Temporary residence permit in Russia (RVP): documents and translations
Which documents a foreigner needs for a Russian temporary residence permit (RVP), which of them must be translated and notarized, how apostille works, and what the state fee is in 2026.
The temporary residence permit, known in Russia as RVP (razreshenie na vremennoe prozhivanie), is the first long-term status for most foreigners. It lets you live in the region that issued it, work there without a separate work permit and, after a period of living on an RVP, apply for a permanent residence permit (VNZh).
Most RVP applications that come back do so not because of the applicant's situation, but because of paperwork: a document without an apostille, an untranslated page, a name spelled two different ways. This guide covers the documents and the translations — the part where we can help.
Quota or no quota
An RVP is issued either within the annual quota for the region or without a quota, if you have one of the grounds listed in the federal law on foreign citizens (Federal Law No. 115-FZ, article 6). Common grounds for an RVP without a quota include:
- marriage to a Russian citizen who lives in Russia;
- a child or a parent who is a Russian citizen;
- being born in Russia or in the RSFSR;
- participation in the State Programme for voluntary resettlement of compatriots.
The ground matters for translations: it decides which family documents you have to bring — a marriage certificate, your child's birth certificate, your own birth certificate.
Documents you usually file
The exact list depends on your ground and your region, but most applicants bring:
- the application form for the RVP, in Russian;
- your passport and its notarized translation into Russian;
- photos in the required format;
- a criminal record certificate from your country of citizenship (and in some cases from your country of residence) — apostilled or legalized, with a notarized translation;
- medical certificates confirming you have no drug addiction or listed infectious diseases, and an HIV test — these are issued in Russia by approved clinics, so they need no translation;
- a certificate of knowledge of Russian, Russian history and the basics of Russian law, unless you are exempt;
- documents confirming your ground for an RVP without a quota — marriage certificate, birth certificates — with notarized translations;
- the state fee receipt.
What must be translated and how
Every document issued abroad and not in Russian goes in with a notarized translation: a translator makes the Russian version and a Russian notary certifies the translator's signature. A translation certified abroad, or a translation without the notary, will not be accepted.
| Document | Apostille or legalization | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Passport | not needed | notarized translation of all pages with data, visas and stamps |
| Criminal record certificate | yes | notarized, including the apostille |
| Marriage certificate | yes | notarized, including the apostille |
| Birth certificate | yes | notarized, including the apostille |
| Russian medical certificates | — | not needed |
Passport: data page or the whole passport?
For the RVP the migration office usually wants the whole passport translated: the data page plus every page with visas, stamps and notes. The officer checks your entries and exits, so a translation of the data page alone is often returned. If you are not sure, ask your migration office or send us the scan — we will tell you what your office normally asks for.
Apostille or consular legalization
If your country is a party to the Hague Apostille Convention, its documents need an apostille, issued in the country that issued the document. If it is not, the documents go through consular legalization. Documents from some CIS countries need neither, under bilateral agreements on legal assistance. The apostille itself is part of the document and is translated too.
Spelling of your name
Your name must be spelled the same way in every translation — passport, criminal record, marriage and birth certificates. The officer compares them, and a different spelling can be read as a different person. We use the spelling from your passport translation as the reference and keep it in every document we translate for you. If an earlier translation was made elsewhere, send it to us and we will follow it.
State fee and processing time
From 26 July 2026 the state fee for an RVP is 15,000 roubles (5,000 roubles for full-time students), after the amendments to the Tax Code adopted in June 2026. Check the amount on Gosuslugi before you pay, because the fee is set by federal law and may change again.
The migration office has a fixed period to decide on your application, measured in weeks rather than days. Your criminal record certificate must still be valid on the day you file, so do not order it too early: offices usually accept certificates issued no more than three months before filing.
A sensible order of steps
- Find out your ground (quota or no quota) and the list of documents for your region.
- Order documents from abroad — they take the longest: criminal record certificate, apostilles.
- When the apostilled originals are in hand, have everything translated at once, so the spelling is the same everywhere.
- Pass the Russian language, history and law exam, and the medical checks.
- Pay the state fee and file.
Our part
We translate the passport, criminal record certificates, marriage and birth certificates and apostilles for the RVP, with the notary's certification included. Most documents are ready in 1 business day. Send a photo of your documents in Telegram and we will name the exact price and tell you which pages your office will need.
This guide is general information, not legal advice. Requirements change; check the current list with your migration office before filing.