At the end of September, there was a lot of conflicting news regarding residence permit extensions.
Indeed, on September 24, amendments to the Immigration Law came into force.
You can find information on the official website of the Department of Citizenship and Migration:
We summarize the main points:
For Russian citizens who own property, annual residence permit renewal is maintained.
For example, if your five-year permit expires in 2025, you will be able to make renewals until 2025.
It is not possible to extend the residence permit for the next five years. If your five-year permit expires in 2023, you cannot extend it for the next five years.
Exception - if you managed to submit documents for renewal before the amendments came into force.
Regarding initial residence permit issuance for Russian citizens, the possibility of obtaining a residence permit remains on the basis of:
- Marriage or kinship
- Based on a "blue card" (i.e., highly qualified specialists)
- Based on an asylum request
- Another option - if you have a valid residence permit, have been employed for at least three months, and taxes have been paid on your behalf, you can obtain a residence permit for one year based on employment.
As for Belarusian citizens, the possibility of obtaining a residence permit remains for:
- Self-employed individuals
- Individual entrepreneurs
- Employees
- Students
- Based on marriage, etc.
Please note - if citizens of these countries submit documents for initial residence permit issuance or renewal, a more comprehensive package of documents is required.
For example, a resume (CV) for the applicant and their immediate family members, documents proving the source of funds, documents on work history, etc.
We also recommend keeping up with official information published by the Department of Citizenship and Migration on their website and social media pages.