Obtaining a temporary residence permit for foreign citizens in the Republic of Belarus

Is it necessary to issue a temporary residence permit?

The first, and perhaps the most important thing that a Belarusian who comes to Russia needs to know is the rules for legalizing his long-term stay in the country. For the first 30 days, such a guest has the right to stay in Russia without any additional registration; it is enough to have a passport of the Republic of Belarus in hand. If you decide to stay for a long time, then you should immediately attend to collecting documents to obtain a residence permit. At the same time, a citizen of the Republic of Belarus does not need to obtain a temporary residence permit in the Russian Federation. This order is based on the rules established quite distantly in 2009. So the question of how to obtain a temporary residence permit for Belarusians is irrelevant in principle; there is no need to obtain it. But what such a migrant should do to legalize his long-term residence should be discussed separately.

What benefits does obtaining a temporary residence permit give to Belarusians?

This is what the RVP stamp looks like in your passport.
A temporary residence permit is issued for three years. A temporary residence permit for Belarusians allows during this period to live and engage in any type of labor activity in the region where the migrant is registered. Also, citizens of Belarus have the right to use free medical care, study, and obtain a Russian driver's license.

The permit is issued in the form of a stamp. Its validity period is counted from the date stamped on the seal. Before receiving the document, you must undergo a mandatory fingerprinting procedure, and after receiving it, you must register.

Rights of a Belarusian on the territory of the Russian Federation: why do you need a residence permit?

Considering the mass of benefits that citizens of Belarus can enjoy on the territory of the Russian Federation, obtaining a temporary residence permit or any special status does not seem to be very important for them. After all, they can even find a job without obtaining a separate patent or temporary residence permit for citizens of a certain country. However, there are still some cases when there is no choice how to obtain a residence permit. In particular:

If a Belarusian plans to conduct business activities on the territory of the Russian Federation;
If a migrant wishes to take advantage of the limited voting rights that, on the basis of the law, are enjoyed by the person who has issued the residence permit.
If you plan to obtain Russian citizenship in the future.

Otherwise, the rights of a Belarusian after receiving a residence permit are as close as possible to the status of a Russian. He can use medical services in government institutions on the basis of a compulsory health insurance policy issued to him. The children of such migrants have the right to receive education in Russian educational institutions on the grounds established by law.

Documents for citizenship

What documents will be required from you at the stage of obtaining citizenship:

Application in the established form in two copies.
Passport series RR + notarized copy . At the same time, you must have a stamp confirming your departure for permanent residence in the Russian Federation, you must also have a departure slip and consular registration at the Embassy of the Republic of Belarus, although not everyone is required to do the latter.
Residence permit + its copy , while the residence permit must have a stamp indicating registration at the place of residence.
Birth certificate + notarized copy.
Certificate of marriage/divorce + notarized copy (if available).
Documents confirming residence in the RSFSR until December 21, 1991 (if any).
Passport of a close relative (spouse, parent, child, sister/brother, grandfather/grandmother, grandson/granddaughter), if he has Russian citizenship with permanent registration + documents confirming family relations .
Receipt for payment of state duty (3500 rubles).
3 photos – 3x4 cm, matte.
A document indicating a change in last name /first name/patronymic (if any).

This is important to know: A child was born in Russia: what citizenship if the parents are foreign citizens

In individual cases, during a personal consultation with an inspector, you may be required to provide a number of other documents. Also, any of the documents provided in a foreign language (not Russian) must be accompanied by a notarized translation.

If you are applying for Russian citizenship with minor children, then the following are added to the package of documents (the originals are not taken away, but are provided for review, since any copy you provide must be based on the original of this document):

child’s birth certificate + notarized copy;
passport of the second parent + copy of passport;
notarized consent of a child aged 14 to 18 years to acquire Russian citizenship;
notarized consent of the second parent (not a citizen of the Russian Federation) for the child to acquire Russian citizenship (required if the child does not have a residence permit, but has migration registration).

Citizens of Belarus, on the basis of the quadripartite agreement, do not need to:

confirm income;
take an exam on knowledge of the Russian language;
send a notarized renunciation of original citizenship to the consulate;
live 3 years married to a citizen of the Russian Federation.

Example: you came from Belarus to Russia, applied for temporary residence permit and temporary residence permit on a general basis (as an option), then got married and if your spouse has permanent registration in Russia and is a citizen of the Russian Federation, then you can apply for citizenship at least the next day after marriage.

Submitting documents for temporary residence permit and temporary residence permit - the first stages towards citizenship - is far from the fastest way before submitting documents for citizenship. Citizens of Belarus can take advantage of the scheme for obtaining a residence permit under the NPR program, and then switch to the basis of the quadripartite agreement. Now this is the most popular and easiest way to citizenship. This path might look like this:

Submit documents for NRN.
Go through the NRN commission and wait for its results.
You submit documents for a residence permit and wait for its results.
You receive a residence permit.
Register at your place of residence.
You apply for citizenship under the four-party agreement.
After 3 months you receive a decision on citizenship.
You take the oath and receive a Russian passport.

This is important to know: Main Directorate for Migration Affairs of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation: checking the readiness of Russian citizenship by region - how to find out whether Russian citizenship was granted online (by last name)

In most cases, you can successfully cope in a year or two with proper efficiency. I repeat once again that this is the best option and a year is generally an excellent period, taking into account the simplified conditions, but collecting documents and going through the basic steps will still require patience, concentration and study of the laws from you.

If for some reason ADR is not an option for you, you must go through the residence permit stage. However, roughly speaking, the next day after receiving a residence permit, you can apply for citizenship. It is mandatory for Belarusians to register for permanent residence in Russia and register with the consulate.

Also, if you want to follow the NNR program, one of the required steps is to renounce the citizenship of the country of origin (except Ukraine), which is actually a rather labor-intensive process. I'll tell you a little about this.

If not RVP, then what?

If you plan to live long-term in Russia, then you should start by registering for migration, after which you need to start collecting a package of documents to obtain a residence permit. Unlike temporary residence permits for migrants, temporary residence permits for citizens of Belarus will not have quotas, and a passport of a citizen of a state allied with Russia will be sufficient to qualify an applicant for such status. However, obtaining a residence permit may be somewhat more difficult; here you will have to confirm your ability to financially support yourself and your dependents (if any).

Attention! After receiving a residence permit, all you have to do is register at your place of residence and you can safely reside in the country for a period of five years.

When applying for a residence permit

The main benefit when Belarusians obtain a residence permit is precisely that they do not need to obtain a temporary residence permit first. As soon as the decision to stay in the Russian Federation for a long time is made, you can immediately apply for a residence permit. And the very fact of having a Belarusian passport, in accordance with Art. 4 of the Interstate Agreement of January 24, 2016, and is the basis for granting a residence permit.

Unlike citizens of most other states, Belarusians do not have an urgent need to obtain this status. However, a citizen of Belarus may need to obtain a residence permit in Russia if he:

wants to avoid the need to travel after dismissal;
plans to become an individual entrepreneur;
intends to acquire Russian citizenship, which is impossible without obtaining a residence permit.

To obtain a residence permit, a Belarusian does not need to find special reasons. It is enough to document that he has a place and money to live on, and pass a medical examination.

In this case, to confirm financial security, you can simply put the required amount on a deposit opened in your name in a Russian bank.

Unlike the overwhelming majority of foreigners, who are able to open accounts in Russian banks only after acquiring a temporary residence permit, there is no such restriction for citizens of the Republic of Belarus.

Documents for a residence permit of a Belarusian

In order to obtain a residence permit in Russia, a Belarusian must appear at the Main Administration for Migration Affairs of the region where he plans to reside and submit documents. The package will not be too big, but you need to assemble it correctly. So, persons receiving a residence permit must have:

Completed application for a residence permit in the Russian Federation. The form can be found online and filled out in block letters at home. In this case, errors and corrections must be avoided, all names must be indicated in full. No use of abbreviations or acronyms. The application is submitted in 2 copies in Russian.
Belarusian passport and its notarized copy.
4 color photos 35 by 45 mm, standard passport format.
Proof of livelihood.
Certificates received after a medical examination confirming that the applicant does not suffer from pulmonary tuberculosis and is not a carrier of HIV infection.
Confirmation of registration at the place of residence.
Receipt of payment of the state fee for reviewing documents for a residence permit - 3500 rubles.

Application forms and samples

Application for issuing a temporary residence permit (1437 Downloads) Application for issuing a temporary residence permit to a minor (165 Downloads) Appendix to the application for temporary residence permit (close relatives) (192 Downloads) Application for issuing a duplicate temporary residence permit (46 Downloads) Application for issuing a temporary residence permit in connection with the replacement of an identification document identity (43 Downloads) Application for extension of the period for providing medical certificates for temporary residence permits (49 Downloads) Application for correction of typos and errors in the temporary residence permit (40 Downloads) Application for refusal to provide a temporary residence permit (42 Downloads) Application for refusal to provide a temporary residence permit (35 Downloads) Sample application for issuing a temporary residence permit (925 Downloads) Sample application for issuing a temporary residence permit to a minor (109 Downloads) Application for a temporary residence permit quota (470 Downloads) Sample application for a temporary residence permit quota (402 Downloads) Form for an annual notification of residence under a temporary residence permit (249 Downloads) Sample annual notification about accommodation under temporary residence permit (213 Downloads)

Employment and confirmation of financial support

Belarusians can find employment in the Russian Federation without obtaining a special patent. This means that it is much easier for them to confirm their financial security, because they do not have to waste time on preparing a separate document.

It should be immediately noted that it is necessary to prove that the monthly income of a Belarusian is not lower than the subsistence level established in the region. This figure changes annually. It should be taken into account that it varies depending on whether we are talking about an able-bodied person, a minor child, or a pensioner.

The simplest and most reliable way to resolve the issue of confirming security is to provide a certificate indicating the amount of wages and the position in which the migrant works.

The second common option is a bank account statement, but the amount then should be very decent, at the table it is approximately 200 thousand rubles.

Other confirmed legal sources of income are also suitable, for example, alimony, social benefits (pensions), royalties for copyrights, etc.

Language exam

Russians and Belarusians are extremely close, and this also applies to language. It is difficult to find a Belarusian who does not speak or understand Russian speech. Partly for this reason, they were so outraged by the introduction in 2015 of a rule requiring testing for knowledge of the Russian language in the fundamentals of legal history. At the same time, there were no citizens of the union state on the list of persons exempted from testing separately. However, the situation was quickly corrected and in 2021, Belarusians were included in the list of those exempt from testing.

Registration at place of residence

If the language exam bypasses Belarusians, then all migrants, regardless of nationality, should have a place of residence in the Russian Federation. There are several ways to confirm the availability of housing:

Provide proof of ownership of your property and register in it. This is the most expensive option, because housing in principle is not cheap, although foreigners, including Belarusians, can use mortgage lending in the Russian Federation;
Provide a real estate lease agreement;
Register with relatives. At the same time, you need to remember that “registration” will require the consent of all home owners; without it, only a child who has not had registration can register in Russia at the place of residence of the parents.
Receive housing for use under a social rental agreement from the municipality.

Attention! This is a rather rare case; usually, local authorities provide housing to those highly qualified workers who have been invited for any projects.

So, Belarusians do not need to obtain a temporary residence permit for citizens to live in Russia, just as Russians do not need a temporary residence permit in the Republic of Belarus. However, in some cases a residence permit may well be required.

What does RVP status mean?

Three regimes of stay for foreigners have been introduced in the Republic of Belarus:

Temporary stay – stay of a foreigner in the Republic of Belarus for a period not exceeding 90 days per year from the date of entry;
Temporary residence – stay of a foreigner in the Republic of Belarus for a period of 90 days per year to one year from the date of receipt of a temporary residence permit;
Permanent residence – residence of a foreigner in the Republic of Belarus on the basis of obtaining a permanent residence permit.

Officially, a temporary residence permit for a foreigner in Belarus is a status under which he receives the right to stay in the country without leaving the country,, if necessary, leave it and return an unlimited number of times, get a job or register as an individual entrepreneur (if such plans are available, the Belarusian needs to register residence permit, more on this below) for the entire period of validity of the document.

Documentary confirmation of the presence of a temporary residence permit is a special stamp in the international passport of its holder.