The Legal Framework: an Experiment Under Decree No. 1510
On November 7, 2024, the Russian government adopted Decree (postanovlenie) No. 1510, which took effect on November 21, 2024. It does not create a general, permanent obligation: it sets up a two-stage experiment in collecting biometric data from foreign nationals and stateless persons entering Russia, originally scheduled to run until June 30, 2026.
Decree No. 468 of April 27, 2026, in force since June 30, 2026, extended the experiment until December 31, 2027. It also sets a specific procedure for foreign professional truck drivers entering visa-free for international road haulage.
Two separate schemes therefore coexist. The first, fingerprints and a facial photo at passport control, applies to every non-exempt foreigner at equipped crossings. The second, the online entry application through the RuID app, concerns visa-free travelers only and remains optional.
Stage 1: Fingerprints and Photo at Passport Control
Since December 1, 2024, border guards have been taking a facial photo and fingerprints from foreigners arriving at Sheremetyevo, Domodedovo and Zhukovsky international airports, as well as at the Mashtakovo road crossing in the Orenburg region, on the border with Kazakhstan. Vnukovo, listed in the decree "where technically possible", joined the scheme on May 1, 2025.
The collection applies to every foreigner who does not fall under an exemption, whatever the entry document: consular visa, e-visa or visa-free entry. A traveler who refuses to comply may be denied entry.
In June 2026, eleven more crossings were equipped, including in St. Petersburg, Novosibirsk, Krasnoyarsk, Yekaterinburg and the Altai Krai, according to Irina Volk, spokesperson for the Interior Ministry (MVD), quoted by Profile magazine in August 2026. According to the MVD, about 14 million foreigners had gone through these checks by then, identifying 68,900 people banned from entering Russia.
Who Is Exempt From Biometric Collection
Decree No. 1510 excludes several categories of travelers from the experiment:
- citizens of Belarus;
- children under 6;
- diplomatic and consular staff, and their families;
- staff of international organizations, and their families.
The list was amended by Decree No. 1562 of October 8, 2025. If your situation is unusual, for instance a service passport or an official mission, check with the Russian consulate before departure.
No exemption covers visa or e-visa holders as such: a tourist arriving at Sheremetyevo on a visa goes through fingerprinting like any other foreigner.
at an equipped crossing, every non-exempt foreigner gives fingerprints and a facial photo, with or without a visa. The RuID app only concerns visa-free travelers and is still optional.
Stage 2: the RuID App and the Online Entry Application
Since June 30, 2025, the second stage of the experiment has covered all border crossings. Its stated goal is to build a digital profile of each foreigner. In practice, foreigners entering Russia without a visa may file an entry application in the "Gosuslugi RuID" mobile app between 90 days and 72 hours before arrival.
The step is voluntary during the experiment: not filing an application is not a ground for refusing entry. According to the Ministry of Digital Development (Mintsifry), quoted by the industry outlet ComNews in January 2026, more than 131,000 applications had been filed.
Travelers holding a consular visa or an e-visa are not covered by this online entry application: their data was already submitted with their visa application. For the stay rules that apply to visa-free foreigners, see our guide to the 90-day rule.
December 2026: the Migration Card on Borrowed Time for Visa-Free Travelers
The migration card (migratsionnaya karta) has not been abolished. Issued on entry, it records the date and purpose of the stay and serves as the basis for migration registration (postanovka na migratsionny uchet). It must be kept until you leave the country.
The government has, however, instructed the MVD, Mintsifry, the FSB, the Foreign Ministry and the Ministry of Economic Development to prepare, by early December 2026, a mandatory Gosuslugi registration for foreigners entering visa-free, meant to replace the migration card for them. Until a legal text makes it mandatory, the online entry application remains optional and the migration card still applies to all foreigners.
What It Means for Western Travelers
A Visa Is Required: E-Visa or Consular Visa
Nationals of EU countries, the United States, the United Kingdom and Canada need a visa to enter Russia. Many EU nationals, including the French, Germans and Italians, are on the list of 64 countries eligible for the e-visa, which covers a short stay entirely online; Americans, Britons and Canadians are not, and must go through a consular visa. A consular visa is also required for stays over 30 days or for multiple entries.
Either way, the RuID app does not apply to them. The e-visa application itself only requires a photo, with no fingerprinting.
On Arrival
A visa holder arriving at Sheremetyevo, Domodedovo, Vnukovo, Zhukovsky or one of the crossings equipped in June 2026, including St. Petersburg, gives fingerprints and a facial photo at passport control, like any non-exempt foreigner.
Practical Tips
- Allow a little more time at passport control on arrival, especially at peak hours.
- With an e-visa, enter only through a crossing on the official list (see our e-visa guide).
- Keep your migration card until you leave the country.
- Check entry requirements with the Russian consulate before each trip, as the experiment may still extend to other crossings by the end of 2027.
Personal Data: the Framework of Law No. 152-FZ
In Russia, biometric data falls under Federal Law No. 152-FZ of July 27, 2006, "On Personal Data", whose Article 11 deals specifically with biometric data. The EU's GDPR does not apply to the Russian authorities: the rights of access, rectification and erasure it grants cannot be invoked against them.
Russia is not alone in collecting visitors' biometrics. The EU Entry/Exit System (EES), operating since October 12, 2025, also records the fingerprints and photo of third-country nationals at the Schengen area's external borders, and the United States has collected them from most foreign visitors since 2004.
