Tvoy Raschet

Voluntary health insurance (DMS) for foreigners: what it is

Health insurance that a foreigner buys or gets from an employer. A DMS policy is required to get a patent and is usually needed to work as an employee.

In Russian: ДМС для иностранцев (добровольное медицинское страхование)·DMS dlya inostrantsev (dobrovolnoe meditsinskoe strakhovanie)

Moving to Russia Checked by the editorial team Checked: September 2026

Key rules

Russia

A DMS policy is required for a patent for its whole term (Art. 13.3 of Federal Law No. 115-FZ). The price and the set of services depend on the insurance company and the region. EAEU citizens who work under an employment contract usually get a compulsory health insurance policy (полис ОМС, OMS), but the employer may also require DMS.

Sources: Federal Law No. 115-FZ on the Legal Status of Foreign Citizens («О правовом положении иностранных граждан»), ConsultantPlus, Bank of Russia: insurance («Банк России: страхование»)

This information is for reference only and does not constitute financial, tax or legal advice. Prepared by our editorial team, last checked: September 2026. Found an error? Write to us.

Related terms

Compulsory health insurance policy (OMS)A compulsory health insurance document: it gives you free treatment in clinics and hospitals that work under OMS. Foreigners do not all get it, usually only with an RVP, a residence permit or from EAEU countries.Work patentA document that lets a foreigner from a visa-free country work legally in one region of Russia. A fixed advance payment of personal income tax (НДФЛ, NDFL) is paid for it every month.Medical examination and fingerprinting for foreignersMandatory procedures for foreigners who come to work or stay in Russia for more than 90 days: tests for drugs, HIV and dangerous infections, plus fingerprints and a photo.Workers from EAEU countriesCitizens of Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan work in Russia without a patent or work permit, pay 13% personal income tax from day one and get OMS health insurance, under the 2014 EAEU Treaty.

More in “Moving to Russia”

Temporary residence permit (RVP)Residence permit (VNZh)Admission to Russian citizenshipMigration registrationRegistration of residence (place of stay and place of residence)Migration cardSNILS (pension insurance number)Gosuslugi (government services portal)Exam in Russian language, history and lawNotarised translation of documentsApostille and legalisationVisaNotice of a foreigner's employmentRegister of controlled personsWork for foreign studentsMain Directorate for Migration Affairs of the Ministry of Internal Affairs (GUVM)

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