Tvoy Raschet

Work for foreign students: what it is

Foreigners studying full-time at an accredited Russian university or college can work without a patent or a work permit, outside study hours and during holidays.

In Russian: Работа иностранного студента·Rabota inostrannogo studenta

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

Russia

The right is set out in Art. 13 of Federal Law No. 115-FZ; you are hired on a certificate from the educational institution, and the employer notifies the Ministry of Internal Affairs (МВД, MVD). For students from EAEU countries the general EAEU rules apply. In some regions foreigners are banned from certain jobs (for example, taxi driving and delivery in St Petersburg). The rules change, so check the MVD website and Gosuslugi (Госуслуги).

Sources: Federal Law No. 115-FZ «О правовом положении иностранных граждан» (On the Legal Status of Foreign Citizens), ConsultantPlus, Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia («МВД России», мвд.рф): migration services

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

Notice of a foreigner's employmentA message the employer sends to the Ministry of Internal Affairs when it hires or dismisses a foreigner. The deadline is 3 working days. The duty lies with the employer, not the employee.Tax residentA person who has spent at least 183 days in the country within 12 consecutive months. The status, not citizenship, decides the personal income tax (НДФЛ) rate: usually 13% for residents and 30% for non-residents.Temporary residence permit (RVP)A document that lets a foreigner live in Russia for up to 3 years, work in their region without a patent and later apply for a residence permit (VNZh). It is usually issued within a quota.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.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”

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)Compulsory health insurance policy (OMS)Medical examination and fingerprinting for foreignersExam in Russian language, history and lawNotarised translation of documentsApostille and legalisationVisaRegister of controlled personsMain Directorate for Migration Affairs of the Ministry of Internal Affairs (GUVM)MFC (multifunctional public services centre)

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