Foreign students should know

Medical insurance

• A foreign citizen (or stateless person) is not allowed to enter the territory of Russia if he/she has not provided a medical insurance policy valid in the territory of the Russian Federation (clause 5 of Article 27 of the Federal Law of 15.08.1996 No. 114-FZ "On the procedure of departure from the Russian Federation and entry into the Russian Federation"). 
• Foreign students must have a valid voluntary health insurance policy (VHIP) during the entire period of their studies at the University.  
• Medical care for foreign citizens is provided on the basis of a voluntary health insurance policy acquired at the expense of the foreign student's personal funds. The International Protocol Department provides organizational support to foreign students in registration and renewal of VHIP.  
• The absence of a medical insurance policy valid on the territory of the Russian Federation by a foreign citizen (or stateless person) constitutes an administrative offence, as provided for in the part 1 of the article 18.8 of the Code of Administrative Offences of the Russian Federation – violation of the rules of entry into the Russian Federation.

If you are hospitalized, you should:

1. notify the International Protocol Department (by phone +7 (846) 267-49-77 or by email: dip@ssau.ru )
2. on the next day after discharge from a hospital submit your discharge certificate, migration card and passport to the International Protocol Department to renew your registration at the university dormitory address.

Communication

• For questions related to migration rules and stay in the Russian Federation, please consult with the International Protocol Department officers.  
• Upon admission to the university, foreign students must provide the International Protocol Department with their contact information (phone, e-mail) and promptly inform us of any changes.
• Foreign students are required to promptly inform the International Protocol Department by phone (846) 267-49-77 or by e-mail dip@ssau.ru about a change in place of stay in Russia. For example, in the case of staying in a hotel, hostel, recreation center, private address or hospitalization. 

Travel within and outside the Russian Federation

If you are going to trip within Russia (except for business trips from the University) or outside Russia, before departure you should:

1. fill out a departure notification form
2. sign it at the dean's office of the faculty/institute administration and at the dormitory supervisor (if you reside in a dormitory)
3. submit it to the International Protocol Department.   

Important! If you leave without this notification, it will be considered an unauthorized departure. The University as the host organization must submit notification of such cases to the Migration Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation for Samara Region.

Absence from studies

If a foreign student does not attend classes for 10 days without a valid reason, does not answer phone calls or emails from the University staff, the International Protocol Department sends a notification to the Migration Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia for Samara Region about the loss of contact with the foreign student.    

If you lost your migration card (MC):

1. On the day the fact of the MC loss is established, report it to the International Protocol Department and contact the Migration Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia for Samara Region (Samara, St. Uritskogo, 29) and write a statement. You must have your passport, registration, card of fingerprinting (if available) and copies of them with you. 
2. The employees of the Migration Department will take your fingerprints and issue a duplicate of the MC or notify you of the date of its readiness. 
3. Receive a duplicate of the MC on the appointed day.  
4. Submit your passport, duplicate MC and registration to the International Protocol Department to obtain a new notification of arrival (registration slip).  

If you lost your arrival notification (registration slip):

1. On the day you establish the fact of loss of registration, report it to the International Protocol Department and contact the Migration Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia for Samara Region (Samara, Kabelnaya St., 13A, entrance No. 2). You must have your passport, migration card, a card of fingerprinting (if available) and copies of them with you. 
2. The officers of the Migration Department will take your fingerprints and issue a corresponding certificate. 
3. Submit your passport, migration card, the certificate mentioned above to the International Protocol Department to issue a new notification of arrival (registration slip). 

If you lost your passport with Russian study visa:

1. On the day you establish the fact of loss of your passport, contact the International Protocol Department for a copy of the passport and visa, report about it to the Police Department No. 4 for Oktyabrsky District of Samara (Prospekt Lenina,13A) and write a statement. In addition to a copy of the passport and visa, you should have a registration, a migration card, a card of fingerprinting (if available) and copies of them with you. 
2. The police department officer will issue a notification slip and inform you when you can get a certificate of passport loss. You should obtain it at the same police department. 
3. On the day of receiving the certificate, contact the Consular Section of the Embassy of country of your citizenship to apply for a new passport. Submit the appropriate application, clarify the passport processing time and inform the International Protocol Department. 
4. When you receive a new passport, be sure to obtain a certificate from the Embassy confirming the actual date of receipt of the passport. Keep safe the travel documents of the trip to the Embassy and back.
5. On the day of arrival to Samara, provide a new passport and a package of documents for visa extension to the International Protocol Department. 
6. The International Protocol Department will submit documents to make changes to migration records with a new passport details, then to transfer the current study visa to the new passport and then to extend its validity (if necessary).    

If you lost your passport (visa-free entry):

1. On the day you establish the fact of loss of your passport contact the International Protocol Department for a copy of the passport, contact Police Department No. 4 for the Oktyabrsky District of Samara (Prospekt Lenina,13A) and write a statement. In addition to a copy of the passport, you should have a registration slip, a migration card, a card of fingerprinting (if available) and copies of them with you. 
2. The police department officer will issue a notification slip and inform you when you can get a certificate of loss of passport. You should obtain it at the same police department.
3. On the day of receiving the certificate, contact the Consular Section of the Embassy of your country of citizenship to apply for a new passport. Submit the appropriate application, clarify the passport processing time and inform the International Protocol Department.  
4. When you receive a new passport, be sure to obtain a certificate from the Embassy confirming the actual date of receipt of the passport. Keep safe the travel documents of the trip to the Embassy and back. 
5. On the day of arrival in Samara, provide a new passport and a package of documents for migration registration to the International Protocol Department. 
6. The International Protocol Department will submit documents to make changes to migration registration with the new passport details. 

If you lost your card of fingerprinting:

1. On the day you establish the fact of the loss of the card, report to the International Protocol Department and contact the Migration Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia for Samara Region (Samara, Kabelnaya St., 13A, entrance No. 2). You should have your passport, migration card, registration, and certificates of passing a medical examination with you.    
2. The officers of the Migration Department will take your fingerprints and inform you of the date when the card will be issued.
3. Receive a card of fingerprinting on the appointed day.
4. Submit a copy to the International Protocol Department.  

If you lost your medical examination certificates: 

1. On the day the fact of loss is established, report it to the International Protocol Department and contact the Regional center for assistance to migrants. Address: Samara, Chernogorskaya St., 2.
2. You should have your passport (and a notarized translation of your passport into Russian), a migration card, a registration slip and copies of these documents with you. 
3. The Center's staff will check the status of your documents and inform you about the procedure for their restoration. 
4. Receive duplicate certificates at the Center on the appointed day. 

In case of damage to these documents, the procedure is similar. 

1. Please plan an extension or applying for a new passport in advance. It can take several months. 
2. It is necessary to obtain a new passport at least 45 working days before the expiration of the visa in the current passport (for visa-regime countries).  
3. When receiving your passport at the consular section of the Embassy, be sure to obtain a certificate confirming the actual date of receipt of the passport. This certificate is required to transfer the visa to the new passport. Keep safe the travel documents to the Embassy and back. 
4. The day after receiving your passport, submit the following documents to the International Protocol Department:
   • previous and new passport
   • certificate from the Embassy, travel documents
   • registration slip and migration card
   • 1 photo (matte, on a white background, 3x4 cm)
   • receipt for payment of state duty
5. The International Protocol Department will submit documents to make changes to migration records with the new passport details, then to transfer the visa to the new passport and to extend its validity (if necessary). 

From January 1, 2023, in accordance with Federal Law No. 357-FZ of July 14, 2022, the following foreign citizens may apply for a temporary residence permit:

foreign citizens studying at a state educational or state scientific organization full-time in bachelor's, specialist's, master's, residency, assistant-internship programs that have state accreditation, or in a program for training scientific and scientific-pedagogical personnel in graduate school (adjunct) at a state educational or state scientific organization.  

Foreign citizens studying part-time in the above-mentioned programs, in the pre-university training program, additional education programs, advanced training or retraining cannot apply for a temporary residence permit.

Advantages of RVPO

• RVPO is issued for the entire period of study plus additional 180 calendar days. During that period you can apply for a residence permit (RP) without leaving Russia. However, please, note that you can reside in the university dormitory for the duration of your studies only.  
• If you arrive within visa regime, together with RVPO you will be issued a multiple-entry visa for the duration of your RVPO. 
• There is no need to submit an annual notification confirming residence in Russia, unlike other residence regimes in Russia.  
• The opportunity to apply for a residence permit is also provided within three years after completion of studies without obtaining a temporary residence permit.
• Confirmation of proficiency in the Russian language, knowledge of history and the basics of the legislation of the Russian Federation is not required.
• RVPO grants you the right to work without obtaining a work permit or patent.  
• RVPO grants you the right to receive free medical care under the compulsory medical insurance program.     

RVPO restrictions

• RVPO is valid only in the region of receipt. 
• If you work during study-free time, the employment contract is subject to termination upon expiration of the RVPO. 
• RVPO will be cancelled if you are outside the Russian Federation for more than 6 months (in total during the calendar year). 
• Repeated (two or more) administrative offences within one calendar year constitute grounds for cancellation of the RVPO.   
• An application for a residence permit can only be submitted after completion of training.

Responsibilities in case of receiving temporary residence permit for education

• After receiving the RVPO, you must register at your place of residence within 7 working days. If you fail to register within the deadline, you may be fined from 2,000 to 5,000₽ and deported from the Russian Federation.  
• If you reside in a University dormitory, submit documents for migration registration to the International Protocol Department the next day after receiving the RVPO.
• If you have changed your program of study or have been expelled by transfer to another university, within 30 calendar days from the date of issuance of the administrative act (order) at the current university, provide a document about new enrollment to the department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. 
• If you are expelled from the University for academic failures or other reasons, and after that you are not enrolled in another university, you need to contact the Ministry of Internal Affairs department to cancel the RVPO.    

Important! The obligatory ground for issuing you a RVPO is full-time study at the University. If you do not comply with the study purpose of entry into Russia and systematically do not attend classes, the University has the right to apply disciplinary sanctions against you, including expulsion, and file a notice of loss of contact with you (more details in the section "Communication, travel to and from the Russian Federation, absence from studies"). 

• If you have received a temporary residence permit (TRP), a permanent residence permit (PR) or a passport of a citizen of the Russian Federation, provide copies of these documents to the International Protocol Department on the next day after receiving them. 
• If you make any changes to your personal data (change of first name, last name, passport details, citizenship, place of residence, status in the Russian Federation), you must notify the International Protocol Department within 1 day. 

Responsibilities in case of obtaining a temporary residence permit

• After receiving a temporary residence permit, you must register at your place of residence within 7 working days. If you fail to register within the deadline, you may be fined from 2,000 to 5,000₽ and deported from the Russian Federation. 
• If you reside in a University dormitory, submit documents for migration registration to the International Protocol Department the day after receiving the RVP. If you reside in a rented apartment, the owner of the apartment must provide you with migration registration.  
• The holder of a temporary residence permit must annually submit a notification of confirmation of residence in the Russian Federation.  
• Within 2 months after the date of receiving the RVP, contact the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Attach to the notification a certificate of income, a copy of the tax return or other documents confirming the amount and source of your income for the year that has passed since receiving the RVP. If you do not submit the notification timely, you may be fined from 2,000 to 5,000 ₽ and deported from the Russian Federation.   

Read about your rights and responsibilities in case of obtaining a residence permit here link.

Foreign students have the right to work without obtaining a patent or work permit in the following cases:

• when working during holidays; 
• when working in study-free time at Samara University and business companies or business partnerships established by Samara University; 
• in other institutions and organizations on an employment contract or civil contract for the performance of work (provision of services) during study-free time, provided that the foreign student study full-time in a state-accredited professional educational program. 

An employment contract or civil contract for the performance of work (provision of services) concluded with a foreign citizen is subject to termination if the foreign citizen prematurely terminates his/her studies at Samara University.  

If a foreign citizen has a temporary residence permit, the contracts specified above are subject to termination upon expiration of the temporary residence permit.

Important! Remember that your purpose of entering Russia is to study. If work distracts you from your studies, this may result in academic failure and expulsion from the University with subsequent departure from the Russian Federation.

Completion of training

If you successfully complete your studies and receive a diploma, you must leave Russia before the expiration of your visa or the permitted period of temporary stay specified in your registration slip.

Continuing education at Samara University

If you plan to continue your studies at Samara University:

1. consult with the International Protocol Department and Mobility and Recruitment Department;
2. submit documents to the admissions committee for admission to a professional educational program of another level that has a state accreditation;
3. If you are admitted to the University, submit documents to the International Protocol Department to extend your visa (for more details, see the section “Visa extension”).

Expulsion

After the decision of the faculty dean/institute directorate to expel a foreign student, a procedure for reducing the visa and registration period is initiated, which includes the following steps:

1. coordinating the departure date from Russia with the International Protocol Department and purchasing tickets; 
2. preparation of documents for a transit visa (in case of visa entry into the Russian Federation);
3. notification of the Migration Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia for Samara Region about the termination of studies and submission of documents for a transit visa;  
4. The Migration Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia for Samara Region reduces the period of temporary stay (registration and visa) and issues a transit visa;
5. a foreign student (in case of visa entry to the Russian Federation) must leave the territory of the Russian Federation within the validity period of the transit visa; foreign students from countries with visa-free entry to the Russian Federation must leave the territory of the Russian Federation within three calendar days from the date of registration of the expulsion order. 

Important! Failure by a foreign citizen to comply with the period of stay or residence in the Russian Federation, or untimely departure from the Russian Federation may result in the imposition of a fine and/or deportation from the Russian Federation.   

Since February 5, 2025 the updated version of the Federal Law of July 25, 2002 115-FZ "On the legal status of foreign citizens in the Russian Federation" is in force. The deportation regime applies to foreign citizens who illegally stay in Russia. Information on such foreign citizens is entered in the register of controlled persons. The deportation regime restricts certain rights and freedoms of foreign nationals (art. 31.1 of the federal law 115-FZ).   

Foreign citizens may be included in the register of controlled persons in the following cases:

• the term of temporary stay, temporary residence permit, temporary residence permit for education, residence permit has expired; 
• the visa,  temporary residence permit, temporary residence permit for education, residence permit have been cancelled; 
• an administrative deportation order has been issued;
• illegal crossing of the Russian border;
• the decision was made to reduce the period of temporary stay, deportation, readmission, undesirability of staying (living) in Russia, refusal of entry/ exit;
• refugee status or temporary asylum denied;
• 72 hours of stay on board the cruise ship or ferry has expired;
• Russian citizenship has been terminated in the absence of grounds for residence in the Russian Federation.  

Foreign citizens included in the register of controlled persons are prohibited from:  

• change of residence (stay) without the permission of the Ministry of Internal Affairs;
• to leave the region of the Russian Federation where the controlled person resides (stays);
• acquire and register real estate, vehicles;
• enter into a marriage;
• establish a legal entity, register as an individual entrepreneur; 
• to open bank accounts (except for transfers up to 30 000 ₽ per month);
• enrolling children in schools and kindergartens;
• obtain a driver’s license, driving a vehicle. 

To check the information on registration of a foreign citizen in the register of controlled persons visit:

• the website of the Ministry of Internal Affairs at the link;
• the portal "Gosuslugi" at the link.

The work of the register of controlled persons is still in the process of adjustment, so it is possible that foreign citizens legally staying in the Russian Federation are included to the RKL. 

If you have found information about yourself in the register of controlled persons, you should: 

• report this fact to the International Protocol Department and
• submit an application on the website of the Department for Migration Issues of the Ministry of Internal Affairs for Samara region at the link and attach documents confirming your legal status in Russia for exemption your data from the register of controlled persons.   

Important! By the decision of the President of the Russian Federation, this possibility has been extended until September 10, 2025.