What Changed
Federal Law No. 260-FZ of August 8, 2024 amended Federal Law No. 115-FZ of July 25, 2002 on the legal status of foreign citizens in Russia. It created an "expulsion regime" for foreigners present in the country without legal grounds, together with a registry of controlled persons kept by the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MVD). The system has been operating since February 5, 2025.
The registry lists foreigners who no longer have the right to stay in Russia and, until they regularize their situation or leave, subjects them to a set of civil and economic restrictions. The same law replaced, from January 1, 2025, the 90-in-180-day rule with a cap of 90 days per calendar year for visa-free stays.
The Registry: How It Works
Grounds for Inclusion
The MVD maintains the registry, formally the "Register of Controlled Persons" (Reyestr kontroliruyemykh lits). A foreign national is entered into it in cases including the following:
- End of the right to stay: the authorized period of stay, the temporary residence permit (RVP, including for study) or the permanent residence permit (VNZh) has expired with no other legal grounds to stay, from the day after expiry.
- Annulment of the visa, RVP or VNZh.
- Removal decision: administrative expulsion, deportation, shortening of the authorized stay, entry ban or declaration of undesirability.
- Illegal entry into Russia, or readmission with no legal grounds to stay.
- Refusal or loss of refugee status or temporary asylum.
- Criminal conviction that has become final.
- Cruise or ferry: a passenger who has stayed more than 72 hours.
- Loss of Russian citizenship with no other legal grounds to stay.
Entry and Notification
Inclusion does not go through a judge: the regime applies from the day the foreigner's data is entered into the registry. No personal notification is provided for. The person is deemed informed once the information is published on the MVD website, whether it concerns inclusion or removal.
Inclusion is administrative and takes effect from the moment the data is entered, with no prior court decision. No letter or personal message is sent: it is up to the foreigner to check their own status.
Restrictions Imposed
Prohibitions
While listed in the registry, a foreigner may not:
- Change their place of residence or stay without MVD permission.
- Leave the region (federal subject) where they are, except to leave Russia.
- Buy or register real estate or a vehicle.
- Marry.
- Found a company or register as a sole proprietor.
- Open a bank account or carry out banking operations, except for mandatory payments (taxes, fines), transfers to their own account and cash withdrawals of up to 30,000 rubles per month.
- Drive a vehicle, take the driving test, or obtain, replace or exchange a driver's license.
Minors staying in Russia illegally are not admitted to schools or kindergartens. Lacking legal grounds to stay, a listed person cannot work legally either. These restrictions apply from the day of inclusion until removal, and the law allows others to be added.
Obligations
A listed foreigner must report to the MVD within the set time when summoned. They must also inform the territorial MVD office, including electronically, of where they are, of any circumstances preventing their departure, and of the date, place and route of their planned departure.
In case of repeated failure (two or more times) to comply with the restrictions and prohibitions, the MVD decides on deportation, with possible placement in a special facility of the ministry.
Seven prohibitions apply from the day of inclusion (changing residence without permission, leaving the region, buying property or a vehicle, marriage, starting a business, banking beyond the listed exceptions, driving). Two breaches are enough to trigger a deportation decision. The status lasts until removal.
Removal from the Registry
A person is removed from the registry when:
- They leave Russia, as recorded by border control.
- They obtain new legal grounds to stay (visa, work patent, RVP, VNZh).
- The decision behind the expulsion regime is revoked, or a court declares it unlawful.
Leaving the country ends the regime, but not the consequences of the irregular stay: depending on the length of the overstay, a re-entry ban of several years may apply.
How to Check Your Status
The registry is public and checking it is free: the foreigner, a private individual, an employer or a company can verify whether a person is listed.
Two channels are available:
- The MVD website: online services for migration matters, then "Реестр контролируемых лиц" (Register of Controlled Persons).
- The Gosuslugi portal, which offers the same check.
You enter the surname, first name, date of birth, and the series, number and issue date of the identity document. The answer only states whether the person is listed or not, and the data is updated every four hours.
Scale of the Problem
The registry is part of an unprecedented tightening of Russian migration policy. In 2024, more than 80,000 foreign nationals were forcibly expelled by court decision, almost twice as many as in 2023 (about 44,200), according to the Federal Bailiff Service (FSSP) cited by TASS.
The registry system is designed to transition enforcement from case-by-case administrative actions to a systematic, automated mechanism: consequences now start from inclusion, without waiting for a court decision.
Practical Implications
For Foreign Nationals Currently in Russia
The main risk is an unintentional overstay: a tourist visa expiring during an extended stay (flight delay, health problem), a residence document expiring before the next one is issued, or a change of status leaving an administrative gap. Even a single day of irregular stay can lead to inclusion in the registry. Those who suspect they may be in an irregular situation should take immediate steps:
- Check your status on the MVD website or on Gosuslugi, especially after any migration procedure or check.
- Seek legal advice as soon as you are listed: the restrictions apply for as long as the decision behind the regime has not been revoked.
- Answer every summons: failing two or more times to comply with the restrictions and obligations leads to a deportation decision.
For Employers
Employers can check any foreign employee against the registry on the MVD website or on Gosuslugi. Employing a foreigner who has no legal grounds to stay or work exposes the employer to fines under Article 18.15 of the Code of Administrative Offences.
For Family Members
Russian citizens married to or in relationships with foreign nationals should be aware that the registry blocks the listed partner's marriage registration, property and vehicle purchases and most banking operations, and that minors staying illegally cannot be admitted to school or kindergarten.
Comparison with Other Countries
The registry system draws comparisons with similar mechanisms elsewhere:
- United States: Individuals with final removal orders face restrictions on employment authorization and certain public benefits, though marriage and banking rights are generally not affected.
- European Union: The Schengen Information System (SIS) flags individuals for entry bans and alerts, but individual member states apply varying levels of civil restrictions.
- Gulf States (UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar): These countries maintain robust systems linking immigration status to nearly all civil and economic activities, which is the model closest to Russia's new approach.
Russia's system is notable for the breadth of restrictions it imposes simultaneously and the speed with which they take effect.
Key Legal References
- Federal Law No. 260-FZ of August 8, 2024, amending Federal Law No. 115-FZ of July 25, 2002 on the legal status of foreign citizens (expulsion regime and registry of controlled persons, in force since February 5, 2025).
- Code of Administrative Offences, Articles 18.8 (breach of the rules of stay) and 18.15 (illegal employment of foreign nationals).
The creation of the registry signals a deliberate move toward stricter and more automated immigration enforcement. Foreign nationals living in Russia should ensure their documentation is current and seek professional guidance if there is any uncertainty about their status.
