Russian, history, and law exam

This page is for Turkish citizens who need to prove their knowledge of Russian, Russian history, and the fundamentals of Russian law for a work permit, temporary residence permit (РВП), residence permit (ВНЖ), or citizenship in Russia. Below you will find who needs a certificate, who is exempt, where and how the exam is held, the 2026 fees, the certificate validity period, and official sample exam sets.

• Foreign nationals who want to obtain the following documents in Russia must prove their knowledge of Russian, Russian history, and law:
  • work permit or patent
  • temporary residence permit (РВП)
  • residence permit (ВНЖ)
• The level of the certificate depends on the purpose of the application. A higher-level certificate may also be used for lower-level purposes: a ВНЖ-level certificate is valid for РВП and work permits, while an РВП-level certificate is valid for work permits.
• Those who enter with a visa and obtain a work permit must submit the certificate to the Ministry of Internal Affairs within 90 days after the permit is issued. This rule applies to those who do not fall under the exemptions below.
• There are separate rules for citizenship (see below).

• A state diploma obtained before 1 September 1991 in one of the former USSR countries, at least at the level of basic general education (основное общее образование)
• An education document obtained after passing the state final examination in Russia after 1 September 1991. If you completed high school or university in Russia, you do not need to take the exam.
• A decision recognizing you as a "native Russian speaker" issued by a Ministry of Internal Affairs commission before 26 October 2023
• Diplomas obtained in Türkiye do not replace the certificate.

• For РВП and ВНЖ applications:
  • persons under 18
  • men aged 65 or older and women aged 60 or older
  • persons deemed to have limited or no legal capacity
  • highly qualified specialists (ВКС) and their family members when applying for a ВНЖ linked to ВКС status
  • ВНЖ applicants who have a parent, son, or daughter who is a Russian citizen and permanently resides in Russia
  • participants in the state program for the resettlement of compatriots living abroad and persons entering contractual military service
• For work permit applications:
  • highly qualified specialists (ВКС)
  • journalists working for media organizations publishing in foreign languages
  • persons working with a work permit issued within the quota determined by the Government under Article 18.1, paragraph 3 of Federal Law No. 115-FZ
• Those who obtained a ВНЖ before 1 January 2015 submit the certificate once when applying for a permanent ВНЖ.

• The exam may be administered only by state institutions included on the list of the Russian Government. The list was established by Government Order No. 3641-р dated 10 December 2024 and contains 92 institutions. These institutions are prohibited from outsourcing the exam or certificate issuance to third parties.
• There is no exam location in Türkiye on the list. Exam locations abroad are in Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.
• In cities with Turkish diplomatic missions, the listed institutions and exam addresses are:
  • Moscow: Moscow Center for Education Quality (ГАОУ ДПО "Московский центр качества образования") — Moscow, Voronovskoye settlement, Warsaw Highway, 64th km, property 1, building 47. This is the only listed exam address in Moscow.
  • St. Petersburg: Herzen Russian State Pedagogical University (РГПУ им. А.И. Герцена) — 46 Ligovsky Prospekt and 10–12 Krasnogo Tekstilshchika Street, letter E; also 20 Doroga Zhizni Street in Vsevolozhsk, Leningrad Region
  • Kazan: Kazan (Volga Region) Federal University (КФУ) — 2 Tatarstan Street and 12 Isayeva Street; also in Yelabuga and Naberezhnye Chelny
  • Krasnodar: Kuban State University (КубГУ) — 149 Stavropolskaya Street and 100/5 Dzerzhinskogo Street
• Each institution determines its own exam schedule. The institution must announce the exam dates at the exam location and on its official website at least one week in advance.

• РВП or ВНЖ-level exam: 5,900 rubles
• Work permit or patent-level exam: 3,800 rubles
• Separate citizenship exams: Russian 2,950 rubles, history and law 2,950 rubles
• These amounts were established by Government Resolution No. 1717 dated 4 December 2024 and are the same at all institutions on the list.

1. Application: You submit a written or electronic application to the institution administering the exam.
2. Preparation: Before the exam, the institution must explain the exam rules, provide consultation, and show you the official sample exam.
3. Exam day: You identify yourself by showing your identity document on camera. The entire exam is recorded on video and audio.
4. Exam sections:
   • РВП and ВНЖ levels: oral and written Russian; history and law knowledge tested on a computer
   • work permit and patent levels: written Russian on a computer; history and law knowledge test
5. Duration: Up to 80 minutes at the work permit level and up to 90 minutes at the РВП and ВНЖ levels.
6. Results: Results are recorded in the minutes within 1 day after the exam. Successful candidates receive a certificate; certificate details are entered into the state register of education documents (ФРДО), where the Ministry of Internal Affairs verifies them.
7. Appeal: A candidate who fails may appeal to the institution's appeal commission when receiving the results.
8. A candidate retaking the exam is not given a question set previously used at the same institution. Institutions create new question sets every month.

• Work permit or patent level: 3 years
• РВП level: 3 years
• ВНЖ level: indefinitely. If the ВНЖ is revoked, the certificate also ceases to be valid.
• The validity period begins on the date the certificate is issued.

• When applying for citizenship, knowledge of Russian is proven by one of the following documents:
  • Russian-language exam certificate for citizenship purposes
  • ВНЖ-level certificate
  • an education document obtained in the USSR before 1991 or in Russia after 1991
• Knowledge of history and law is proven by one of the following documents:
  • history and law exam certificate for citizenship purposes
  • a ВНЖ-level certificate or the education documents listed above
• Therefore, if you have a ВНЖ-level certificate, you do not need to retake the exam for citizenship.
• Persons aged 70 or older and persons with a first-degree disability are exempt from the language and history requirements for citizenship.
• Some routes to citizenship do not require language and history at all (see R4.4).

• Missing the 90-day deadline or taking the exam unnecessarily without first asking whether a certificate is required for the work permit.
• Buying a "certificate" from an institution or intermediary not on the list. The Ministry of Internal Affairs will not accept it if the certificate information is not in the state register.
• Applying for an РВП with a work permit-level certificate. A lower-level certificate is not valid for a higher-level purpose.
• Failing to notice that a 3-year certificate has expired.
• Taking the exam with a phone. The result will be cancelled.
• Assuming that there is an exam in Türkiye. The only foreign exam locations on the list are in Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.

• Can I take the exam in Türkiye? The Government's current list contains no exam location in Türkiye. You must take the exam at a listed institution in Russia.
• What happens if I fail the exam? You may apply again and will be given a different question set. You may appeal to the institution's appeal commission.
• What level should I take? If you plan to obtain a ВНЖ in the long term, take the ВНЖ level: it is valid indefinitely, can also be used for an РВП and work permit, and is accepted for citizenship.
• I graduated from a Russian university. Do I still need to take the exam? No. A diploma obtained in Russia after 1 September 1991 through the state final examination replaces the certificate.
• Where can I see sample questions? The Federal Institute of Pedagogical Measurements (ФИПИ) publishes official sample exams for each level (links below). The sample sets were updated on 15 May 2026.
• How does the Ministry of Internal Affairs know that my certificate is genuine? The issuing institution enters the information into the state register of education documents (ФРДО) using a qualified electronic signature. The Ministry of Internal Affairs verifies the certificate through this register; certificates with no record in the register are not accepted.

• ФИПИ – exam page for foreigners (sample exams, specifications)
• Exam specifications: work permit, РВП, and ВНЖ levels (PDF)
• Sample exam: work permit and patent level (ZIP)
• Sample exam: РВП level (ZIP)
• Sample exam: ВНЖ level (ZIP)
• Sample exam: Russian for citizenship purposes (ZIP)
• Sample exam: history and law for citizenship purposes (PDF)
• List and addresses of state institutions administering the exam
• 115-FZ Article 15.1: certificate rules (full text)