In simple terms
OMS (ОМС, obyazatelnoe meditsinskoe strakhovanie) is compulsory health insurance. For working people the employer pays contributions to the OMS fund, and for non-working Russian citizens the region pays. Treatment is paid for from this money. The OMS policy confirms that you are in this system and gives you the right to free treatment in clinics and hospitals that work under OMS across Russia.
Today a policy is first of all an entry in a single register. A paper form or plastic card is not required: a passport is enough for the doctor, and the policy number is visible on Gosuslugi (Госуслуги).
Which foreigners can get one
- With an RVP (temporary residence permit) or a residence permit (ВНЖ, VNZh): yes, like Russian citizens. Students with an RVP for education too.
- Citizens of EAEU countries (Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan) working under an employment contract, and their family members: yes, for the term of the contract.
- Refugees: yes, for the term of their status.
- People working on a work patent or a work permit: as a rule, no. Since 2023 they can get OMS only if employers have paid contributions for them for at least 5 years. Everyone else needs voluntary health insurance (ДМС, DMS); without it a patent will not be issued.
- Tourists and visitors without work: no, only paid medical care or insurance from home.
Emergency care (when life is at risk) is provided free to everyone in Russia, even without a policy.
How to apply
- Choose a health insurance company (the list is on the website of your region's territorial OMS fund).
- Take your passport, a document proving your right to live or work in Russia (RVP, residence permit or an employment contract for EAEU citizens) and your SNILS.
- Submit the application at the insurer's office, at an MFC or on Gosuslugi.
- The policy data will be entered in the register, after which you can register with the clinic at your place of residence.
Example: how long the policy lasts
- A citizen of Kyrgyzstan works under an employment contract from 1 February 2026 to 31 January 2027. The OMS policy will be valid until 31 January 2027. If the contract is extended, you need to update the policy.
- An RVP was issued on 1 July 2026 for 3 years: the policy is valid until 1 July 2029, while the RVP lasts.
- A citizen of Uzbekistan has worked on a patent since March 2021 and contributions have been paid for them all that time. The 5 years are reached in March 2026: 2021 + 5 = 2026. From then on they can check whether they have the right to OMS.
How to avoid mistakes
- Do not confuse OMS and DMS. DMS is paid insurance with a limited list of services. A patent requires a DMS contract.
- Watch the term. If the document that gives you the right to OMS expires, the policy stops being valid.
- Update your data. When you get a new passport or a new RVP, tell the insurance company.
The rules change, so check the MVD website and Gosuslugi.
Key rules
Russia
The policy is issued by a health insurance company under Federal Law No. 326-FZ; since December 2022 it can only be electronic (an entry in the register). EAEU citizens working under an employment contract, and their family members, are entitled to OMS; people working on a patent usually need voluntary health insurance (ДМС, DMS). The rules change, so check the MVD website and Gosuslugi (Госуслуги).
Sources: Federal Compulsory Medical Insurance Fund («Федеральный фонд ОМС»), Gosuslugi («Госуслуги»)