In simple terms
A residence permit (вид на жительство, ВНЖ, VNZh) is a document for a foreigner who lives in Russia permanently. With it you can work for any employer and in any region without a patent, live in Russia for as long as you like, and enter and leave without a visa. A VNZh is not citizenship: it does not let you vote in elections or get a Russian passport.
Since 2019 foreigners have been issued a VNZh with no expiry date. The document itself (a card or a stamp) sometimes has to be replaced — for example, when you change your passport.
Who can get a VNZh
- The usual route: first a temporary residence permit (РВП, RVP), then, as a rule, a VNZh no earlier than 8 months of living on the RVP.
- Without an RVP: for example, native speakers of Russian, participants in the resettlement programme, highly qualified specialists and their families, some graduates of Russian universities, and citizens of Belarus.
You usually need: an application, a passport with a notarised translation, a certificate for the exam, medical certificates, fingerprinting, documents on income and housing, and a receipt for the fee. Applications are submitted to the Ministry of Internal Affairs (МВД) at your place of residence, and some of them through Gosuslugi.
Example with numbers
A foreigner received an RVP on 1 February 2026. After 8 months, from 1 October 2026, they can apply for a VNZh. The fee for applications from 26 July 2026 is 30,000 ₽. Before that date it was 6,000 ₽, so it went up 5 times. On top of the fee come the costs of the exam, certificates and translations — their price depends on the region.
Say a VNZh was issued on 15 December 2026. The first annual notification must be filed within two months after a year has passed: from 15 December 2027 to 15 February 2028.
Annual notification and how not to lose your VNZh
Every year the holder of a VNZh tells the Ministry of Internal Affairs (МВД) where they live, where they work and what income they received. This can be done in person, by post or through Gosuslugi.
- If you do not file the notification two years in a row, the VNZh may be cancelled.
- A VNZh may also be cancelled if a person lives abroad for a long time (as a rule, more than 6 months in a row) or breaks the law several times.
- Do not forget about registration at your place of residence — with a VNZh you register at your permanent address.
- If you change your passport, tell the Ministry of Internal Affairs (МВД) and update your details.
After several years of living on a VNZh you can apply for citizenship. The rules change — check the website of the Ministry of Internal Affairs (МВД) and Gosuslugi.
Key rules
Russia
The residence permit is issued by the Ministry of Internal Affairs (МВД) under Art. 8 of Federal Law No. 115-FZ, for foreigners with no expiry date. The state fee from 26 July 2026 is 30,000 ₽ (previously 6,000 ₽). Citizens of Belarus and some other countries can get a residence permit under a simplified procedure; Belarusians do not take the exam.
Sources: Federal Law No. 115-FZ on the Legal Status of Foreign Citizens («О правовом положении иностранных граждан»), ConsultantPlus, Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia, Main Directorate for Migration Affairs («МВД России, ГУВМ»), Gosuslugi, the government services portal («Госуслуги»)