Russia Visa Update 2026: The New Registration Rules for Foreign Nationals
Russia has modified its registration procedures for foreign nationals who remain for more than 90 days. Indian tourists are not subject to the Amina requirement for workers in Moscow, but long-term travelers should verify the latest restrictions.
Russia has updated its foreign-national registration requirements for certain long-term tourists, with the most recent adjustment effective September 1, 2026.
The requirements apply to concerned nationals who enter Russia for non-work activities and intend to stay for more than 90 calendar days. The development coincides with Russia's further expansion of digital monitoring and registration for foreign residents.
Amina App Registration in Moscow.
A additional requirement, implemented in September 2025, applies to nationals of Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Tajikistan, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan who work in Moscow or the Moscow region.
They must register their residential address using Russia's Amina mobile application, which is an experimental system run by Russian authorities.
The app requires ongoing access to the user's location. If location tracking stops, authorities may cancel the registered address and force the individual to enter a new address through Amina.
Every time an affected worker reaches Moscow or the surrounding Moscow region, he or she must register.
Failure to comply can result in a fine or deportation. Families of these workers are not now forced to use Amina.
How Russia's Amina App Works
Amina is a mobile application used by the Russian government to register migrants and monitor home addresses in Moscow and the surrounding area.
For international nationals covered by the pilot, the app does more than just record an address. It employs continuous geolocation to determine whether the user is still at their registered house.
What Amina App Requires
Digital registration: Covered foreign nationals must download the Amina app and enter their residential address. For people participating in the Moscow pilot, this replaces the standard migration registration process.
continual location access: Users must grant the app continual access to their geolocation so that authorities can verify their declared residence.
Automatic de-registration: If location data is not transmitted for three days in a row, the individual may be removed from their registered address and placed on Russia's monitored-persons register.
New registration: Anyone who has been de-registered must submit a new residential address to Amina. Failure to comply might lead to administrative penalties and, in some situations, deportation.
This makes Amina more than just a registration tool. For covered foreign nationals, it effectively ties immigration compliance to ongoing location verification. 
The Moscow pilot applies to adult citizens of nine countries that have visa-free agreements with Russia.
Armenia
Azerbaijan
Georgia
Kazakhstan
Kyrgyzstan
Moldova
Tajikistan
Uzbekistan
Ukraine
Who Is exempt?
The pilot does not applicable for:
Citizens of Belarus
Minors
Diplomats and their families
employees of international organizations
What changed after September 1, 2026?
The September 2026 update expands Russia's migration tracking framework beyond the initial Moscow worker experiment.
The new rules apply to impacted foreign nationals who enter Russia for non-work activities and stay for more than 90 calendar days. Depending on their immigration status, this can involve persons staying for extended periods of time or to study.
For Indian travelers, the distinction is important. Indian citizens are not one of the nine countries included by the Amina workplace pilot, therefore the Moscow Amina requirement should not be confused with a new registration requirement for regular Indian travelers.
The practical message is straightforward: a short trip in Russia is distinct from a stay of more than 90 days. Before leaving, long-term travelers should review the registration procedures that relate to their nationality and purpose of trip.
Travunited Take:We regard this primarily as a long-term compliance concern, rather than a holiday interruption for Indians. Short-term visitors can travel normally, but longer stays necessitate stricter adherence to registration procedures.
