Work permits and quotas for foreigners arriving with a visa

This page is for Turkish citizens who want to work for an employer in Russia. Since Turks enter Russia with a visa, the "patent" system applied to foreigners arriving visa-free does not apply to you. Your route is the work permit (разрешение на работу) process initiated by the employer. Below you will find who needs a permit, the steps of the process, the 2026 fees, and the deadlines you must observe to avoid losing your permit.

• A foreigner who enters Russia with a visa and is at least 18 years old may work only with a work permit.
• Two permits are required at the same time:
  • The employer's permit to employ foreign workers (разрешение на привлечение и использование иностранных работников)
  • The employee's personal work permit (разрешение на работу)
• A work permit is valid only in the region that issued the permit (federal subject). You cannot work in St. Petersburg with a permit issued in Moscow.
• A work permit is not issued as an electronic document; it is delivered as a paper document.

• Those who have a temporary residence permit (РВП) or residence permit (ВНЖ) in Russia. An РВП holder may work only in the region where the permit was issued (see R4.1 and R4.2).
• Participants in Russia's state program for the "voluntary resettlement of compatriots" and their family members.
• Employees of foreign embassies and consulates, personnel of international organizations, and their private household employees.
• Employees of a foreign manufacturer or supplier company who install, maintain, or carry out warranty repairs on technical equipment delivered to Russia.
• Journalists accredited in Russia.
• IT specialists working for IT companies that have received state accreditation: neither an employer permit nor a work permit is required (see R3.3).
• Students studying at a university or vocational school in Russia:
  • while working during vacation periods
  • while working outside study hours at the institution where they study or at a company established by that institution
  • while studying full-time in a state-accredited program and working outside study hours for any employer
• Cases where an employer permit is not required but a work permit is still required:
  • highly qualified specialists (ВКС) and their family members (see R3.2)
  • employees sent to a branch, representative office, or subsidiary in Russia of a foreign company established in a World Trade Organization member country

• Work-purpose invitations for visa-required foreigners are issued according to the quota determined annually by the Russian Government. The quota is determined based on proposals from the regions.
• The employer's permit to employ foreign workers is issued with the positive opinion of the regional employment authority. This permit is valid for 1 year.
• The Government may also set a quota for work permits issued to visa-required foreigners; this quota may be set for a single region or for the entire country.
• Highly qualified specialists (ВКС) are not subject to the quota (see R3.2).

1. The employer obtains a permit to employ foreign workers. The application is submitted to the migration unit of the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs; an opinion from the regional employment authority is required.
2. The employer requests a work-purpose invitation for you. Together with the invitation petition, the employer also submits the documents required for your work permit. The invitation and work permit are prepared together; when issuing the invitation, the Ministry of Internal Affairs also delivers the work permit for each employee to the employer.
3. You obtain a work visa for Russia in Turkey using the invitation. The application is submitted to Russia's consulates in Turkey or to the official visa center (see R1.3).
4. You undergo a medical examination within 30 days after entering Russia. The examination is carried out at authorized medical institutions in Russia.
5. The employer registers you for migration purposes and notifies the Ministry of Internal Affairs no later than 3 business days after signing the employment contract.
6. If required, you submit your certificate in Russian, Russian history, and the fundamentals of Russian law to the Ministry of Internal Affairs within 90 days after the work permit is issued. This certificate is not required for permits issued under the quota (see below).
7. The employer may also submit applications for invitations, work permits, extensions, and amendments electronically through the Gosuslugi state portal.

• The original invitation issued by a Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs unit
• Passport: valid for at least 1.5 years from the visa start date and containing at least 2 blank pages
• A signed electronic visa application form, completed and printed from the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs website
• Photo measuring 3.5 × 4.5 cm: light-colored background, taken from the front, without dark-tinted glasses or a hat
• For a work visa longer than 90 days, an HIV test certificate: it must have been issued no more than 3 months before the application
• Fee receipt

• Medical examination (30 days): You must undergo an examination at an authorized medical institution within 30 calendar days of entry. The examination checks:
  • use of narcotic or psychotropic substances without a prescription
  • infectious diseases posing a risk of transmission to others
  • HIV infection
• The administration of each region determines the list of authorized medical institutions. The nationwide register is published on the website of the Russian Federal Service for Surveillance in Healthcare (Roszdravnadzor).
• Language, history, and law certificate (90 days): In cases where a certificate is required, if you do not submit it within 90 days after the work permit is issued, your permit is cancelled.
  • Those exempt from the certificate: persons who obtained a work permit under the Government quota (since July 31, 2025), highly qualified specialists (ВКС), and journalists working for media organizations publishing in a foreign language.
  • Ask your employer whether your permit falls under the quota.
• The exam is administered for a fee at state institutions on the Russian Government's list (see R4.3 for exam locations and fees). The following documents replace the certificate:
  • a state diploma obtained before September 1, 1991, in one of the former USSR countries, at least at the level of basic education
  • a diploma obtained in Russia through a state examination after September 1, 1991
• Fingerprints and photograph: A person who obtains a permit as a highly qualified specialist (ВКС) will have the permit cancelled if they do not apply for fingerprinting and photography within 30 days of entry. For biometric rules at the border, see R2.3.

• Work-purpose invitation: 8,000 rubles per person
• Employer's permit to employ foreign workers: 15,000 rubles for each foreign employee
• Work permit: 5,000 rubles
• Extension of a work permit: 4,200 rubles
• Duplicate work permit or change of information: 2,100 rubles
• These fees do not include the consular visa fee, medical examination fee, or language examination fee.

• If the employer's permit to employ foreign workers is cancelled or the employer ceases operations, you may conclude a new contract with another employer. There are two conditions:
  • there must be at least 3 months remaining until your work permit expires
  • the new employer must also have a permit to employ foreign workers
• The new contract remains valid until the expiry date of your current permit.
• If your work permit expires and is not extended, or if the permit is cancelled, your employment contract also ends.

• Having been deported from Russia within the last 5 years, or having been deported two or more times within the last 10 years
• Submitting forged documents or knowingly providing false information
• A final conviction or an uncleared criminal record
• A decision stating that your entry into Russia is undesirable or prohibited
• The employer submitting forged documents or failing to comply with the rules

• Consular Section of the Embassy of the Russian Federation in Ankara — work visa applications
  • Address: Andrey Karlov Sokak No: 5, Çankaya, Ankara
  • Telephone: +90 312 439 21 83 (09:00–12:00)
  • Appointments: ankara.kdmid.ru. The Consulate accepts documents only from people registered in the system.
• Russian consulates general: Istanbul, Antalya, and Trabzon. Honorary consulates: Izmir and Mersin.
• Official Russian visa center — application points in Istanbul, Antalya, Trabzon, and Ankara
  • Web: russia-visacentre.com
  • Telephone: +90 212 249 68 48
• In Russia: work permit procedures are handled by the migration unit of the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs in the region where your workplace is located. Your employer submits the application.
• Turkish side: Embassy in Moscow; consulates general in Kazan, Krasnodar, and St. Petersburg. Appointments are made through konsolosluk.gov.tr. The Foreign Ministry Consular Call Center is open 24/7: +90 312 292 29 29.

• Hold a permit to employ foreign workers
• Ensure that you obtain a work permit
• Provide the documents required for your migration registration
• Notify the Ministry of Internal Affairs within 3 business days that the employment contract has been concluded or terminated
• Assist you in leaving the country when the contract ends
• Pay the expenses if a foreigner employed in violation of the rules is deported

• Entering with a tourist or business visa and starting work. Working with these visas is prohibited and may result in a fine and deportation (see R3.5).
• Planning to "get a patent." A patent is only for foreigners who enter visa-free; Turkish citizens cannot obtain a patent.
• Missing the 30-day deadline for the medical examination.
• Failing to submit the language, history, and law certificate within 90 days when it is required for the permit. In this case, the permit is cancelled.
• Working in another region with a permit obtained in Moscow.
• Failing to pay attention to passport validity. For a work visa, the passport must be valid for at least 1.5 years from the visa start date.
• Leaving Turkey without asking whether the employer has a quota or a permit to employ foreign workers.

• Is there a special work ban applicable to Turks? No. The restrictions introduced in 2016 were lifted on May 31, 2017. Today, Turkish citizens are subject to the same rules as other visa-required foreigners (see R3.4).
• Can I apply for a work permit myself? No. The employer starts the process: first obtains its own permit, then requests an invitation and work permit for you.
• If I have a residence permit in Russia, do I still need a work permit? No. Those with a temporary residence permit (РВП) or residence permit (ВНЖ) may work without obtaining a work permit. An РВП holder may work only in the region where the permit was issued.
• What is the penalty for working without a permit? A fine and deportation. Penalties are higher in Moscow, St. Petersburg, and the surrounding regions (see R3.5).
• Can I work while I am a student? If you study full-time in a state-accredited program in Russia, you may work outside study hours without a work permit. No permit is required for work during vacation periods either (see R5.2).

• Federal Law 115-FZ, legal status of foreigners (full text)
• Russian Tax Code, Article 333.28: fees for migration procedures
• Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs – electronic visa application form
• Embassy of Russia in Ankara – appointment system
• Gosuslugi – Russian state services portal
• Gosuslugi – new entry rules for foreigners
• Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs consular appointment system