Guest entrance: Russia will introduce a digital migrant profile
The introduction of a digital migrant profile, which will replace a paper patent, will begin in Russia on June 30. This was announced by the Chairman of the Government of the Russian Federation Mikhail Mishustin. Izvestia found out how the innovation will help control the status of foreigners and Russia and what problems it will solve.
A new measure
In Russia, the introduction of a digital migrant profile will begin in June to facilitate monitoring of their status. This was announced by Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin during his annual report to the State Duma.
Mishustin also said that about 640,000 foreigners are currently in Russia illegally. Information about them has been entered into the register of controlled persons of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, which has been in effect since February.
"Migration policy is an extremely sensitive issue. A large proportion of illegal migration is a threat to public stability and security, but strategically it is law enforcement tasks that must be solved first and then respond to the challenge of insufficient quantity and quality of labor resources, this is an important element," the Prime Minister said.
Chairman of the Government of the Russian Federation Mikhail Mishustin
The Prime Minister stressed that such a goal-setting would be incorporated into the concept of state migration policy. As for the digitalization of these processes, since December 2024, an experiment has been underway to strengthen control over the entry and exit of foreigners when crossing the border: they must submit biometrics (face image and fingerprints) at airports.
According to the Interior Ministry, as a result of the verification of 2 million migrants, more than 550 people who changed their personal data were prevented from entering Russia.
"Starting from June 30, a digital profile with a unique identifier will be created, which will replace a paper patent in the future. We still need to prepare for a paper patent to replace it," Mishustin concluded.
What is a digital migrant profile?
The digital profile of a migrant will be a set of information about a person: biometrics, data on work permits issued, information about the place of registration, length of stay, and other important data that was previously stored on paper or in different databases that were not always consistent with each other. It is based on the principle of a "single window", which allows control authorities to access documents without unnecessary bureaucratic procedures.
— The concept is based on the existing experience of digitization of public services. The creation of a common platform that accumulates all data about migrants logically continues the government's policy of introducing electronic certificates, passports and other documents," lawyer Sean Betrozov explains to Izvestia.
Such an approach, he notes, will strengthen control over migration flows, increase transparency of interaction between government agencies and persons arriving in Russia, and also facilitate the procedure for verifying the legality of a foreigner's stay in the country.
— At the same time, it is important to note that the digital profile will not replace the classic passport of a foreign state or a foreign passport, but will become an additional mechanism operating within the framework of the Russian legal framework, — says Betrozov.
The Ministry of Finance explained that foreigners can create a profile on their own, if desired, in the RuID application. This is an analogue of "Public Services" for foreigners, which is already being developed as part of an experiment. In it, you will be able to inform about your visit to Russia and receive services in the country, for example, to get medical insurance or enroll in the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
At the same time, the changes will not affect citizens of Belarus, children under the age of six, diplomats and their family members, as well as employees of international organizations and their representative offices accredited in Russia, and their family members.
What is the purpose of a digital migrant profile?
According to Izvestia experts, the practical need to introduce a digital migrant profile is explained by several factors. First, migration flows remain high: in 2024, 9.5 million foreign citizens entered Russia, which is almost 5% more than a year earlier.
In February 2025, according to First Deputy Interior Minister Alexander Gorovoy, there were more than 6.1 million foreign citizens in the country, which is about 4.2% of the population (146.2 million people). The State strives to ensure transparency of their stay, especially when it comes to labor migration.
— The presence of a single electronic database, where all data about a person is collected, solves the problem of fragmentation of information between several departments. It often happened that one structure saw some information from a migrant (for example, he had a patent, but it expired long ago), another structure had more up-to-date information, and the third did not have access to some of the documents at all. A digital passport makes this problem irrelevant: if the database is maintained correctly, all interested authorities receive up—to-date and unambiguous information," says lawyer Sean Betrozov.
Secondly, he believes, a digital passport is needed to simplify procedures for the migrant himself. The patent applicant no longer needs to keep a stack of papers and make sure that each office has the same versions. So, the Legality legal service, which provides migration assistance, explains to Izvestia that today a foreigner must have a passport, a migration card, a notification of arrival (registration), a fingerprint (so-called green) card, a patent, an employment contract stamped with a notification from the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and receipts for the payment of advance personal income tax payments.
"Every migrant is also required to undergo a medical examination with voluntary DNA donation, and if something is missing, the question is raised about the legality/illegality of a person's stay in Russia with possible deportation and a ban on entry into the country," the organization notes.
Now, due to the transition to electronic documents, a person gets access to their data online, and if necessary, they can confirm their presence in the electronic system.
"This helps to avoid fakes or inconsistencies, and also motivates migrants to use legal registration channels, realizing that it will become more difficult to avoid registration," concludes Sean Betrozov.
How will the digital profile of a migrant work?
As lawyer Betrozov explains, according to the government's idea, the digital profile of a migrant will be created on the basis of existing information systems, including databases of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Federal Tax Service, the Social Fund, medical insurance systems and others. When crossing the border, a foreign citizen will be identified within the framework of a Single Biometric System or other agreed mechanisms.
— To confirm the status of, for example, a migrant worker and legal residence in the Russian Federation, it is possible to quickly check the digital profile by the employer and authorized bodies. The verification procedure itself can be implemented through a QR code, the electronic application "Gosuslugi" or special portals. As a result, a unified environment is formed in which all data updates occur in real time, and the authorities receiving the verification request see the latest information," says the lawyer.
It is assumed that the migrant will enter his data, upload electronic copies of documents and pay the corresponding fees online. From the point of view of technical implementation, many solutions are based on the same platform as electronic passports of Russian citizens, or on "Public Services". The status of the patent, the history of entries and exits, the presence or absence of entry bans or violations of migration legislation are also reflected in the digital environment.
— The key feature of the project is mandatory biometric identification. Government agencies emphasize that it will help to unambiguously link a person to his profile, eliminating the possibility of transferring documents to another person or registering in a fictitious name. The use of biometrics is already enshrined in federal legislation regarding the collection and processing of personal data and is undergoing additional regulation for migration control purposes. Of course, it is important to ensure the protection of biometric information in order to avoid the risks of leakage and misuse," concludes the Izvestia interlocutor.
What will change the appearance of a digital migrant profile?
The appearance of a digital migrant profile will help solve at least four problems related to foreign citizens. The first is the situation with illegal migration and the grey labour market.
— When foreigners work without patents or with forged documents, regional budgets receive less taxes and fees, and migrants themselves find themselves outside the legal field, not protected by labor legislation or social guarantees. A digital passport makes the registration process transparent and complicates the work of black intermediaries, who previously could help illegal immigrants to issue fake papers," the lawyer explains.
The second problem is the lack of clear interaction between different authorities, including problematic data exchange between regional divisions of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, tax authorities and employment services. The electronic system allows you to reach all levels and regions, creating a single platform accessible to authorized officials. This will significantly reduce the number of duplicate checks and situations where one authority sees expired documents, while the other, on the contrary, considers them valid.
The third problem is the reduction of social tension associated with uncontrolled migration.
— As Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin noted, a high proportion of illegal immigrants can pose a threat to social stability. When the authorities do not understand the real scale of foreigners' stay and cannot identify violators, the risk of criminal incidents, tax evasion, labor market dumping and domestic conflicts increases. A digital passport will make it possible to identify illegal migrants more quickly and regulate their status," continues Sean Betrozov.
However, experts of the Legality legal service note that the human factor may play a role in this case: there may also be errors and typos in electronic databases. Therefore, it is important that the necessary adjustments can be made to the database promptly.
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