Entry rules for Ukrainian citizens to Russia in 2021

Preferential treatment when crossing the Russian border

From January 1, 2021, entry into Russia for Ukrainian citizens was to be the same as for other CIS citizens. They wanted to cancel the preferential regime, under which the three-month period of stay was automatically extended. It was assumed that at the end of 90 days, Ukrainian citizens had to return to their homeland. A repeat visit is possible only in the next six months - similar entry rules apply in the Schengen zone. Based on this, the legislation of the Russian Federation decided to automatically extend the period of stay on the territory of the Russian Federation, since in connection with military operations in Ukraine, returning there was extremely dangerous. But on January 1, 2021, this decree was canceled, as the influx of Ukrainian citizens decreased and the political standstill in the country became calmer.

Important!!! For residents of the Donetsk and Lugansk regions living in the zone controlled by the militia, nothing will change after this date - they will continue to be allowed to remain on Russian territory until further notice. But those who live in other regions of Ukraine need to carefully study the new rules.

"Black list" of foreign citizens

For many, information is important about whether Ukrainians can be banned from entering Russia; this is, of course, possible, and there may be many reasons for this, but they mainly concern those who have violated the laws of the Russian Federation, or those who presumably may violate them.

When applying for a visa, a foreigner learns at home about a refusal to enter the country chosen for travel; under a visa-free regime, he very often receives information about this at the border. And this is extremely inconvenient: tickets have been purchased, a trip plan has been worked out, sometimes people travel with family or a group, and some of them are refused. Therefore, Ukrainians should check the ban on entry into Russia even before they go on a trip.

There are a large number of different services on the Internet for checking the absence/presence of a ban on entry into a certain country, but we recommend choosing from them the services of government organizations or sites tested by many travelers. For example, look at the website page of the Main Directorate of Migration Affairs of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation, however, the information there is for reference and to obtain documentary evidence you need to contact directly the divisions of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia.

Innovations in the law on crossing the border of the Russian Federation

Due to the large influx of Ukrainian citizens into the territory of the Russian Federation, on January 1, 2021, a law was adopted according to which citizens of Ukraine could stay on the territory of the Russian Federation for 90 days. Then they had to return to their homeland and only after six months they could cross the border of the Russian Federation again, for no more than 90 days.

In connection with the adoption of this law, Ukrainians on the territory of the Russian Federation must have a certain list of documents in order to legally reside in the territory of the Russian Federation.

Punishment for violating entry rules

For violation of the rules of entry and stay of foreigners established in the Russian Federation, fairly strict liability is established in the form of fines and administrative sanctions:

• a fine of up to 1,000 rubles with or without expulsion from the Russian Federation for violating the regime at border checkpoints;
• a fine of up to 2,000 rubles with or without expulsion from the Russian Federation for violating entry rules, for violating entry rules.
• a fine of 2,000 to 5,000 rubles with or without expulsion from the Russian Federation for violating the rules of entry, migration registration, registration, movement around the country and choosing places to visit or live. The same penalty awaits those whose declared purpose of arrival does not correspond to the real one, for example, “tourism” is indicated, but the real purpose of entry is work.

List of documents for crossing the Russian border

Many European countries require citizens to have international passports when crossing their borders. For citizens of Ukraine who wish to enter the territory of the Russian state, a foreign passport is not required. But you need to submit the following documents:

• Ukrainian passport;
• For children under 18 years of age, a birth certificate is required;
• Migration card.

A migration card is a document that is issued when crossing the border of the Russian Federation. This document indicates the full details of the citizen who is crossing the border of the Russian Federation and the date of entry into the territory of Russia. The document is necessary to control the length of stay on the territory of the Russian Federation.

Important!!! The migration card serves as the legal basis for staying in Russia for the first three months.

Basic actions after crossing the Russian border

A citizen of Ukraine who has crossed the border of the Russian Federation must decide on the purpose of his stay in the country. If this is a visit to relatives, a migration card will be enough to stay for some time in the territory of the Russian Federation. But if a citizen plans to get a job, he needs to complete certain documents:

• Work permit;
• Residence permit;
• Resident card.

In this way, the migration services of the Russian Federation are fighting against illegal workers, of whom there are a lot in the country.

If a citizen of Ukraine does not register in the necessary manner on the territory of the Russian Federation, he must leave after three months; if he does not do this, the migration service will deport him and prohibit him from entering the territory of the Russian Federation for three years.

Migration registration

Russia is interested in controlling migration flows and tracks migrants on its territory. Therefore, the country has organized migration registration of foreigners. At the same time, the Main Directorate for Migration of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation, which performs the functions of the migration service in our country, must be notified within seven days about each foreigner who arrives at a certain point in Russia.

The obligation to notify the migration department about the presence of a foreigner in the country rests with the receiving party. The detachable part of this document, filled out at the migration service, is confirmation of the fulfillment of the obligation for migration registration. Violation of the rules of this accounting entails liability, therefore all the rules established by Russia for foreigners must be strictly followed.

Please note: from March 24, 2021, all benefits for residents of Lugansk and Donetsk have been canceled; the same rules now apply to them as to other Ukrainians.

State support for Ukrainian citizens wishing to move to Russia

According to the decree of the President of the Russian Federation, if they wish to move to Russia permanently, Ukrainian citizens are provided with financial assistance for settling down after the move. Depending on the region where the foreigner and his family members are moving, the amount of financial assistance can range from 120 to 240 thousand rubles for each person, including minors. It is important to note that the program does not operate in all federal regions of the Russian Federation. Basically, citizens who wish to move are offered to move to regions of the Russian Federation where there is a stable migration outflow: Transbaikalia, the Far East. Despite the financial assistance provided, there may not be enough money to survive in these areas, as problems with employment may arise.

Obtaining Russian citizenship for citizens of Ukraine

In order to obtain citizenship of the Russian Federation, you must have compelling reasons. In most cases, this can be official employment in the Russian Federation, marriage, or studying at an educational institution in the Russian Federation.

To obtain Russian citizenship, you must contact the migration service and provide reasons for obtaining permission to obtain citizenship.

The main documents for long-term residence in the Russian Federation are:

• Resident card;
• Labor patent;
• Residence permit.

Having issued one of the above documents, a citizen of Ukraine can stay on the territory of the Russian Federation for a long time.

Based on this article, we can conclude that the Russian state does not take strict measures against border crossings for Ukrainian citizens. But he just insures himself against illegal migrants.

New rules for the stay of Ukrainian citizens in Russia

Renewing registration for citizens of Ukraine will be a very large-scale event, because, according to the press service of the Main Directorate for Migration Affairs of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, their number exceeds 2.6 million people.

From April 2014 to October 2015, the migration service processed 404,000 applications for temporary asylum or refugee status and 265,000 applications for temporary residence permits.

Will the preferential regime for the stay of Ukrainian citizens in Russia continue? According to official data, this order will not affect only people from the southeastern region of the country, who left their homeland en masse. They - and this is more than 1 million people - can still count on preferential treatment.

Ukrainian citizens can still cross the border of the Russian Federation using a civil passport and stay in the country for no longer than 90 days within 180 days. To confirm the time frame of your visit, when crossing the border you should fill out and save the migration card. This can be obtained from the train crew, bus driver or border control officer.

The receiving person is responsible for registering for migration. But even in this case, you should not part with your passport and migration card. It is enough to present their copies. During a routine document check, only a passport can prove the identity of a Ukrainian, and the date indicated in the document will confirm the legality of his stay in the country. By the way, a migration card must be filled out for each person, regardless of age.

In case of loss or damage to documents, problems may arise with the migration authorities, therefore the GUVM authorities strongly recommend making photocopies of:

• from your passport;
• from a migration card;
• from the detachable part of the “Notice of registration”.

With their help, you can prove the presence of documents and compliance with migration registration requirements. In addition, you must contact the migration service within three days to issue a duplicate.

First of all, you need to clearly know the purpose of crossing the Russian border. In most cases, checkpoint employees ask about this, and therefore if you want to deceive or express a false goal, you may not be allowed in. Moreover, due to false information, citizens may be banned from entering the territory of the Russian Federation for 3 years. It is extremely important to have a foreign passport with you, which will be the basis for crossing the border in 2021. By the way, this also applies to citizens from the Lugansk and Donetsk regions.

The next important nuance is filling out the migration card. All information must be provided, and only Russian can be used. After entering Russia, you must save the card and have it with you. Remember that the migration service has a single database, and the chance of deceiving it is almost zero.

Among other things, I would like to note the new rules:

1. You can stay and reside in the Russian Federation legally for 90 days. After this, you need to return to Ukraine. A second visit to the country is possible only in the next half of 2019.
2. Staying in the country after 90 days will be considered an illegal stay, and therefore the next step will be a fine. The date on the passport is taken as the countdown. The exception is cases when it was not possible to leave or there are serious reasons, such as illness, study, inheritance, etc. It is extremely important to provide proof in the form of official documents.
3. In 2021, Ukrainians can obtain permission to stay longer than 90 days on the basis of a patent, a contract for military service, an employment contract, or education at one of the universities. In such a situation, a special mark will be placed on the migration card.

Separately, I would like to mention refugees, who find it much easier to get to Russia. The only caveat is that the duty for temporary residence and residence has been increased. Previously it was 1000 and 2000, and today it is 1600 and 3500 rubles.

To allow Ukrainians to enter the territory of the Russian Federation, they do not need to prepare a lot of documents or undergo checks. In most cases, when the purpose and timing of the trip are clearly defined, crossing the border is very simple and fast. In some situations, new rules can become a problem for no apparent reason. If you want to increase your chances and definitely get to Russia, then you can issue an invitation and receive a letter of guarantee.

An invitation in 2021 can be issued by any citizen of the Russian Federation, as well as a foreigner who legally resides in the country. In addition, almost any company (legal entity) can send an invitation to its employee. To obtain this document, you must submit documents and within 20 working days you will be able to receive it. The rules for entering the territory in this case are exactly the same.

For citizens of Ukraine, you need to provide certain data to the person who will issue the invitation:

• Date and place of birth.
• Passport details.

You will also need to indicate the timing and purpose of the trip to the country. However, there are certain nuances. Firstly, the receiving party must provide housing and medical care to incoming Ukrainians. Secondly, provide sufficient funds for the duration of your stay. The amount must be no less than the subsistence minimum. This is called a letter of guarantee.

I would like to note that even if all the conditions are met, in 2019 you may not receive permission to enter the territory of the Russian Federation. The reason may be the need to ensure security, protect public health, an administrative offense, etc.

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