Migration Assistance for International Students
Please note:
- Citizens of Azerbaijan, Abkhazia, South Ossetia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Tajikistan, Ukraine, Armenia, Uzbekistan, and Russia, as well as holders of diplomatic visas, DO NOT require a student visa to enter Russia.
- Citizens of all other countries need to obtain a student visa.
Visa-Required Students
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Preparing for Arrival and Obtaining a Visa
Before you can be issued a visa, you must be enrolled in a pre-university program, a bachelor’s/master’s/specialist’s degree program, or a PhD program at MAI.
Check your passport: it must be valid for at least 18 months from the date of your expected entry to Russia. It must also have at least 4 blank pages for a visa and entry/exit stamps. If there is not enough space in your passport, you will need to obtain a new one.
In order to obtain a single-entry student visa valid for 90 days, you will require an invitation. A multiple-entry student visa will be issued after you arrive in Russia.
You will need the following documents for your stay in the Russian Federation:
- Passport with a valid visa;
- Migration Card with a border crossing stamp;
- Detachable section of the Notification of a Foreign Citizen’s Arrival in the Russian Federation with a stamp by the local migration authority confirming an instance of migration registration at your temporary place of stay (also referred to simply as the “Registration”).
A study invitation can be issued no sooner than 45 days before your intended arrival in the Russian Federation. You should decide on the arrival date.
For an invitation to be issued, you will need to send the following documents and information in writing to visa@mai.ru:
- Passport (the page containing your photo), with the expiration date being no sooner than 1,5 years from the moment of entry to the Russian Federation (the visa start date);
- Copy of a valid visa;
- Place of visa issue (country and city).
A visa can only be issued in your country of citizenship. You can obtain a visa in a different country only if you hold permanent resident status there.
In some instances, you may also need to specify your permanent address.
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Entry to Russia
You will be required to provide your passport with a visa and the Migration Card. You will be issued a Migration Card on the plane, train, bus, or at the border checkpoint. If you are entering from Belarus, pay attention to border crossing regulations.
In case of filling the form on your own:Make sure to underline “Education” as the purpose of your travel.
If you have noticed a mistake in your Migration Card at the border checkpoint, ask an officer for assistance.
If you have noticed a mistake in your Migration Card after leaving the border checkpoint, you will most likely be forced to leave Russia and request another invitation from the International Department.
Upon each entry to Russia, foreign citizens must apply for migration registration. The procedure for submitting a Notification of Arrival varies depending on where you intend to live.
Within 3 days of crossing the border, you need to visit the MAI International Department (Room 111) to submit your documents for migration registration. -
Extension of Stay
- If your studies are set to conclude after the visa expiration date, you need to extend your visa and obtain a new Registration.
- The documents for visa extension are to be submitted in person no sooner than 3 months and no later than 21 business days before the visa expiration date. The extension is performed by the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation within 21 business days.
- If a new passport is issued, you must apply for a visa transfer within 3 calendar days.
- If you intend to leave Russia, we recommend buying tickets only after you have received your passport with an extended visa.
The documents to be provided to the International Department (Main Administrative Building, Room 111) no later than 30 days before the expiration date of an existing visa for the issuance of a new visa:
- Copy of ALL pages of the passport (including blank pages);
- Original and a copy of the detachable section of the Notification of a Foreign Citizen’s Arrival at a Place of Stay (the “Registration”);
- Copy of the Migration Card;
- 1 photo measuring 3x4 cm;
- Receipt for the payment of multiple-entry visa processing fees. The payment details will be provided by the International Department (Main Administrative Building, Room 111);
- Copy of the education agreement or a referral from the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation.
Important:
- Foreign citizens who require a visa but have failed to apply for an extension in time must leave Russia within the remaining validity period and receive a new invitation to return to their studies.
- The period of temporary stay may be extended or reduced if the conditions under which the foreign citizen was granted entry to Russia have changed or no longer apply.
- Completion or termination of studies is grounds to reduce the period of the foreign citizen’s temporary stay in the Russian Federation.
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Travel Within Russia and Abroad
Yes. Any travel that involves leaving your permanent place of stay in the Russian Federation voids your migration registration, requiring you to reapply upon return. Therefore, you should notify the MAI International Department (Main Administrative Building, Room 111) of your travel plans.
You may reenter on a valid multiple-entry visa at any point, but no later than 45 days before its expiration date, so that you can apply for an extension in a timely manner.
If you are departing on a single-entry visa, you will need a new invitation to return to Russia. You can request an invitation by writing to us at visa@mai.ru.
You will require an invitation to obtain a new visa. You can request an invitation by writing to us at visa@mai.ru.
The visa issuance process is described here.
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Completion of Studies and Departure from Russia
If you have successfully completed your studies, you must depart from Russia no later than the visa expiration date.
If you have been dismissed from the University, you must depart from Russia within 3 business days of the dismissal order date.
Visa-Free Students
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Preparing for Arrival
- You must be enrolled in a bachelor’s/master’s/specialist’s degree program or a PhD program at MAI.
- Make sure your passport will be valid at the time of your expected entry to Russia. It must also have adequate space for entry and exit stamps. The period of stay in Russia is limited to the validity of the passport and the duration of study.
You will need the following documents for your stay in the Russian Federation:
- Passport;
- Migration Card with a border crossing stamp;
- Detachable section of the Notification of a Foreign Citizen’s Arrival in the Russian Federation with a stamp by the local migration authority confirming an instance of migration registration at your temporary place of stay (also referred to simply as the “Registration”).
-
Entry to Russia
You will be required to provide your passport with a visa and the Migration Card. You will be issued a Migration Card on the plane, train, bus, or at the border checkpoint. If you are entering from Belarus, pay attention to border crossing regulations.
In case of filling the form on your own: Make sure to underline “Education” as the purpose of your travel.
If you have noticed a mistake in your Migration Card at the border checkpoint, ask an officer for assistance.
Upon each entry to Russia, foreign citizens must apply for migration registration. The procedure for submitting a Notification of Arrival varies depending on where you intend to live.
Immediately upon arrival in the Russian Federation, foreign citizens need to submit their documents to the MAI International Department (Room 111) for initial migration registration.No later than 3 business days from your arrival. We recommend doing so the following day.
- Migration Card: a document containing information on a foreign citizen’s border crossing date and purpose of travel.
- Notification of Arrival: a document confirming the legitimacy of a foreign citizen’s stay in Russia.
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Extension of Stay
- If your studies are set to conclude after the notification of arrival expiration date, you need to obtain a new Registration.
- To extend your migration registration, the required documents are to be provided no later than 7 business days before its expiration. The extension is performed by the local migration authority of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation at your current place of stay within 7 business days.
- Migration registration may be extended by up to one calendar year and terminates with the expiration of the passport or the completion of studies.
- If a new passport is issued, you must reapply for migration registration within 7 business days.
- Copy of the passport;
- Copy of the Registration;
- Copy of the Migration Card (except for Belarusian citizens);
- Enrollment verification certificate;
- Copy of the education agreement;
- Referral from the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of Russia;
- Extract from the enrollment order.
The procedure for submitting a Notification of Arrival varies depending on where you intend to live and does not entail any processing fees.
You will need to visit the International Department (Room 111) to extend your stay.
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Travel Within Russia and Abroad
Yes. Any travel that involves leaving your permanent place of stay in the Russian Federation voids your migration registration, requiring you to reapply upon return. Therefore, you should notify the MAI International Department (Main Administrative Building, Room 111) of your travel plans.
- If you have successfully completed your studies, you must depart from Russia no later than the visa expiration date.
- If you have been dismissed from the University, you must depart from Russia within 3 business days of the dismissal order date.
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Completion of Studies and Departure from Russia
If you have successfully completed your studies, you must depart from Russia no later than the visa expiration date.
If you have been dismissed from the University, you must depart from Russia within 3 business days of the dismissal order date.
