New entry rules for Russia: What Kazakh citizens need to know

Tengrinews.kz - Kazakhstanis have been alerted to new entry rules for Russia.

According to the Kazakhstan Embassy in Russia, a digital profile will now be created for every foreigner entering Russia, including Kazakh citizens. As per the decree from the Russian government, Kazakh citizens will still be able to enter Russia freely, whether by air via regular flights from countries with direct passenger connections to Russia, or through land border crossings.

However, significant changes have been made to the rules starting from the end of 2024, primarily concerning the collection of biometric data and digital identification for foreign citizens.

“From June 30, 2025, to June 30, 2026, the experiment will cover all border crossings into Russia. During this period, a digital profile will be created for every foreigner, including Kazakh citizens,” the statement reads.

This profile can also be created independently using the RuID app, which will serve as an equivalent to government services for foreign nationals and allow them to report their visit and access services in Russia, such as obtaining medical insurance. The digital profile will be integrated into a range of state systems, including state services.

Kazakh citizens are advised to be prepared for additional procedures at border crossings. However, the experiment does not apply to:

• accredited diplomatic staff and their families;
• holders of diplomatic and service passports;
• children under the age of 6.

“We inform you that, according to Russian law, foreign nationals, including Kazakh citizens, may, in certain cases, be denied entry into Russia for security and law enforcement reasons. To avoid unpleasant situations at border checkpoints, we recommend checking your entry eligibility via the online service before traveling,” the embassy stated.

It is emphasized that the mandatory fields for completing the online entry check are: surname, first name, gender, date of birth, citizenship, and document type and number. After entering the data, you need to enter the code from the image and click “Submit request.”

The system will then provide one of the following responses: “No grounds have been found to prevent entry into Russia as per the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia” or “The Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia has grounds to deny entry to Russia,” specifying the region initiating the denial. The embassy emphasized that the provided information is for reference only and is accurate as of the date of the check.

It is important to note that the absence of a travel restriction from the Ministry of Internal Affairs does not rule out the possibility of a ban based on decisions made by other federal executive authorities (FSB, Ministry of Defense, SVR, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, FSIN, FTS, Rosfinmonitoring, Rospotrebnadzor, FMBA) or their regional offices.

The embassy also mentioned that entry to Russia may be denied during inspection procedures at border crossings.

“Please note that recently, there has been an increase in the importation of substances classified as narcotics into Russia. In particular, the harmala plant, also known as adraspan, is included in this list. The importation of this narcotic plant is punishable by imprisonment for 1 to 3 years, and up to 8 years for large quantities brought in by a group of individuals, along with a fine of up to 1 million rubles (5 million tenge),” the embassy said.

In addition, Kazakhstanis temporarily staying in Russia for no more than 30 calendar days are exempt from the obligation to register (register with the migration authority at their place of stay).

“The term of temporary stay is counted from the date of entry into Russia, confirmed by the migration card with a border control stamp. If a Kazakh citizen stays in Russia for more than 30 calendar days (but up to 90 days), they must register (register with the territorial migration authority) in the territorial bodies of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia. If arriving in Russia via Belarus, migration cards must be obtained at the airports in Belarus,” the embassy added.

It is also stated that the mandatory submission of a PCR test has been canceled. However, random testing continues at border checkpoints. Passengers are required to complete a form in advance.

“We recommend keeping track of the information provided by the operational headquarters for the prevention of the spread of new coronavirus infections in Russia before traveling,” the embassy emphasized.

Furthermore, it is reported that since December 29, 2021, foreign nationals entering Russia for more than 90 days, including Kazakh citizens, are required to confirm their absence of drug addiction and infectious diseases, including HIV, at Russian medical institutions. They must also undergo mandatory fingerprinting and photography, after which the territorial bodies of the Ministry of Internal Affairs will issue the corresponding document.

“Medical certificates must be submitted to the territorial Ministry of Internal Affairs. Documents for minors or incapacitated persons can be submitted by one of their parents, guardians, or custodians (children under 6 years old are exempt).

If entering Russia for work purposes, these procedures must be completed within 30 days of arrival; for other purposes – within 90 days.

After the expiration of the medical certificates, they must be renewed within 30 days, either submitted to the territorial Ministry of Internal Affairs, in the form of an electronic document through the unified portal of state and municipal services, or via a subsidiary company or authorized organization. Failure to comply with these requirements may result in a reduction of the stay in Russia,” the embassy concluded.

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