Translated with AI
On June 30, 2025, the second stage of the experiment on digital regulation of entry of foreign citizens came into force in Russia. Now, according to official information from the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation, in order to visit the country without a visa, foreigners must fill out an electronic entry application in advance via the ruID mobile application — no later than 72 hours before the trip.
As explained by the official representative of the Ministry of Internal Affairs Irina Volk, such an application must also be completed by legal representatives of minors or incapacitated foreign citizens. In emergency cases – for example, if urgent treatment is needed or a close relative dies – the application can be submitted no later than 4 hours before crossing the border.
The application is submitted via a special mobile application ruID, developed for foreigners coming to Russia without visas. This application creates a personal digital profile of a foreign citizen, which, according to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, will facilitate migration control and the provision of government services.
Despite the wording in the official rules, which interpret participation in the experiment as mandatory, the Russian embassies in Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan clarified that in practice, submitting an application via ruID at the current stage is voluntary.
“Completing an application as part of the experiment is not a mandatory requirement and cannot serve as grounds for refusing entry or as a reason for delays when passing through border control,” the Russian Embassy in Uzbekistan said in a statement.
Earlier, the Russian Embassy in Kazakhstan made a similar statement.
Meanwhile, the rules approved by the Russian government regarding the use of the ruID application do not mention voluntary use. On the contrary, it is noted that "the experiment is mandatory for foreign citizens and stateless persons." The Russian authorities probably softened the requirements due to the fact that the mobile application was officially launched on June 26 – just four days before the start of the experiment to introduce new digital entry rules for "visa-free" foreigners.
The ruID mobile application is intended for foreign citizens and stateless persons from countries with which the Russian Federation has a visa-free regime. It is available in seven languages: English, Armenian, Kazakh, Kyrgyz, Russian, Tajik and Uzbek. It can be downloaded from RuStore, Google Play, AppGallery and App Store.
Russian authorities emphasize that the use of a digital tool does not affect the rights and obligations of foreigners, but provides them with additional opportunities and makes interaction with government agencies more convenient and transparent.
