Barrier environment: duties for migrants will increase by 200-1000 starting from July 1%

The amount of state duties for migrants may increase many times — the increase in payments will range from 200 to 1000%. Such a bill of the Ministry of Finance was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers on April 27, Izvestia found out. In particular, this will apply to invitations for entry, residence permits and admission to citizenship. New types of duties are also being introduced: foreigners will have to pay for the replacement of a residence permit and the issuance of a new one if the document is lost or damaged. How this innovation will affect the labor market is described in the Izvestia article.

How much will the fees cost

According to the document, contributions for foreign citizens and stateless persons for obtaining a residence permit will increase from 6 thousand to 30 thousand rubles. In fact, this is an increase of 400%. The bill also suggests the following changes::

• visas for multiple border crossings will increase from 1,9 thousand to 6 thousand rubles.;
• invitation to enter — from 960 rubles to 8 thousand rubles per person;
• The fee for a temporary residence permit is proposed to be increased from 1,9 thousand to 15 thousand rubles.;
• RVP for educational purposes will cost 8 thousand rubles.;
• the fee for the permit to attract foreign workers will increase from 12 thousand to 15 thousand rubles per employee.;
• the cost of a work permit is from 4.2 thousand to 5 thousand rubles.;
• admission to or withdrawal from Russian citizenship will increase from 4.2 thousand to 50 thousand rubles (by about 1000%).

Photo: IZVESTIA/Polina Violet

New types of contributions have also been added. For example, the replacement of a residence permit and for the issuance of a duplicate temporary residence permit, including for educational purposes: their cost will be 5-6 thousand rubles, added Vladimir Gruzdev, Chairman of the Board of the Russian Bar Association.

— The bill provides for exemption from payment of fees for admission to citizenship of former USSR citizens, as well as participants in the State Program for the resettlement of compatriots and their family members, — he said. — In addition, foreigners who have signed a one-year contract to serve in the Russian Armed Forces and their family members are exempt from fees for admission to citizenship and the issuance of a residence permit. Including in case of death of a serviceman.

He added that, according to the financial and economic justification of the bill, the expected amount of additional federal budget revenues from the increase and introduction of new state duties in the field of migration will amount to about 7.9 billion rubles from July 1, 2026, and about 15.8 billion rubles per year from January 1, 2027.

According to the authors of the bill, the territorial bodies of the Ministry of Internal Affairs carry out significant work on reviewing applications from foreign citizens and stateless persons for the issuance of permits for migrants to stay and reside in Russia. Inspections are being conducted to prevent the presence of persons in the country who pose a threat to national security and public order.

Photo: IZVESTIA/Sergey Vinogradov

"At the same time, in the course of providing public services, the internal affairs bodies incur significant financial costs, including due to inspections, the creation of a database of foreigners and the statuses they receive," the explanatory note says.

The law is due to enter into force on July 1, 2026.

Why are duties being increased?

This is not the first increase in state duties in the field of migration, the financial adviser and founder of Rodin recalled.Capital Alexey Rodin. But previously, the cost increase was minimal — for most positions it averaged 200-1000 rubles.

— Now the increase is no longer formal: the increase is planned to be multiple and in many areas, — he said.

The decision may be related to the intention to replenish the state budget, suggested Vadim Kozhenov, an independent expert in the field of migration.

Photo: IZVESTIA/Yulia Khramtsova

"The increase in duties will not affect migration in any way," he believes. — Because the most common amount that migrants pay to the budget is personal income tax, that is, a patent that changes every year depending on inflation.

There are probably several reasons for the introduction of new duties: increasing the effectiveness of migration control and replenishing the state budget, says Ekaterina Kosareva, managing partner of the VMT Consult agency.

"This is partly justified, since duties in Russia are considered low in comparison with international practice," she said. — Migrants in Europe pay up to a hundred euros or more for completing a similar package of documentation, depending on the purpose of the visit: labor migration, training.

According to Alexey Rodin, obtaining a residence permit or citizenship in all developed countries is an expensive and complex process. It implies the fulfillment of many circumstances from the state, and they should not be to the detriment of citizens.

"This allows us to minimize the proportion of those who rely on citizenship for benefits, rather than as a means of life independence," the expert noted. — This will not only increase the inflow of funds to the Russian budget, but will also help strengthen control over migrants, as well as help establish their actual places of stay.

Such a "filter" will reduce the number of violations by migrants, as their flow will become more controlled, he added and recalled that the number of criminal cases against migrants is growing annually by an average of 10-15%.

Photo: IZVESTIA/Sergey Lantyukhov

But when the amendments come into force, there is also a risk of a potential increase in illegal migration and gray employment, Ekaterina Kosareva added. Expenses will increase for migrants who, on the one hand, have not yet settled down, and on the other, they already have to pay substantial money for their personal budget.

— The trend towards complicating the process of obtaining Russian citizenship is clearly visible: the fee is expected to increase almost 11 times, — the expert emphasized. — This implies a certain qualification, and it will be passed by the most sought-after and qualified workers who are necessary for the economy.

In addition, as Alexey Rodin noted, in many areas of services and production, the share of migrants among workers exceeds 50%. As a rule, their labor is paid below the market. The increase in duties will become a significant burden for many and may cause an outflow of foreign personnel: in this case, employers who calculated the budget with a certain wage fund may face a shortage of personnel. Therefore, it is important to maintain a balance so that, having solved one problem, you do not encounter another.