Visas and immigration

Under the current immigration law of the Russian Federation citizens of most countries require to get a visa in advance to enter the Russian Federation.

Visa is a permission to enter the Russian Federation on the actual identity document of a foreign citizen issued by an authorized state body. Visa contains the following information: full name (written in letters in Russian and Latin), date of birth, gender, nationality (citizenship), number of primary identification document of a foreign citizen or a stateless person, date of visa issue, length of stay in the Russian Federation, invitation number for entering the Russian Federation, visa validity, purpose of travel, information about the host organization, multiplicity of visa (i.e. single, multiple).

Foreign citizen entering the Russian Federation to study at any educational institution is granted with ordinary student visa by the diplomatic mission or consular office of the Russian Federation on the basis of an invitation to enter the Russian Federation, issued by an authorized educational institution.

Length of stay in the Russian Federation of foreign students who come to Russia according to the visa procedure is set by the period of visa validity.

Foreign student is required to leave the Russian Federation before visa expiry date in case that by the time of the expiry date he

  • does not get a new visa,
  • does not prolong the validity of the visa
  • or does not get a temporary residence permit.

The fact of application receiving from a foreign student, who arrived in Russia according to the visa procedure, for a temporary residence permit cannot be considered the grounds for extending his visa validity.

Prolongation of stay in Russia for a foreign student may only be permitted by the Federal Migration Service of Russia by executing multiple entry visa at the request of the host party (MEPhI) for the duration of the training contract, but not more than for one year for each subsequent visa.

In case of sending down or academic leave foreign student must apply to the Department for International Cooperation (G-106) for a transit visa and depart to his homeland.