State Duma advances draft legislation that would raise fees for migrants, including a 12-fold increase in the cost of obtaining Russian citizenship
Russia’s State Duma, the lower house of parliament, passed on first reading two government bills (1, 2) that would raise fees for migrants several times over. The fee for Russian citizenship would increase 12-fold, from 4,200 to 50,000 rubles.
Other proposed increases:
- The fee for a temporary residence permit would rise eightfold, from 1,920 to 15,000 rubles
- The fee for a permanent residence permit would rise fivefold, from 6,000 to 30,000 rubles
- The fee for an entry invitation would rise eightfold, from 960 to 8,000 rubles per invitee
- The fee for single-entry visas would double, from 1,200 to 2,000 rubles, while the fee for multiple-entry visas would triple, from 1,920 to 6,000 rubles
The measures are projected to generate more than 15 billion rubles annually for Russia’s federal budget.
The government has proposed that the amendments take effect as soon as July 1.
Russian authorities began tightening migration policy after the terrorist attack at the Crocus City Hall concert venue near Moscow in March 2024. Against this backdrop, by early 2026 the number of foreign nationals in Russia fell to 5.7 million, down 10% from the year before.
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