Migration card (MK): what kind of document is it and why is it needed?

Many Ukrainians move to Russia for permanent residence or for a long time.

Border between Russia and Ukraine

Regardless of what attracts them outside their native homeland, be it the possibility of employment with a higher salary or the desire for change and a new life, all foreigners crossing the Russian border are under the supervision of the migration department. That is why there is a migration card for citizens of Ukraine.

What is she like?

This is a double coupon with an identification code that guarantees its authenticity, which is required to be filled out for everyone who intends to enter Russian territory. It allows temporary stay in the state without additional visa permits and contains personal information of the foreigner describing the purpose and timing of the visit.

The procedure for using a migration card is regulated by Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation of August 16, 2004 N 413. This document contains a card form for filling out, which can be downloaded separately here.

The information indicated on the card is entered into the database of the Main Department of Migration Affairs of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. In addition to the identification number, the card must also contain a border service stamp confirming the legality of entry. An expired migration card is considered an argument for deporting a migrant or collecting a fine.

Where is it issued?

You can get a card:

1. When entering the country from a border guard, if entry is carried out under your own power. This may be the option of crossing the border on foot or by means of a personal car.

2. In public transport - this can be a plane, a train or an international bus traveling across the border. You can contact the staff or the person in charge to obtain the form.

3. Upon arrival at the airport or train station, in cases where border control has not been carried out earlier.

Most often, on trains and other public vehicles, migration cards are issued by crew members in advance so that passengers have time to fill them out before going through control and thus do not create queues and delays at border checkpoints.

Migration card for entry into Russia

MK is the main permit for the entry of a foreign guest into the Russian Federation. If he somehow came to Russia without an MK, and the fact is revealed, the non-resident faces a fine and deportation to his homeland.

Who needs to get a card and why?

A migration card is issued to almost any foreigner entering Russia for 3 or more days. The document is required even for transit passengers if they will be traveling in Russia for more than 3 days, even if they do not intend to stay in the country longer than their flight. The form is issued both in transport and to those traveling on foot or in their own transport (at the border checkpoint).

There are exceptions to the rules. The MK is not needed for diplomatic workers of foreign states, foreigners entering in transit through Belarus (the card is issued for them there), and Belarusians.

Where and by whom is a migration card issued?

The form must be issued at the border upon entry into the Russian Federation. This could be a border checkpoint, a train, a bus, an airplane. In transport, forms are issued by employees of brigades or crews. When traveling by bus, the MK is issued by the driver, on the train - by the conductors.

Filling

The migration card itself is divided into two parts. Both are required to be filled out.

• A. Border control coupon, which, after filling out, remains with the border service officers.
• B. Remains with the foreign person who entered until the end of the entire period of stay in the Russian Federation.

To enter information, you need to use the Cyrillic alphabet, but if this is not possible due to ignorance of the language or for other acceptable reasons, you can fill out the card in Latin alphabet, in accordance with what is indicated in the foreign citizen’s passport. The information must be entered as legibly as possible, without errors, in blue or black pen, by the foreigner entering. Exceptions in which the card is filled out by a third party may be:

• age;
• disease;
• disability or temporary physical incapacity.

  

If you are planning a trip with children, then filling out a migration card will be required for them as well. If the child cannot enter the data independently, it is allowed to be filled in by parents or an official guardian.

Migration card for foreigners entering Russia: where is it issued?

Migrants exist in only three states: Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan. They are issued at customs, free of charge , when crossing the border and passing through passport control . If you are traveling by train, the conductor hands out blank forms in advance, and the customs inspector takes the completed ones (sometimes this is done with organized bus excursions). At airports, customs officers often fill out migration cards themselves on a computer and give them a ready-made printed version for signature.

No special documents other than a passport and a visa (if you are from a visa country) are required. The foreigner fills out two copies of the document: one remains with the customs officer (part “A”), the second - with the migrant (part “B”). A completed Russian migration form looks like this:

Sample migration card. Photo: Marina Danilova

How to fill?

The number and series of the MK are indicated at the top; it is this that is entered into the Central Database for Registration of Foreign Citizens (CBDUIG). Information from there is obtained not only by the customs officers themselves, but also by the Ministry of Internal Affairs, for example.

Next comes the foreigner’s data: full name, gender, date of birth, citizenship and passport number. The name of the column is duplicated in Russian and English, but is filled out only in Russian, in legible printed handwriting. Blots, corrections and errors are not allowed.

Below you are asked to select the purpose of your visit from those proposed:

• Official - noted by representatives of official delegations arriving at the invitation of government bodies, or at the invitation of foreign embassies, consulates, etc.;
• Tourism is for those who simply decided to relax in Russia;
• Commercial - for business meetings, signing contracts and other business purposes;
• Study - for those who are going to study in the Federation (the duration of study does not matter);
• Work - for those who want to find a job or already have a job in the Russian Federation. Please note that if this note is not in your migration document, then you will not be able to obtain a work patent or extend your temporary stay;
• Private - for those visiting relatives or friends;
• Transit - for those traveling to a third country through the territory of the Federation.

It is better to take the indication of the purpose of entry seriously and not to deceive. I once indicated “Private” and then got a job (I don’t need a patent). As a result, when I was about to renew my registration on the basis of an employment contract, my documents were simply not accepted. I had to urgently travel abroad and return with a new migrant. But I was lucky: in general, for failure to comply with the stated purpose of entry and the actual activity being carried out, you can receive a fine of 2,000 to 7,000 rubles with administrative expulsion (clause 2 of Article 18.8 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation).

If you arrive in Russia on a visa, then the purpose of the visit in the migration department must coincide with the type of visa (work, tourism, etc.).

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Next comes Information about the inviting party. In theory, you need to enter there the name of a relative or inviting friend, the name of the organization, or, at worst, the city that is the final goal. In practice, the customs inspector most often simply enters “RF” there and that’s it.

The length of stay is indicated from the date of entry to the expected date of departure. In fact, this is not a strict limit - you will not break the law if you leave before the specified date. But as for later, it’s better not to risk it:

The period of stay is regulated not only by the entry on the card, but also by migration legislation and international treaties. For most IGs, this period cannot exceed 90 days out of 180 . For those who enter on a visa, it coincides with its validity period.

Also at the bottom is the foreigner’s signature and a stamp confirming border crossing. On the reverse side of the migration document there is an empty space intended for stamps on the extension of the period of temporary stay (if any).

Purpose of the trip

There is an opinion that it is better not to indicate the purpose “work” in this column if there are no relevant documents and thus you can not be afraid of increased attention from the Main Directorate for Migration. Many people are in such a situation about or “private visit” and later face bad consequences.

The fact is that if illegal labor activity is detected, the citizen who violates this condition is subject to penalties in the amount of up to 5,000 rubles. or deported from the country with a travel ban for the next few years. In addition, if the required goal is not indicated in this column, then obtaining the opportunity to legally find a job in the future will be extremely problematic. The same applies to Ukrainians traveling to the Russian Federation for the purpose of education. Most Ukrainians even want to obtain Russian citizenship.

Registration

The migration card will be valid for 90 days per six months and will become invalid from the moment of departure from the Russian Federation; it is the main document for registering and obtaining a residence permit.

No later than 7 days after entry, a Ukrainian citizen must undergo a temporary registration procedure; for this, he becomes registered at his place of residence with the Main Directorate for Migration. The procedure is carried out by the landlord or owner of the living space where the foreign guest plans to live.

Temporary registration form

Registration itself in 2021 is carried out based on an employment or rental agreement, as well as admission to a Russian university. A Ukrainian citizen can only find employment in the region of his temporary registration.

Extension

The limitation on the duration of the migration card forces many migrants to face the need to extend the migration card to Ukrainian citizens for a longer period. There are several options for Ukrainians who want to live and legally work in the Russian Federation on a permanent basis without the need to cross the border. One of them is the conclusion of an employment agreement, which gives the right to remain in the country for the entire duration of the year. And:

1. Registration of a temporary residence permit (the application form for obtaining a permit can be downloaded here, a sample form can be filled out here). This can be done by:

• Ukrainian citizens who are spouses of Russian citizens;
• those who were born in the RSFSR;
• children of disabled citizens of the Russian Federation;
• parents of Russian citizens;
• contract servicemen in the Russian army have the right to citizenship.

2. Participation in a state program developed for immigrants.

To have the right to extend a migration card on the spot, a Ukrainian must belong to the category of citizens living in the ATO zone, namely in the Donetsk and Lugansk regions, who cannot return to Ukrainian territory on time due to the difficult political situation. Such Ukrainians need to contact the Main Department of Migration Affairs of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and have a migration card and passport with them. Russia is quite loyal to such cases, so repeated extensions often go smoothly. But this measure is temporary, so it is better to take care of your legalization in the state in advance.

For residents of other regions, the renewal procedure is the same as for other foreign citizens.

Another significant nuance is the effect of legislation throughout the country, including in Crimea. The conditions for staying and the duration of the migration card for residents of Ukraine on the peninsula are the same as in other regions.

Migration card of Russia for citizens of Ukraine

Unfortunately, the times when citizens of Ukraine could visit Russia without filling out various documents and all kinds of restrictions are a thing of the past. Now we have to reckon with stricter laws, regulations and rules. But this does not mean that Ukrainians have stopped traveling to the Russian Federation, since it is still very easy for them to enter the country. Citizens of Ukraine are looking for work, safety, recreation, or simply visiting relatives here. But regardless of the purpose of the visit, they must fill out a migration card upon entry into the Russian Federation.

Migration map of Russia

The Russian migration card is a special form filled out by a foreigner at the border control point upon entering the country. This is a document that contains information about the person entering, the purposes and duration of his stay in Russia. With the help of such migration cards, the Federal Migration Service of the Russian Federation controls the flow of citizens of other states entering and leaving the country, monitoring violations and punishing violators.

Citizens of Ukraine, regardless of the purpose of visiting the country and their future plans for staying here, must fill out a Russian migration card upon entry. It should be noted that it is one of the important documents that will be needed when trying to register for migration and apply for a patent for work, admission to a university, obtaining a temporary residence permit or residence permit.

Validity period of the migration card. Law "90/180 days"

According to current legislation, a migration card for citizens of Ukraine is not valid for an indefinite period. The period of stay under it is regulated by the so-called “90/180 days” law, which previously did not apply to citizens of Ukraine. According to this law, a Ukrainian has the right to stay on the territory of the Russian Federation for 90 days in six months, and the maximum validity period of a migration card is 90 days (if a patent or temporary residence permit has not been issued). This means that after staying in the Russian Federation for 90 days, a citizen of Ukraine must leave Russia, having the right to return only after 90 days.

• The restriction on the next entry only after 3 months can be circumvented legally. Read more…

Expired Russian migration card

Even a small delay in the migration card (up to 30 days) is a guaranteed fine of 2,000 rubles and expulsion from the country. If the delay is more than 30 days, the fine will be a larger amount, but what is much worse is that the violator will be given a ban on entry into the Russian Federation for 3-10 years.

This means that if you have an expired migration card in your hands, you should not procrastinate, but rather look for a solution to the problem. And we are ready to help you with this.

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What you will need to renew:

• request for extension;
• a copy of the agreement with the employer, if an increase in the period is requested on its basis;
• a statement from the receiving party that an extension is required;
• copies of passport and migration card;
• work permit.

Applications for migration card renewal can be found here.

Approval by the GUVM is influenced by:

• correct completion of documents;
• absence of legal violations during the period of residence in the Russian Federation;
• no expired migration card.

What are the consequences of overstaying your migration card?

If a Ukrainian does not leave the Russian Federation on time, he may face unpleasant consequences, since staying in the state after the card has expired is illegal under migration law.

The procedure for renewing a migration card by an employer: features of the procedure

One of the ways to renew a migration card is an official employment contract with a Russian employer. This document automatically gives the foreigner the right to stay in the Russian Federation for a year. The employer must submit documents for renewal to the Main Department of Migration Affairs of the Ministry of Internal Affairs (this can be done by making an appointment or by mail).

The list of papers is as follows:

• copy and original of the employment contract;
• application for renewal of a migrant card;
• receipt of paid duties;
• a completed form from the receiving party;
• migrant's documents (application, valid MK, international passport).

After checking the documents, as well as the identity of the job applicant for problems with the law, FMS inspectors make a decision whether or not to renew the migrant’s card. If the decision is positive, a mark is placed on the extension of the MK.

Actions in case of card loss

If something unexpected happens to your migration card during your stay in the Russian Federation, it is recommended that you contact the Main Migration Department with your passport within 3 days. If the employee considering the application considers the information to be reliable, he will issue a duplicate of the “migration document” on the spot. In such cases, a timely report of loss or damage is encouraged; this will help avoid fines and other unpleasant consequences. Otherwise, the person will have to pay a significant fine or face deportation.

It is also necessary to remember that you should not repurchase migration cards from third parties, since they are issued only by authorized bodies, and offers to purchase migration cards for Ukrainians in most cases are placed by scammers, and a fake document, if detected, can even lead to a prison sentence.