Open and Closed Borders: What International Students Should Know
Today, opening Russia's state borders with other countries remains one of the most pressing issues. Recently, much conflicting information has emerged around this topic. HSE students returned to their classrooms on March 29, 2021, but many international students keep studying in a distant mode.
As of March 31, 2021, citizens from 26 countries are allowed to come to Russia. The list of countries is published on the website and is regularly updated by the International Office team. There are however some clarifications that we should note:
- It is allowed to cross the border only by taking a direct flight from the country listed among 'open' ones. Foreign citizens cannot arrive by connecting flights from countries other than in the list and use any 'open' country for transit.
- International students' visas must indicate 'study' as the purpose of entry. Otherwise, the university will neither be able to register students with the migration authorities nor provide them with educational services
Please, remember that you should always check the news sources for the relevance of information concerning a resumption of flights between your country and Russia.
The procedure for arrival to Russia has changed for international students who have the opportunity to return to the university. International students must give 10 days notice to the Study Office of their degree programme and the International Student Support Unit of the planned date of entry. Before the trip, students need to do a PCR test and do another PCR test upon arrival in Russia. Until a student gets a negative result, he or she should self-isolate in a dormitory or at home.
In order for international students to arrive in Russia, HSE University - St. Petersburg needs to prepare an accurate list of students who are not yet on our campus and studying remotely. For this reason, we kindly ask international students to contact their Study Offices and the International Student Support Office and inform them about your current location.
Yulia Dolgina, Head of the International Student Support Unit
'We believe that we should see these changes as a good sight that Russia will open the borders with more countries in the near future. We stay in touch with our students regardless of their current location. The fact that offline classes have resumed does not mean that we pay less attention to international students outside Russia. We keep working to ensure that each of them feels a part of HSE - St. Petersburg's community, despite the challenging situation in the world.'
To keep up to date with the latest news, follow the updates on the International Office's website and HSE - St. Petersburg's social media.