International Agreements for Citizens of the Republic of Latvia and the Republic of Turkmenistan

Residence permit under an intergovernmental agreement for citizens of the Republic of Latvia and the Republic of Turkmenistan

Certain categories of foreign citizens have the right to apply for a residence permit (hereinafter referred to as a residence permit) in the Russian Federation and submit the required package of documents without first obtaining a temporary residence permit. These persons include foreign citizens relocating to the Russian Federation for permanent residence in accordance with international treaties (agreements) of the Russian Federation on regulating the relocation process and protecting the rights of resettlers.

Agreements in force:

• The Agreement between the Russian Federation and the Republic of Turkmenistan was concluded 31 July 1992.
• The Agreement between the Russian Federation and the Republic of Latvia was concluded 2 June 1993.

Relocation procedure: To participate in the program, a citizen of Latvia or Turkmenistan must obtain the notarized consent of any individual who owns real estate in Russia. On the basis of this document, the applicant applies to the representative office of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia in the relevant country to obtain the status of a party to the agreement (resettler).

Practical example: 

A citizen of Turkmenistan who has no close relatives who are Russian citizens in Russia wishes to relocate permanently. In this case, any Russian citizen who owns real estate (for example, a distant relative, acquaintance, or another person) may issue notarized consent for the relocation in their name. With this consent and the other required documents, the citizen of Turkmenistan may apply to the representative office of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia in Ashgabat to obtain resettler status.

Important note:

• Resettler status obtained under an intergovernmental agreement is indefinite. A person who has obtained it may relocate and obtain a residence permit at any time while the agreement remains in force.
• This status entitles the holder to obtain a residence permit, but does not entitle them to a simplified procedure for admission to citizenship of the Russian Federation. A foreign citizen who has obtained a residence permit on this basis may apply for admission to Russian citizenship under the general procedure after five years of permanent residence in Russia on the basis of a residence permit.

Procedure for submitting documents for a residence permit: To obtain a residence permit on the basis of resettler status, a foreign citizen must apply to the territorial office of the Main Directorate for Migration Affairs of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia at their actual place of stay. The place where documents are submitted may differ from the address specified in the original notarized consent.

Document package
The current list of required documents can be downloaded here

List of documents for Turkmenistani citizens applying for a residence permit and relocating to the Russian Federation for permanent residence in accordance with international treaties of the Russian Federation on regulating the relocation process and protecting the rights of resettlers

1. Application in 2 copies (printed double-sided).

The application is completed electronically or by hand, legibly in block letters, in black, blue, or violet ink, without corrections, blots, or unofficial abbreviations. All fields that are required to be completed must be filled in.

If the application does not have enough lines, additional information may be provided on a separate sheet attached to the application, following the details of the relevant application field and indicating the applicant's first name, last name, and patronymic (if any) on the attachment.

If the application is submitted on paper in person to a migration unit of the Russian Federation, the applicant signs it in the presence of the official receiving applications.

2. Document proving the applicant's identity.

(At the time of application, the document must remain valid for at least the application processing period). 

3. Migration card and detachable section of the notification form of the arrival of a foreign citizen or stateless person at their place of stay — migration registration.

4. Birth certificate.

5. Documents confirming changes to personal name details.

(Marriage certificate, divorce certificate, or certificate from the civil registry office if the surname has changed more than once, or a certificate of change of name.)

6. A document confirming the absence of a criminal record or, if applicable, containing information about the offense for which the applicant was convicted.

To be submitted by foreign citizens aged fourteen or older; the certificate is valid for 3 months on the date of application.

This document is not required from a foreign citizen who arrived in the Russian Federation under a visa-free procedure.

(If applying for a residence permit after obtaining a temporary residence permit, this certificate does not need to be submitted again.)

7. A document confirming that the foreign citizen is able to support themselves and their family members in the Russian Federation at least at the subsistence minimum level, without recourse to state assistance (except for foreign citizens recognized as incapacitated), at no less than 4 regional subsistence minimums (if the certificate is from Sberbank, it must be form 297).*

* Such documents include:

- certificate of an individual's income and tax amounts (formerly 2-NDFL);

- pension certificate;

- certificate from the territorial office of the Pension Fund of the Russian Federation confirming that a pension has been granted;

- confirmation of receipt of alimony;

- certificate of income of the person supporting the applicant;

- certificate confirming a bank deposit, stating the account number and deposit amount;

- another document confirming receipt of income from an activity not prohibited by law or incapacity for work.

8. Documents confirming that the foreign citizen does not have drug addiction or infectious diseases that pose a danger to others, as well as a certificate confirming that the applicant does not have human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection.

9. One of the documents confirming that the foreign citizen speaks Russian and knows the history of Russia and the fundamentals of the legislation of the Russian Federation: *

- certificate of proficiency in Russian, knowledge of Russian history and the fundamentals of the legislation of the Russian Federation at a level corresponding to the purpose of obtaining a temporary residence permit or residence permit;

- a state-issued education document (at a level no lower than basic general education) issued by an educational institution in a state that was part of the USSR before 1 September 1991;

- an education and/or qualification document issued to persons who successfully passed the state final certification in the Russian Federation from 1 September 1991

- a decision recognizing the person as a native Russian speaker, adopted before 26 October 2023 by a commission of the federal executive authority in charge of internal affairs or its territorial office for recognizing a foreign citizen or stateless person as a native Russian speaker.

10. Permission to relocate (resettle) from Turkmenistan to the Russian Federation, as provided for by the Agreement between the Russian Federation and Turkmenistan on regulating the relocation process and protecting the rights of resettlers of 23 December 1993.

11. Personal photographs, 35x45mm – 4 pcs. (matte, black-and-white or color).

Stateless persons submit two photographs.

12. Receipt for payment of the state duty.

13. A document confirming that the foreign citizen has residential premises on grounds provided for by the legislation of the Russian Federation, the rights to which are not registered in the Unified State Register of Real Estate,

- if a foreign citizen applies for a residence permit more than three years after entering the Russian Federation.

All the listed documents must be submitted as photocopies, together with the ORIGINALS.

A copy of an original document must be of good quality, easily legible, and contain all the information in the original document. Copies must be made on standard A4 sheets and must not be cut with scissors to match the size of the original.

The public service is provided within 4 months. 

When documents for a residence permit are accepted, a certificate confirming that the application has been accepted for consideration is issued.

If the application for a residence permit is refused, a certificate stating the reason is issued.

    • If documents (passport, birth certificate, etc.) contain different spellings of geographical names, documentary confirmation of the renaming may be required. Such a certificate can be obtained, including by power of attorney, from the Russian State Library.

All official documents issued by foreign authorities in a foreign language must be legalized, translated, and notarized.

For countries party to the 1961 Hague Convention:

• The original document must be apostilled in the country where it was issued.

• The document and the apostille affixed to it must be translated into Russian.

• The translation must be certified by a notarial endorsement by a notary in the Russian Federation.

  For countries that are not parties to the Hague Convention:

• Documents must undergo consular legalization through consular offices of the Russian Federation abroad or the Consular Department of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Documents drawn up in a foreign language must be translated into Russian.

If a document is drawn up in several languages and none of them is Russian, a translation from one language chosen by the applicant must be submitted. The accuracy of the translation or the authenticity of the translator's signature must be notarized in accordance with the procedure established by the legislation of the Russian Federation on notaries.

* The following are exempt from confirming proficiency in Russian, knowledge of Russian history and the fundamentals of the legislation of the Russian Federation when submitting an application:

    • foreign citizens who are legally incapacitated or have limited legal capacity;

    • foreign citizens under the age of eighteen;

    • foreign male citizens aged sixty-five or older;

    • foreign female citizens aged sixty or older;

    • foreign citizens who have obtained the status of participant in the State Program to Assist the Voluntary Resettlement in the Russian Federation of Compatriots Living Abroad, or the status of a family member of a participant in that State Program;

    • highly qualified foreign specialists and their family members who have applied for the residence permit specified in paragraph 27 of Article 13.2 of this Federal Law;

    • foreign citizens who are citizens of the Union State formed by the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus;

    • foreign citizens applying for a residence permit who have a parent (adoptive parent, guardian, or custodian), son, or daughter who is a citizen of the Russian Federation and permanently resides in the Russian Federation;

    • foreign citizens who are citizens of Ukraine;

    • foreign citizens referred to in subparagraph 8 of paragraph 3 of Article 6 of Federal Law No. 115 (who have enlisted for military service) and subparagraph 20 of paragraph 2 of Article 8 of Federal Law No. 115 (foreign citizens who, during the special military operation, entered into a one-year contract for military service in the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation or military formations (hereinafter referred to as a serviceman), and their family members, including in the event of the serviceman's death. A serviceman's family members are their spouse, children (including adopted children), and parents (including foster parents).

    • Highly qualified foreign specialists working under the procedure established by Article 13.2 of this Federal Law, and foreign journalists working for organizations established specifically to produce and publish mass media in foreign languages, are exempt from confirming proficiency in Russian, knowledge of Russian history and the fundamentals of the legislation of the Russian Federation when applying for a work permit.

Pursuant to Article 8, paragraph 2, subparagraph 19 of Federal Law No. 115-FZ “On the Legal Status of Foreign Citizens in the Russian Federation