Russia: Medical Exam Required for Work Permit Applicants; to be Required for All Long-Term Visa Applicants

• Deadline for document submission. Visa-required foreign nationals applying for a new work permit must submit medical documents issued by an approved clinic in Russia to the responsible regional migration authority within 30 calendar days of their date of entry to Russia. Failure to submit the documents by this deadline can result in work permit cancellation.
• Second phase of rule. Starting December 29, 2021, foreign nationals applying for long-term stay visas (including Highly Qualified Specialist visas) will need to submit their medical exam documentation before they can conduct fingerprinting, which is a prerequisite to collecting their work permit. This new requirement also applies to foreign nationals who already have a work permit on December 29; these individuals will need to undergo a medical examination and fingerprinting upon renewal of their work permit or when they return from their next trip outside Russia.
• Approved clinics. The government has approved various clinics in each Russian region to conduct these exams and has published these lists in the form of decrees, which are available on the regional authorities’ websites.
• Renewals and corrections. Work permit holders who need to renew or correct their permit do not need to undergo another medical examination.
• Prior medical examination requirements. Foreign nationals applying for standard, non- Highly-Qualified Specialist work permits and foreign nationals obtaining temporary and permanent residence permits were already required to obtain medical examinations.

The law regarding medical examinations for work permit holders intends to unify the procedure for medical examinations for different categories of foreign nationals in Russia, whereas previously, various medical examination requirements applied for different categories of foreign nationals.

The second law that goes into effect on December 29 will help to prevent epidemiological and medical threats and fingerprinting will allow the government to better track foreign nationals in case of criminal offenses.

Although the changes will not add significant delays to overall immigration case processing times, foreign nationals and businesses must be prepared for this new requirement since it requires a personal appearance at a clinic.

Applicants should obtain information from regional authorities regarding whether they need to schedule an appointment for the medical examination. While some clinics may require an appointment, other clinics, such as the one in Moscow, do not.

The laws do not provide for further medical examination requirements for other foreign nationals. However, given the rising cases of COVID-19 in Russia, more stringent health-related entry requirements are possible. Access Fragomen’s dedicated COVID-19 website for up-to-date information.