Invitations, Visas, and Registration
As of June 16, 2020, several changes to Russian migration law have taken effect. Below are answers to some of the frequently asked questions about visas and registration for international students who are continuing or completing their studies at HSE University.
Information on visas for newly enrolled international students will be available later. If you've applied to HSE University for 2020/21 school year, please contact International Admissions Office for updates.
If you are continuing your studies at HSE University — St. Petersburg, you need to do the following:
Prepare the necessary documents for visa extension (the list of which is available here) and pay a fee of 1,600 roubles (bank details are provided upon request via migrationspb@hse.ru);
- Whether you stay in a dormitory or a private apartment, you must submit your documents (originals and copies) to the Visa & Immigration Support Office;
- The Visa & Immigration Support Office sends an instruction on visa extension for international students, schedules the date and time for submitting documents via their personal and corporate e-mail of the international student;
- The visa is to be issued in about 20 working days. After receiving a prolonged visa, you have 3 days to make a FIS (Federal Immigration Service) registration. If you stay in HSE University — St. Petersburg's student dormitory, the university is in charge of your registration. In case you stay in a private apartment, your landlord has a legal obligation to ensure your registration.
HSE Visa and Registration Centre is located at Rooms 304, 123 Naberezhnaya Kanala Griboedova, St Petersburg. To submit the documents, please book your visit in advance by writing to migrationspb@hse.ru.
After you receive your new visa, you must get registered at your place of residence within three working days of receiving the visa. We recommend contacting the Visa & Immigration Support Office or your landlord the next working day after you receive your visa, since they will have to register in advance in order to submit the documents at the Multi-Functional Centre (MFC). More information on how to receive your migration registration is available here.
After completing your studies at HSE University, foreign citizens must leave the Russian Federation. According to Russian migration law, HSE University must inform the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) about the dismissal of its international students within three days of the enrolment termination order. Foreign citizens dismissed due to graduation must leave the Russian Federation within three days after the university informs the MIA.
In in the event of a delayed departure from the Russian Federation, the foreign citizen is responsible for their stay in the Russian Federation. Violation of migration law is punishable under administrative law (which may result in a fine or administrative expulsion possibly followed by a ban on entering the Russian Federation).
Due to the current limitations on international travel, foreign citizens are advised to:
- Contact their embassy/consulate to clarify information on possible options for departure from the Russian Federation;
- Check the websites of air companies that offer flights to the destination country for information.
To follow the necessary requirements and the procedure of checking in the dorm, students need to contact the Visa & Immigration Support Office with their documents (passport, visa [if available], migration card, and original registration) the next working day after you return to become registered at the dormitory.
You can live in the dorm only during your studies at HSE University — St. Petersburg. After completing your studies, you must check out of the dorm and leave the Russian Federation.
Due to the current limitations on international travel, foreign citizens are advised to contact their embassy/consulate to clarify information on possible options of departure from the Russian Federation. It is also recommended to check the websites of airline companies that offer flights to the destination country for information.
You need to contact the Visa & Immigration Support Office (migrationspb@hse.ru) and the manager of your programme, attaching a scanned copy of your passport and visa.
Attention! Please check your passport expiration date. The passport should be valid for at least 18 months after the start date of the new visa, and the passport should contain at least two free two-page spreads for visas and entrance/exit stamps. If your passport does not conform to these requirements, please obtain a new passport and send a scanned copy of it to your programme manager via email.
If your study visa expires before the date of your scheduled entrance in the Russian Federation:
- The university must process an invitation for you at the Ministry of Internal Affairs (the minimum processing time is 25 working days);
- You must get a study visa at a Russian Federation Consulate abroad (processing time is about 14 working days, but terms may differ at different consulates)
Unfortunately, as of today, processing of invitations and study visas has been suspended. We are tracking all the changes and will provide additional notifications when visa and invitation application processing is resumed. You can get the most recent information at the Visa & Immigration Support Office or from your programme manager.
If the limitations on invitation- and visa-processing and entry into Russia are not lifted and you cannot get a visa or enter Russia in time, HSE University will provide international students with full-credit distance learning options until they are able to come to the university.
In the current situation, it is highly recommended to buy refundable tickets with flexible dates.