Processing time to obtain TRP after successfully submitting the application is 4 months.

Foreign citizens who have no grounds to immigrate to Russia such as family based, investment, employment, etc. can apply to the Russian migration authorities to obtain a quota for the temporary residence permit (TRP). Quotas are set annually for each region of Russia, depending on the needs of each region. For 2022 for the whole Russia the quota for TRP is 19.000. Approving of the application for quota is unfortunately not a transparent process, it is not a “point based system” as in some countries. Frankly speaking due to high number of applications and small number of quotas available we can’t say that it is a secure way to immigration to Russia.
One may compare it with a green card lottery in US.

Submission of documents is usually possible at the beginning of each month. The decision to grant or deny the quota is made by the authorities within a month. The decision to issue a quota is valid for subsequent submission for TRP until the end of the calendar year in which the quota was approved. It is possible to apply for a temporary residence permit only in the region where the quota has been approved.

After 1 year of residing on the basis of temporary residency foreign national is eligible to apply for permanent residency. After obtaining of permanent residency and before being eligible to apply for Russian citizenship foreign national should reside in Russia for 5 years, physically spending in Russia not less than 9 months within each year.

TRP is a 3-year temporary residency permit that is not extendable. Temporary residency is a stamp in the passport and allows foreign national to work in Russia without the work permit in the region where the TRP was issued. Processing time to obtain TRP after successfully submitting the application is 4 months. Foreign national may travel outside Russia after submitting the application. Application is done in person. After TRP is issued foreign national has 7 days to register at the residency address. Foreign national should physically reside in Russia for at least 180 days within a year from the date the TRP was issued, otherwise temporary residency could be revoked. On an annual basis foreign national is obliged to confirm his/her residency in Russia by submitting a form that contains information on the number of days spent outside of Russia within the past year and information on income which can be savings in the bank or employment related.

Required Documents for QuotA