Political Asylum

Residence permits for persons granted political asylum in Russia, as well as their family members

Certain categories of foreign nationals are entitled to apply for a residence permit (hereinafter, a residence permit) in the Russian Federation and submit the required documents without first obtaining a temporary residence permit. These include a foreign national granted political asylum in the Russian Federation, as well as their family members.

Procedure for obtaining political asylum:
A person wishing to obtain political asylum in the Russian Federation must personally submit a written application to the territorial office of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation for the relevant constituent entity, at their place of stay, within seven days of arriving in the country or of the circumstances arising that prevent them from returning to the country of their citizenship or habitual residence.

The application addressed to the President of the Russian Federation must set out the circumstances indicating the reasons for the application (seeking asylum and protection from persecution or a real threat of becoming a victim of persecution in the country of citizenship or habitual residence on account of socio-political activities and beliefs that do not conflict with the democratic principles recognized by the international community and the norms of international law), as well as the required biographical information. The application review period is 3 months.

A person granted political asylum by the Russian Federation, as well as their family members, shall be issued a certificate in the prescribed form at the place where the application was submitted.

Obtaining a residence permit:
The territorial offices of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation issue residence permits to these persons on the basis of a certificate granting political asylum.

Practical example: 

A US citizen applied for political asylum and received the relevant certificate. On the basis of this document, they will be issued a residence permit in the Russian Federation.

Procedure for submitting documents for a residence permit:
To obtain a residence permit on the basis of Decree of the President of the Russian Federation No. 746 of 21.07.1997, “On Approval of the Regulations on the Procedure for Granting Political Asylum by the Russian Federation”, a foreign national or stateless person must apply to the territorial office of the Main Directorate for Migration Affairs of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia at their place of stay.

The review period for an application for a residence permit on this basis is 15 days.

Document package
The current list of required documents can be downloaded here

List of documents for applying for a residence permit on the basis of a certificate granting political asylum by the Russian Federation

1. Application in 2 copies (printed double-sided).

The application must be completed electronically or by hand in legible block letters, in black, blue, or violet ink, without corrections, alterations, or unofficial abbreviations. All fields that are required to be completed must be filled in.

If the application does not provide enough lines, additional information may be included on a separate sheet attached to the application, in the same format as the relevant application field, with the applicant’s first name, last name, and patronymic (if any) indicated on the attachment.

If the application is submitted on paper directly to the migration department, the applicant must sign it in the presence of the official receiving applications.

2. A document proving the applicant’s identity.

(At the time of application, the document must remain valid for at least the application review period.) 

3. Migration card and detachable portion of the notification form for the arrival of a foreign national or stateless person at their place of stay — migration registration.

4. Documents confirming changes to personal name details.

(A marriage certificate, divorce certificate, or registry office certificate if the surname has been changed more than once, or a certificate of change of name.)

5. Certificate granting political asylum by the Russian Federation.

6. Personal photographs, 35х45mm – 4 copies (matte, black-and-white or color).

Stateless persons must submit two photographs.

7. Receipt for payment of the state duty.

All of the documents listed must be submitted as photocopies together with the ORIGINALS.

Copies of original documents must be of good quality, easy to read, and include all information contained in the original document. Copies must be made on standard A4 sheets and must not be cut with scissors to match the dimensions of the original.

The public service is provided within 15 working days.

When documents for a residence permit are accepted, a receipt confirming that the application has been accepted for review is issued.

If the application for a residence permit is refused, a certificate stating the reason is issued.

Documents drawn up in a foreign language must be translated into Russian.

If a document is drawn up in several languages and none of them is Russian, a translation from one language chosen by the applicant must be provided. The accuracy of the translation or the authenticity of the translator’s signature must be certified by a notary in accordance with the procedure established by the legislation of the Russian Federation on notaries.

Decree of the President of the Russian Federation No. 746 of 21.07.1997 (as amended on 19.12.2018), “On Approval of the Regulations on the Procedure for Granting Political Asylum by the Russian Federation”