On June 30, 2025, new border crossing rules took effect regulating how stateless individuals and foreign nationals who are exempt from visa requirements can enter and exit Russian territory.
The new rules implement the second phase of a nationwide experimental regime designed to test new border crossing procedures. The rules were established last year by government resolution. (Government Resolution No. 1510 of November 7, 2024, on Conducting an Experiment to Test the Rules and Conditions for Entry into and Exit from the Russian Federation for Foreign Citizens and Stateless Persons, art. 1(b).)
The Experimental Regime
The first phase of the border-crossings experiment commenced on December 1, 2024. Its implementation has been limited to designated entry points, including four international airports near the city of Moscow and a multilateral checkpoint for automobile, pedestrian, cargo, and passenger traffic in the Southeastern Orenburg Region. During this phase, which lasts through June 30, 2026, foreign nationals must undergo biometric registration procedures, including fingerprinting and photographing. (Resolution, art 1(a).)
The second phase of the experimental regime, which runs from June 30, 2025, through June 30, 2026, expands the scope of the experiment to all border crossing points of the Russian Federation. (Art. 1(b).)
This phase sets forth new digital pre-entry requirements for individuals entering Russia without a visa under bilateral or unilateral visa-free arrangements. Countries with visa-free agreements with Russia include most of the former Soviet states and about 50 other nations, mainly from the Caribbean, Central and South America, and Southeast Asia. A full list of visa-free countries is available from the Consular Information Portal of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The New Rules
Under the new rules, foreign nationals and stateless individuals entering Russia without a visa must complete the following mandatory steps prior to travel:
- register in the Unified Identification and Authentication System (ESIA), which is the main system used to access digital government services in Russia,
- submit an electronic entry application via the Unified Portal mobile application no later than 72 hours before entry into Russia, or in emergency cases such as the need for urgent medical treatment, serious illness, or the death of a close relative, no later than four hours before entry, and
- upload a photograph and a scanned copy of their identity documents to the Unified Biometric System through the mobile application. (Rules, art. 5(a)-(c).)
Entry applications for minors or legally incapacitated individuals must be submitted by their legal representatives or authorized accompanying persons. (Art. 7.)
Each entry application is valid for 90 days from the date of submission. After the application expires, a new one must be filed. (Art. 6.)
Upon arrival, border officials will verify the traveler’s data with the previously submitted electronic information. Travelers may monitor the status of their application at their personal accounts, including acceptance, rejection, or any other decision prohibiting entry made by the Federal Security Service. (Art. 12.)
The system will automatically generate a QR code after an application is successfully accepted and approved. Individuals must present the code alongside identity documents at border crossing points.
The mobile application used to submit biometric information required for entry into Russia can be downloaded via RuStore, Google Play, AppGallery, and the App Store. The application is available in several languages in addition to Russian and English, including Armenian, Kazakh, Kyrgyz, Tajik, and Uzbek.
The new procedures do not apply to the following individuals:
- citizens of Belarus,
- heads and staff of diplomatic missions and consulates of foreign states in Russia, and their family members,
- officials of international organizations and representatives of international organizations accredited in Russia, and officials entering or leaving Russia to perform official duties or as part of official delegations, and their family members,
- holders of diplomatic or service passports, including special, official, and other passports recognized in Russia, and their families,
- foreign nationals who require a visa to enter Russia, and
- children under six years of age. (Resolution, art. 2 (a-g).)
The Russian Ministry of Digital Development, Communications, and Mass Media stated that the new procedures are designed to create a comprehensive digital profile of each foreign entrant and strengthen security protocols.
Under separate legislation, those foreigners who need visas to enter Russia can now obtain electronic visas. (Amendments to the Federal Law on the State Border of the Russian Federation and the Federal Law on the Procedure for Leaving and Entering the Russian Federation.) These electronic visas are valid for a single use and for travel no longer than 30 days. (Amendments, art. 2, para. 5.) Individuals may cross the state border using electronic visas only at checkpoints designated by the government. (Art. 1, para. 1.)
Iana Fremer, Law Library of Congress
November 13, 2025
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