According to Russian legislation, for foreign citizens to work in the country, the purpose of entry in their migration card must be stated as 'Work'. Violating this rule can lead to fines and deportation. However, for certain categories of citizens, there is an opportunity to change this purpose without leaving Russia.
For citizens of EAEU member states (Armenia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan), the procedure is as follows: the employee must conclude an employment or civil law contract with the employer. The employer, in turn, must send a notification to the territorial body of the Russian Interior Ministry within 3 working days. Additionally, the employee must mandatorily undergo a medical examination and fingerprinting.
For foreigners who entered under a visa-free regime and wish to work based on a patent, the following rules apply: the employee must submit an application for a patent within 30 days of entering Russia and indicate the change of entry purpose in it. In this case, a new migration card is not issued; the changes are automatically reflected in the Interior Ministry's database.
For foreigners who have received a patent, there is another important requirement: after obtaining the document, it is necessary to send a notification to the Interior Ministry about the commencement of labor activity within 2 months. Compliance with these rules ensures that migrants can work legally in Russia.
