Quota and permit for temporary residence in Russia

A temporary residence permit is issued for a period of three years and gives a foreigner the right to live and work in the federal subject where it was obtained.

What rights does a foreigner with a temporary residence permit receive?

• Employment. A temporary residence permit allows employment in any position without obtaining a work permit or patent for the entire period of the permit's validity.
• Residence registration. After receiving a temporary residence permit, you must register within 7 business days in the federal subject where it was issued. You can register for any period up until the temporary residence permit expires. To do this, you and the apartment owner must contact the local police department (usually located at the Multifunctional Center) in the area where the apartment is located. This type of registration remains valid even after a foreigner has left Russia, unlike migration registration.
• Entrepreneurial activity. A foreigner can register as an individual entrepreneur and engage in commercial activities.
• Possibility of obtaining a residence permit. In many cases, a temporary residence permit is a necessary step in obtaining the subsequent document—a permanent residence permit. 

Every year, the Russian government sets a quota for each region of the country—the number of temporary residence permits that can be issued to foreigners who do not have grounds for obtaining such a permit.

For 2025, a quota of only 5,500 foreign citizens was approved for all federal subjects of the Russian Federation, of which Moscow received 1,000, the Moscow Region 359, and St. Petersburg 200. Of course, these numbers are negligible compared to the number of applicants who flock to migration centers every month.

The following factors can help increase your chances of receiving a quota:

• The foreigner speaks Russian, and such knowledge is documented;
• a foreigner owns an apartment for living;
• a foreigner is officially employed in the Russian Federation;
• a foreigner has education and qualifications that are in demand in the Russian Federation;

Foreign and domestic political trends, relations between the applicant’s home country and Russia, and other factors not directly related to the foreign citizen play an important role.

There's no limit to the number of times you can apply for a quota (in practice, you can submit a request monthly). However, the law doesn't provide clear criteria for granting or denying a quota, meaning it's impossible to challenge such a denial in court.

Who can obtain a temporary residence permit outside the quota?

• Foreigners married to a citizen of the Russian Federation permanently registered in the Russian Federation—after three years of marriage.
• Foreigners who were born on the territory of the RSFSR and received USSR citizenship.
• Foreigners whose parents (one of the parents) are citizens of the Russian Federation, permanently registered in the Russian Federation.
• Foreigners who received higher professional education in the Russian Federation after 01.07.2002.

Still have questions? Contact our immigration lawyer now!