Since 2024 Russia has introduced a series of measures that tighten control over foreign nationals. Much of the political attention has focused on patent-based migration from Central Asia, but some changes affect every foreign worker, including Indian staff on work permits. This guide summarises what employers need to understand. Details change often, so treat it as orientation and confirm specifics with a Russian migration adviser.
The Register of Controlled Persons
From February 2025, Russia began maintaining a register of foreign nationals who are in the country without legal grounds — for example, after their permit or visa expired, or after a decision that their stay is unlawful. People on the register face restrictions on everyday activities, including banking operations, registering property or a business, driving and marriage, and are expected to leave.
For an employer, the risk is administrative error. A worker whose permit lapses because renewal was filed late, or whose registration was not renewed after a move, can end up on the register. Employers should not employ someone on the register, and a worker who appears on it cannot work normally.
The lesson is to track every expiry date — permit, visa, registration, medical insurance — well ahead of time.
The Expulsion Regime
Legislation has also introduced a regime under which foreign nationals can be subjected to restrictions and expected to leave in specific circumstances, with tighter supervision. Again, the aim is people outside the legal framework, not workers who hold valid permits. But compliance failures by an employer can push a lawful worker into an unlawful position.
Digital Profiles and Arrival Control
Russia has been building a digital profile of foreign nationals that links biometric data, documents, registration and status. Pilot rules have required certain arrivals to submit data through an official app before entry, starting with arrivals through Moscow airports, with plans to extend the requirement more widely.
For employers, this means:
- check the current pre-arrival requirement before each batch flies
- make sure the worker's data matches across visa, invitation and app submission
- build an extra step into the travel plan rather than discovering it at the airport
Stricter Checks and Higher Penalties
Alongside the new instruments, enforcement has intensified: more inspections, tougher scrutiny of fictitious registrations, and higher penalties for illegal employment. Fines are applied per worker, and serious cases can lead to suspension of activity. Employers who used to treat registration and notifications loosely now face real exposure.
Changes Aimed Mainly at Patent Holders
Several measures concentrate on the patent system: stricter Russian language and history testing, tighter medical rules, and region-level bans that shut patent holders out of selected occupations. These do not apply directly to Indian workers on visa-based permits, but they explain why employers who depended on patent labour are now looking at visa-country recruitment.
What It Means for Employers Hiring From India
The changes favour employers who already run a disciplined process. A visa-route worker with a quota-based permit, correct registration, timely notifications and valid insurance is exactly the kind of foreign employee the system is designed to accommodate. The cost of compliance has not changed much; the cost of non-compliance has.
Practical steps:
- Appoint one person responsible for migration compliance
- Keep a register of every worker's document expiries and review it weekly
- File permit renewals early, not in the last weeks
- Never let a worker move or travel without updating registration
- Check arrival requirements before each batch
Will It Tighten Further?
The direction of policy has been consistent: more control, more digital tracking and fewer informal arrangements. Employers should plan on the assumption that requirements will continue to evolve and build compliance capacity accordingly.
Related Reading
See our checklist on registration and the 3-day notice, preparing for an MVD inspection, and the comparison of work permits, patents and EAEU status. To plan a compliant intake, send us your requirement via the Russia page.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Russia’s register of controlled persons?
A register, in use since February 2025, of foreign nationals without legal grounds to stay. Those listed face restrictions on everyday activities and are expected to leave.
Do the 2025 changes make it harder to hire Indian workers legally?
Not much for compliant employers. They mostly raise the consequences of mistakes such as expired permits or incorrect registration.
