Home
Analytics and insights
"Legendary" Migration Card for Foreigners to Be Abolished from 2028

"Legendary" Migration Card for Foreigners to Be Abolished from 2028

The concerns of many foreigners about losing their migration card after entering Russia may soon become a thing of the past. The Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs has proposed abolishing the migration card effective January 1, 2028, and has submitted a corresponding draft law.

Since Soviet times, foreigners have been required to fill out a migration card upon entering Russia and present it at passport control. An official mark is placed on the card, and it must be presented upon departure. Without this card, issues may arise when leaving the country. Furthermore, without a migration card, it is impossible, among other things, to register for migration registration at the place of residence, and bank accounts may be partially blocked if an up-to-date migration card is not presented to the bank.

The rationale for abolishing the migration card is that the collection and exchange of the data it contains is now carried out electronically in any case. This enables proper monitoring of migrants' stay in the country.

The draft law stipulates that foreigners will be exempt from the obligation to fill out such a document when entering and leaving the Russian Federation. It has already been published by the Ministry of Internal Affairs for public consultation.

The text of the draft law "On Amendments to Certain Legislative Acts of the Russian Federation" and related materials can be viewed on the Federal Portal for Draft Regulatory Legal Acts and affects several federal laws:

Federal Law No. 114-FZ of August 15, 1996 "On the Procedure for Leaving the Russian Federation and Entering the Russian Federation";
Federal Law No. 128-FZ of July 25, 1998 "On State Fingerprint Registration in the Russian Federation";
Federal Law No. 115-FZ of July 25, 2002 "On the Legal Status of Foreign Citizens in the Russian Federation";
Federal Law No. 109-FZ of July 18, 2006 "On Migration Registration of Foreign Citizens and Stateless Persons in the Russian Federation";
Federal Law No. 229-FZ of October 2, 2007 "On Enforcement Proceedings";
Federal Law No. 3-FZ of February 7, 2011 "On the Police".

Simultaneously with these changes, the amendments propose introducing an obligation for foreigners entering the Russian Federation under a visa-free regime to provide prior notification of such entry. Accordingly, migrants will be required to submit this notification electronically, including via the ruID application, no later than 72 hours before entry. In the event of circumstances related to the need for emergency medical treatment, a serious illness, or the death of a close relative, the notification must be submitted no later than 24 hours in advance. The validity period of such a notification is calculated from the date of its submission and, taking into account the period of the foreigner's stay in the Russian Federation, shall not exceed 90 days in the current calendar year.

Table of Contents

20.03.2026

Analytics and insights

Read all

04.06.2026

New restrictions on bank deposits of foreign creditors

Presidential Decree No. 377 dated 1 June 2026 amended the temporary procedure for the discharge of obligations to certain foreign creditors established by Presidential Decree No. 95. The list of obligations subject to the special procedure now includes obligations under bank accounts and deposits, i.e. banks’ obligations to return deposits and pay interest to foreign creditors connected with “unfriendly” states.

04.05.2026

New rules for monitoring market prices when importing goods from the EAEU

On 30 March 2026, the Government of the Russian Federation submitted to the State Duma Draft Law No. 1191451-8, which provides for amendments to the Russian Tax Code with respect to VAT on the import into Russia of certain goods from the member states of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) and their subsequent sale.

28.04.2026

SPOT: New rules for importing goods from the EAEU starting in 2026

Federal Laws No. 101-FZ and No. 102-FZ dated 17 April 2026 introduce in Russia the national System for Confirming the Expectation of Goods Deliveries (SPOT). The amendments enter into force on 1 June 2026.

SPOT is a new mechanism for advance control over the import of goods from EAEU member states, which will initially apply only to road transport. The system is aimed at combating the evasion of indirect taxes and increasing the transparency of goods imports.

24.03.2026

A trademark can be challenged even if its owner has died: new legal position of the Supreme Court

In practice, the question arose as to whether an action for early termination of trademark protection due to non-use can be filed if the right holder has died but the heir has not yet registered the transfer of rights. The Supreme Court of Russia, in its Ruling No. 300‑ES25‑6531 of 1 November 2025, formulated an approach that resolves this conflict and ensures uniformity of judicial practice.