Experiment on testing the rules and conditions for entry into and exit from the Russian Federation of foreign citizens and stateless persons
On 7 November 2024 the Government of the Russian Federation adopted Resolution No. 1510 "On conducting an experiment on testing the rules and conditions for entry into and exit from the Russian Federation of foreign citizens and stateless persons" (hereinafter referred to as "the experiment").
The purpose of the experiment is to create a public Digital Profile of a Foreign Citizen information resource, a set of data submitted to public information systems by foreign citizens, authorized bodies and organizations participating in the experiment, in the volume and order stipulated by the Experiment Rules.
The experiment will be conducted in two stages. The first one, from 1 December 2024 to 30 June 2025, provides for collecting biometric personal data of foreign citizens (a photographic facial image and finger papillary patterns) at the air checkpoints on the state border of the Russian Federation – Moscow air zone at the international airports (Sheremetyevo, Domodedovo, Vnukovo), as well as Zhukovsky (Moscow region) and the Mashtakovo road control point (Orenburg region).
The second stage will be held from 30 June 2025 to 30 June 2026. During this stage, in addition to fulfilling the above-mentioned requirements, foreign citizens planning to enter the Russian Federation visa‑free, must register in the integrated identification and authentication system and submit an application to enter into and stay (reside) in the Russian Federation using the mobile application of the Integrated Portal of Public and Municipal Services (Functions) Federal information system.
The experiment will involve all foreign citizens and stateless persons crossing the state border of the Russian Federation at the resolution-specified checkpoints throughout its implementation period, with the exception of:
- citizens of the Republic of Belarus;
- children under 6 years of age;
- heads and staff of diplomatic missions and consular offices of foreign states in the Russian Federation, as well as their family members;
- officials of international organizations (missions of international organizations) and their family members;
- holders of diplomatic and service passports entering or leaving the Russian Federation due to performing official duties or as part of official delegations, as well as their family members.
Meanwhile the procedure for processing and issuing the Russian visas to foreign citizens, including single electronic visa, remains the same.
The full text of the Resolution of the Government of the Russian Federation No. 1510 "On conducting an experiment on testing the rules and conditions for entry into and exit from the Russian Federation of foreign citizens and stateless persons" of 7 November 2024 is available on the official website at: http://publication.pravo.gov.ru/document/0001202411130026.