Foreign nationals living in Russia could soon face a range of new government fees for immigration-related services, as the Ministry of Finance proposed amendments set to take effect from September 1, 2025.
According to Vedomosti, the proposed changes—approved by the government’s legislative commission on June 30—include fees for registering one’s place of stay, extending temporary residency, issuing or renewing work permits, and obtaining duplicates of official documents.
Currently, many of these services are free or low-cost. However, under the proposed law:
· Registration of stay: 500 rubles (currently free)
· Extension of temporary stay: 1,000 rubles
· Work permit issuance: 4,200 rubles
· Duplicate documents or amendments: 2,100 rubles
· Residential registration: increased from 420 to 1,000 rubles
The Finance Ministry estimates the new fees could generate up to 17 billion rubles annually for the federal budget.
Officials say the reform is aimed at strengthening migration control amid rising inflows. The legislation may pass soon, with the State Duma’s final spring session scheduled for July 11.
The move follows earlier calls from politicians for tighter financial controls on migrants. Sergey Mironov, leader of the "Fair Russia – For Truth" party, has proposed a 3% fee on money transfers abroad by migrant workers. According to him, migrants from Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan sent over US$14 billion back home in 2024 alone—mostly untaxed.
“If we introduce a 3% transfer fee, the budget could receive over 45 billion rubles from transfers to just two countries,” Mironov argued. “Can we really afford to leave this money on the table?”
