Russian Work Visa for Foreign Citizens

If a foreigner is planning to find a job in Russia, he/she needs to obtain a visa, which will give him/her the right to work legally in the country, receive wages and stay in the territory of the Russian Federation until the end of the visa validity period.

However, a foreign citizen has the right to work only in the company that is specified in his/her work visa as an employer. If a foreigner needs to apply for a visa to work in another company, he/she will need to leave the country and go through the whole process of obtaining a work visa from the very beginning

What is the Russian Work Visa?

The Russian work visa is an authorization document, permitting a foreigner to continuously reside in Russia for a long period of time (1-3 years). This visa is issued to the category of foreign citizens who managed to find a job in a Russian company.

Basic information that will facilitate the process of applying for a work visa:

• Features of a work visa;
• Required package of documents for work visa application;
• Work visa application;
• Cost of work visa application;

Features of a work visa

Holders of a work visa do not have any limits on staying in Russia, unlike other types of visas, when it is allowed to stay in the country only for 3 months during each half year. As a rule, in most cases, work visas are issued for a period of 1 year, however, qualified specialists have the right to obtain a work visa with a validity of up to 3 years. Throughout the duration of the visa, a foreign employee has the right to cross the border of the Russian Federation an unlimited number of times.

How can the work visa be extended?

A foreign citizen has the opportunity to extend the work visa without leaving the territory of the Russian Federation.

If the visa validity period is not suitable for a number of reasons, you can get acquainted with information about other types of visa.

Required package of documents for work visa application

A different package of necessary documents is required for each foreign citizen in order to obtain a work visa.

In order to receive a business invitation, you will need:

• A photocopy of the passport data with a notarized translation into Russian;
• A photocopy of the diploma of the applicant for a work visa, which is documentary evidence of his/her qualification. The notarized translation of this document into Russian is mandatory.
• Two 3x4 photos.
• Pre-filled application form.

To obtain a work visa, you must provide the following documents to the consulate of the Russian Federation:

• Work invitation;
• Filled visa application form;
• Photos;
• Insurance policy;

Work visa application

To ensure that the foreign citizen successfully obtains a work visa, the following steps should be taken:

1. The company-employer must have a quota that gives the right to attract foreign employees to work. For the employer, it must submit information about itself to the Government Employment Service and within a certain period apply to the appropriate FMS office in order to obtain authorization to employ foreign labor;
2. The company-employer must apply to the appropriate state body in order to issue an individual authorization document, giving the right to a specific foreigner to work in a Russian company;
3. Then the company-employer will need to submit documents for issuing a work invitation for the future foreign employee;
4. After issuing an invitation and a work permit, the employer must send them to the foreigner via international express mail. Having received the documents, the foreigner needs to submit them to the Russian consulate in his/her country of residence, enclosing the main package of the required documentation.

A foreign citizen also has the right to issue a work visa for his/her relatives, indicating in the corresponding column “Purpose of the visit” their status: “accompanying family member”.

Cost of work visa application

In order to successfully obtain a work visa, a foreign citizen will need to carry out a large amount of work on preparing a package of necessary documentation, as well as go through the difficult visa application process. Our company will help you to prepare documents for work visa application. We can also deliver or receive the required package of documents for you. Moreover, we will provide you with consulting assistance by answering all your questions regarding the procedure for obtaining a working visa.

Assistance in obtaining a work visa in the Russian Federation

Before reading this article, we recommend that you read the articles from the list below:

• Russian work visa for foreign citizens;
• Work invitation for foreign citizens;
• The advantages of a business visa over a working visa;

We warn you that obtaining a work visa is an expensive and difficult process.