The Russian government has increased the permitted duration of temporary stay in the RF (Russian Federation) for professional drivers from CIS (Commonwealth of Independent States) member states and Georgia. The new regulations will take effect on June 30, 2026.
They are now permitted to stay on Russian territory for up to 180 days instead of 90.
The changes apply to drivers engaged in international road transport who enter the RF under a visa-free regime.
A total stay limit of up to 180 days within a single calendar year is established for them, provided they submit the required application.
“In accordance with Article 5 of the Federalny Zakon ‘O pravovom polozhenii inostrannykh grazhdan v Rossiyskoy Federatsii’ (Federal Law ‘On the Legal Status of Foreign Citizens in the Russian Federation’), the Government of the Russian Federation decrees: to increase the duration of temporary stay in the Russian Federation for citizens of the Commonwealth of Independent States member states, as well as citizens of Georgia, who are professional drivers engaged in international road transport and who arrived in the Russian Federation in a manner not requiring a visa, to a total of 180 days within one calendar year, provided that such foreign citizens submit an application in the prescribed manner for the purpose of entry into the Russian Federation and stay (residence) in the Russian Federation,” the document states.