A trip to the border to get a migration card: to the border and back

Migration card

The document that is filled out when a foreign citizen enters the Russian Federation is a migration card. It is a document form printed in a printing house, into which you enter information about yourself and the purpose of the trip. The card is filled out when crossing the border, after which a mark from the Border Service is placed on it. After this, such a document acquires legal force. On its basis, the length of stay of foreigners in the country is monitored. At the end of your stay abroad, this document is handed over. The only exception is Belarus, with which the Russian Federation has created a union state, and passport control occurs along the external border of the territory. In this regard, Russian and Belarusian citizens should not fill out migration cards when crossing the border. Other citizens are required to fill out these cards (

Traveling outside the Russian Federation to extend the period of stay in the Russian Federation

Today, the problem of illegal migration is quite common in many countries. Rules for the entry and stay of foreign citizens are becoming stricter in all countries. Russia is also no exception in this matter. Until 2014, this method of updating a migration card, such as leaving/entering customs, was quite common. It was used by all migrants from the CIS countries who live and work in Russia. Currently the situation is somewhat different. Having issued a migration card, foreign citizens can stay in the Russian Federation for up to 90 days. Until recently, when this period expired, they simply drove to the nearest border and immediately returned back.

Important! In 2014, amendments appeared in the migration legislation, according to which a different rule applies - 90/180. According to this rule, foreign citizens who entered the Russian Federation on a visa-free basis cannot stay in the Russian Federation for more than 90 days within 6 months.

Thus, this type of extension such as a trip to the border in Russia should not work. A foreigner who has stayed in Russia for 90 days must leave the country for the next 90 days and be denied entry. However, on the Internet you can find quite a lot of advertisements from organizations that organize trips to the border of Ukraine or Kazakhstan to update the migration card. Despite the 90/180 rule, such companies exist and, in fact, the foreign citizen himself in this case does not violate the law, since it turns out that he is not denied entry into the Russian Federation.

From Moscow to Kyiv and back. As a correspondent for Ukraina.ru, she crossed the border twice

Moscow — Kyiv

The US warned airlines about the dangers of flying over Ukraine and Russia

RIA Novosti, Vladimir Astapkovich / Go to photobank
“Departure at 9:00 from the Molodezhnaya metro station.”
Everything is in order, are you coming with us? We remind you that on the day of departure you must install a program to track self-isolation at Home. Before the trip! There is poor communication at the border,” this message came to me on Watsapp on the eve of a trip from Moscow to Kyiv. And also - clear instructions for preparing for the trip in connection with restrictive quarantine measures, a photo of the minibus and a map of its parking. The only way to cross the Russian-Ukrainian border is by road. I had a non-urgent trip to Kyiv from Moscow, and I monitored air tickets for 1.5 months. The most budget option that I came across during this time was 33 thousand rubles round trip. The route is difficult and long. As a rule, it runs through Warsaw, Amsterdam, Riga, Istanbul and takes from 20 hours. Flights with more convenient and faster connections cost from 60 thousand rubles round trip per passenger in economy class, excluding baggage.

By the way, flight options through European cities involve additional costs for a visa, PCR test in English, transport and hotel (in case of overnight connections). Not all countries allow you to spend the night at the airport. So the journey from Moscow to Kyiv today is equivalent both in time and in monetary costs to a trip to the end of the world - to Sydney. And this is not figuratively speaking.

In these conditions, there is only one option left - a bus or personal transport.

Only Ukrainian carriers operate in this direction. A ticket for a medium-comfort bus costs from 3,000 rubles. If you search, you can find more comfortable options. For example, a minibus. It is faster, more convenient, but also more expensive (8,000 rubles). I settled on this option. After all, the main lottery of my trip is how long it will take us to cross the border. In various tourist chats on social networks there is conflicting information on this matter, including a lot of horror stories about spending the night in a field in the cold and a ban on entry or exit, etc. So I thought that the chances of crossing the border quickly and without problems in the company of fellow travelers of 7 people were much greater than in a car tour of 30 passengers.

So, to begin with, I decided to find a carrier on the Internet. One of the proposals—a fleet of Mercedes—was quite satisfactory to me. We wrote to you on Telegram. I checked the availability of places. They were in short supply. You need to book in advance - at least a week in advance, and this is if not holidays and weekends. It is advisable to immediately buy a ticket for the return journey, if there is one. A private carrier operates on a prepaid basis - 3,000 rubles per ticket. The amount is non-refundable. The coordinator immediately connected me to the chat community, where regular passengers discuss the most common questions about their trip. And there are many such questions: what documents are needed to enter Ukraine? Do you need a Covid test? Who can enter Russia? What grounds are needed and so on. The community includes about 9 thousand people.

Before the trip, I received a message via messenger indicating the meeting place and car number. I arrived half an hour before departure. A friendly driver greeted me and helped me with my luggage. The capacity of the minibus is 7 people. The transport is quite hackneyed and a bit old, but this did not affect the comfort of the trip. The driver checked that I had all the documents that would be needed to go through passport control at both borders.

So, for me, as a citizen of Ukraine and with a residence permit in Russia, there are no difficulties in crossing both borders. To leave Russia, no additional documents are required except a passport and migration card. To cross the Ukrainian border, you need to take a PCR test for Covid in advance (72 hours before travel) or install the “Vdoma” application on your phone. I did not download the application, but took the test at a regular clinic in Moscow at my place of residence. It's free. There is no need to translate it into Ukrainian or English. I printed out the negative result at the clinic and certified it with wet stamps.

Ukrainian railways no longer unite the country

RIA Novosti, John Trust / Go to photo bank
The driver made sure that the passengers had all the documents for leaving Russia and we took our seats.
We left Moscow at 9 am, exactly on schedule. “Buckle up and put on your protective masks,” the driver politely asked. — While we’re traveling around Russia, we’ll be strict about this. If they stop me, I will be fined. We’ll go to the Ukrainian side, you don’t have to fasten your seat belt.” Our journey began on this optimistic note. About an hour later we had our first stop at a gas station. In general, there were enough stops along the entire route, one of them even for lunch at a decent roadside canteen. The passengers on the bus were not very talkative, almost all of them had dual Russian-Ukrainian citizenship, which they did not want to advertise until the border post. Some were noticeably nervous before the border: either because of their passports, or because they were carrying prohibited goods or money. “Recently I was carrying the old lady-God’s dandelion. This foreign car brought her to our bus! As it turned out at the border, she was carrying some ampoules. My colleagues say that she travels regularly. She hid this medicine in a book, wrapped it in rags... They found it at Russian customs. I still don’t know what’s wrong with her,” said the driver Sergei and reminded that anyone who has a “banned license” should say so right away.

Before the Troyebortnoye border checkpoint, the driver made a control stop and gave detailed instructions: do not ask customs officers unnecessary questions, get out of the car only at his command, and do not take photographs of anything. “If you listen to me, we’ll pass quickly,” says Sergei and puts a couple of bills of 1,000 rubles and 200 hryvnia in different pockets. “My guys are on duty today, we’ll break through.”

At the Russian checkpoint we pass three cordons. There is no queue, we move through quickly. Customs officers inspect items using X-rays. All is clear. Next is passport control. He's pretty intense too. Each passenger comes to the window personally. In an hour, the Russian Federation is left behind, with Ukraine ahead. “We’ll pass ours quickly,” says the driver.

Indeed, things are not inspected at Ukrainian customs; they are not even allowed to do a formal inspection of the car. As the border guards themselves joke, “the Russians let us through, which means they checked. All is clear". We, the passengers, don’t even get off the bus. Sergei collected the documents and took them to passport control. At the Ukrainian border, in addition to your passport, you need to show either a test (the norm for both Ukrainian citizens and foreigners) or the “Vdoma” application. Almost all passengers at the checkpoint presented a screenshot of the “Vdoma” program on their phone instead of a PCR test. According to the rules, the application should be activated right at the border in order to take a Covid test within 24 hours of arrival in Ukraine and observe the self-isolation regime until the result is received. But in fact, no one follows this rule. After presenting the screen to the border guard, passengers delete the program from their phone without activating it.

In total, passing through the two border control points took less than two hours. This is luck. Just a month ago, passengers stood idle for up to 5 hours and crossed the border on foot. Now the process has accelerated and become more convenient. Although anything can happen. And the granny with ampoules, and those banned from entering Ukraine. There were no force majeure events on my trip. And the road from Moscow to Kyiv took 13 hours, 4 of which were shaking like on a roller coaster. “We kindly ask! We won’t go more than 80 km, you yourself know what roads”...

Kyiv — Moscow

A few days later I returned to Moscow. I bought a ticket for the same minibus in advance. The day before, I again received a message in the messenger confirming the trip indicating the meeting place. The passenger collection point differs from the one indicated on the carrier’s website. Instead of the promised Khreshchatyk metro station, the meeting was scheduled for the Arsenalnaya metro station. And departure is an hour earlier - 8 am. In general, the carrier (I don’t indicate its name, since I wouldn’t want to get the guys into trouble either in Russia or in Ukraine) runs from Moscow to Zhitomir, Lviv, Odessa, Khmelnitsky, Ternopil, Cherkassy, Kirovograd, Vinnitsa, Rivne. There are plans to add flights from St. Petersburg.

In Kyiv we are met by another driver - Yura. He turned out to be more talkative, but also more strict. “We don’t expect latecomers, there will be three stops maximum,” he said. Three passengers did not show up on time and did not get in touch. We're going half empty.

And then it became clear why the carrier takes an advance payment. The way back does not promise any difficulties either - they work according to the same scheme. Yura asks passengers what citizenship they have, what are the reasons for entering Russia, and whether all documents are in place. All this preparation makes crossing the border easier, and the carrier develops a good reputation at checkpoints.

So, to enter Russia, foreign citizens need so-called grounds in connection with restrictive anti-Covid measures. In my case, the basis was a residence permit. But there is one thing. For now, you can only leave Russia once with this document. In Troyebortny, the border guard did not confirm this information, although it is official. This means that you can “slip” through this particular employee.

On the way back, another border guard explained that the second time I would not leave Russia so easily. In order to still cross the border, I will need to confirm compelling reasons to do so. For example, I have a close relative in Ukraine. In my case, the next time I leave, I will need to provide at passport control a copy of the passport of my father, who lives in Ukraine, and my birth certificate confirming our relationship. As well as a marriage certificate due to a change of surname.

This time, to cross the Russian border, I didn’t need anything else except a passport and a residence permit. Even a Covid test. It is not required at ground border posts, unlike the air border service. On April 15, an additional requirement was introduced, but only for Russian citizens: when crossing the border by any means of transport, upon arrival, within three days, you must take a test at your place of residence and upload the results along with a questionnaire on the State Services website. To do this you need to have an account on this resource.

Minibuses are running: it’s possible to get from Kyiv to Moscow, despite the quarantine

Nate Steiner / flickr
After checking the documents, driver Yura set off.
We traveled from Kyiv to Bachevsk (the Ukrainian side of the border checkpoint) in 4 hours. We drove without stopping, as the driver promised. Ukrainian customs officers, without asking unnecessary questions and without inspecting luggage and cars, let us through in 15 minutes. “Let me have mercy,” the friendly guards wished. On the Russian side there was a hitch with a minibus like ours, which was undergoing inspection. One passenger was not allowed into the country. As it turned out later, this is the reason. The most common “ground” for Ukrainians entering Russia is medical. Foreigners who do not have a residence permit, close relatives who are Russian citizens (father, mother, husband, children) and an invitation from the clinic to undergo treatment cannot enter the territory of the Russian Federation. So now a whole medical pilgrimage has developed, and along the way, a business producing these same medical invitations. You can also buy this “base” from our carrier and cross the border. So to speak, turnkey logistics.

At the Russian border, they apparently know about this business and are fighting against “healthy illegal immigrants.” Until recently, it was possible to provide a paper invitation for treatment from a Russian clinic to control. It is, of course, even easier to fake it. An electronic database of “foreign patients” has now been introduced. The clinic submits passenger lists to the migration service. But this issue, as experience shows, can be resolved. On average, a medical base can be purchased for $300. The Russian border guards did not allow the passenger from the previous minibus to pass only because he was not in the electronic database: the sellers of the certificate apparently turned out to be unverified. The woman with three suitcases walked back to the Ukrainian side, where there are no hotels, no transport, even the toilet costs 5 hryvnia.

The passengers on my flight obtained a medical certificate from a more reliable intermediary - our own carrier. He called the border checkpoint in advance and checked whether the passengers were entered into the electronic database. Thus, we crossed the Russian border without delays - in two hours.

Of course, there was also a traditional search of all suitcases, bags and even cosmetic bags. “What's in this bag? In this box? Are you coming from Turkey? And this is lard? From Ukraine and without lard - as possible,” - a short conversation with a customs officer without unnecessary details and explanations. Everything is according to the instructions, according to the charter. “How do you get through passport control every day?” — I ask the driver Yura. I asked Sergei the same question on the way to Kyiv, but he laughed it off and did not go into details. Yura said that there is another reason for entering Russia - Donetsk registration. And this is precisely what the business of all carriers on the Russia-Ukraine route is built on. Drivers are hired for this well-paid job only with registration in Donetsk. The staff shortage is huge. Every employee is worth their weight in gold. So much so that in Moscow drivers spend the night with a business owner on Rublyovka on a rich estate. The businessmen also come from Donetsk and seem to have struck a gold mine. Buses run twice a day, seven days a week. By the way, you can also buy a DPR registration. Those who often travel to Russia for work with a Ukrainian passport do just that.

The return journey also took 13 hours - the carrier's gold standard. The route through Russia is fast. The new toll section of the new road has shortened the Moscow-Kyiv route by 1.5 hours. So, despite all the difficulties and obstacles, streams of people are and will continue to travel from Moscow to Kiev and back, flying with three transfers, crossing cordons on foot in the heat and cold, standing at the border for 15 hours, because ties between the countries remain the closest . And this, despite the aggressive rhetoric of Kyiv. But people are people and for the most part their paths are dictated not by propaganda, but by ordinary life circumstances. What is correct and humanly understandable.

...My travel companion was on her way back to Kamchatka. Her journey will take 4 days. She has Russian and Ukrainian passports, a Russian residence permit, a medical invitation, and copies of documents from all relatives. She is an experienced passenger. There are no problems with her at the borders. Because every six months she makes this journey home to Ukraine and then back home too - to Russia.

A trip to the border to get a migration card

The migration card must be renewed before its expiration date, otherwise the foreigner will face a fine at the border for violating the rules of the Russian Federation. In addition, entry into Russia may be banned for several years. Even despite the services of companies to update the migration card, it can only be filled out at the border and only in person to a foreign citizen.

Important! The migration card has its own individual number, which is entered into the database of the migration authority only at the border, so the foreigner must be personally present at the border to fill out this document. Otherwise, the issued migration card will be fake and will not pass verification in the future. In addition, the foreigner will have to answer for using a false document.

Which border is better to go to to update your migration card?

If we turn to Russian legislation, then which border to choose to update the migration card does not matter. The main condition is travel outside the Russian Federation and Belarus, since these countries have entered into an agreement with each other. Due to the fact that many countries bordering the Russian Federation require a visa for entry, it is worth choosing from the CIS countries. For central Russia, the border with Ukraine will be closer, but currently entry into Ukraine is complicated, as it requires an invitation. Other residents can go to the border with Kazakhstan.

Which border to go to?

Many people are interested in the question of where to cross the border of the Russian Federation to obtain a migration card, so we will answer it. From the point of view of Russian legislation, in order to comply with its rules, it does not matter which country the foreigner went to: the main thing is that he leaves the territory of the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus, since these countries have a corresponding agreement. Most of the countries surrounding Russia require a visa for entry, so the choice is obvious: you need to travel to the CIS countries. The borders of Ukraine are the closest of these states to the central part of Russia. That’s where everyone used to go, to the Bryansk border to get a migration card, but lately there have been problems there.

To enter Ukraine, foreigners now formally require an invitation, and they must also stay on its territory for several days. This makes it very difficult to obtain the required document, unless, of course, you are a citizen of Ukraine or Moldova. Trains from Chisinau to Moscow and vice versa go through Ukrainian territory, so the procedure for updating the migration card for Moldovans at this border is available without observing the above formalities. At the same time, some business owners involved in traveling to and from the border do not hide such restrictions. Moreover, they say that you will not need to enter Ukraine and registration will take place on neutral territory.

According to migration rules, other residents of the CIS will need to cross the border with Kazakhstan to obtain a new legal document on entry into the Russian Federation.

Find out more about .

Cost of services of companies offering migration card renewal services

Due to the fact that in Russia there is a huge number of foreign citizens who work in the Russian Federation, services for legalizing their stay in the country are in demand. You can find quite a few companies on the Internet that offer their services for updating your migration card. In Moscow you can find services for traveling abroad, the cost of which varies from 1,500 to 4,000 rubles. The price will depend on transport, as well as other additional conditions. A trip from St. Petersburg will cost from 2,300 rubles.

Extension of a migration card without leaving the Russian Federation

Important! You should not contact companies that offer to buy a migration card without leaving the country. This way, only fake documents can be issued.

In order to extend the validity of the card, there must be compelling reasons. If they are, then you need to contact the territorial department of the Main Directorate for Migration of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia. These grounds include:

Receiving or applying for a temporary residence permit. In this case, the validity period of the card will be extended until the date of the decision on the temporary residence permit.
Application for obtaining Russian citizenship. The card's expiration date will also be extended until a decision is made.
A petition from the employer who employs a foreigner, which is officially submitted in writing. In this case, the period is extended for the duration of the employment contract, for no more than 12 months from the date of entry into Russia.
Admission to a Russian university. The validity of the card will be extended for a period not exceeding 1 year, after which it will need to be renewed again.
Applying for temporary asylum in the Russian Federation;
Registration of work permits and patents.

The reason why a foreigner enters Russia must be indicated on the migration card. It should be remembered that it is impossible to change it, which means that the real reason should be indicated initially. For example, “work” or “study”, not “tourism”.

Is it possible to extend a migration card without leaving Russia?

If we are talking about numerous advertisements from vague companies offering to buy a card from them without going to the border, we do not recommend contacting them. You will not receive a genuine document this way. To extend the validity period of the card, if there are compelling reasons, you need to contact the territorial body of the Main Migration Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation.

Such grounds, in particular, are:

or applying for it, in the latter case the period will be extended until a decision is made;
filing – the deadline will be extended until a decision is made;
an official request from the employer with whom - is extended for the duration of the contract, but not more than 12 months from the date of entry into the Russian Federation;
admission to a Russian university - for a period of no more than 12 months, after which it must be extended again;
filing an application for ;
.

Please note: the reason for entering Russia, which is marked on the map when crossing the border, is almost impossible to change, so immediately indicate the real reason.

Find out more detailed information about how it is issued.