal Law No. 115-FZ; Article 219 and Article 85 KAS RF; MVD explanation dated 4 February 2025. Future amendments taking effect in 2027 are not included in the rules described here.
General information does not replace examination of the individual decision and current migration status.