What Should an International Student Do When Replacing Their Passport, Changing Their Name, or Acquiring New Citizenship?
ANSWER: An international student should immediately inform the university’s International Office and the host party of any change of passport, surname, first name, patronymic (if applicable), or citizenship. The host party is the person or organization that registered the student for migration purposes at their actual place of residence: usually the university or dormitory (if the student lives in a dormitory), or the property owner (landlord) if the student lives in a rented apartment. The International Office should be notified even if it is not the host party, as changes to personal data may affect the student visa and the student’s legal stay in Russia.
Passport details, surname, first name, and citizenship are recorded as part of migration registration. Therefore, the student must provide the host party with copies of the new passport and, where necessary, documents confirming the change of name or citizenship.
Within three business days, the host party or, in cases provided for by law, the foreign national themselves must submit to the relevant division of the Ministry of Internal Affairs a notification of arrival containing the updated information, a statement in free form explaining the reason for the change, and copies of documents confirming the changes.
At the same time, the relevant division of the Ministry of Internal Affairs should be consulted regarding whether separate reissuance or amendments to documents associated with the previous passport or citizenship are required and the applicable deadlines. In particular, it is necessary to determine whether the student visa needs to be transferred to or reissued in the new passport; whether amendments to or replacement of a Temporary Residence Permit (TRP), Temporary Residence Permit for Educational Purposes (TRPEP), or Permanent Residence Permit (residence permit) are required; whether the registration at the place of residence or migration registration at the place of stay needs to be updated; and, if the student holds a patent or work permit, whether the new passport details must be entered into that document.
Special procedures and deadlines apply to TRPs and residence permits. For example, when replacing a passport, official guidance requires a TRP holder to contact the Ministry of Internal Affairs within 10 days. When a name or citizenship changes, a residence permit must be replaced no later than 10 days after the new identity document is issued.
For a TRPEP and visa, the applicable procedure depends on the grounds on which the document was issued and on the specific document concerned. Therefore, the requirements should be verified before the applicable deadline expires.
Can the documents be submitted through an MFC?
Migration registration rules allow a notification of arrival to be submitted through a Multifunctional Public Services Centre (MFC), usually by the host party.
However, an MFC is only a channel for submitting the notification; it does not replace contacting the Ministry of Internal Affairs regarding the transfer of a visa, replacement of a TRP, TRPEP, or residence permit. Before visiting an MFC, you should confirm with the specific centre whether it accepts notifications for updating personal data and make sure not to miss the three-business-day deadline.
Important: After a new passport has been issued or personal data have been changed, an international student must not continue using outdated passport details when arranging migration registration, extending their period of stay, or processing other migration documents.
Important: Until the personal data have been updated, keep the old passport and all supporting documents, if available.
ANSWER: An international student should immediately inform the university’s International Office and the host party of any change of passport, surname, first name, patronymic (if applicable), or citizenship. The host party is the person or organization that registered the student for migration purposes at their actual place of residence: usually the university or dormitory (if the student lives in a dormitory), or the property owner (landlord) if the student lives in a rented apartment. The International Office should be notified even if it is not the host party, as changes to personal data may affect the student visa and the student’s legal stay in Russia.
Passport details, surname, first name, and citizenship are recorded as part of migration registration. Therefore, the student must provide the host party with copies of the new passport and, where necessary, documents confirming the change of name or citizenship.
Within three business days, the host party or, in cases provided for by law, the foreign national themselves must submit to the relevant division of the Ministry of Internal Affairs a notification of arrival containing the updated information, a statement in free form explaining the reason for the change, and copies of documents confirming the changes.
At the same time, the relevant division of the Ministry of Internal Affairs should be consulted regarding whether separate reissuance or amendments to documents associated with the previous passport or citizenship are required and the applicable deadlines. In particular, it is necessary to determine whether the student visa needs to be transferred to or reissued in the new passport; whether amendments to or replacement of a Temporary Residence Permit (TRP), Temporary Residence Permit for Educational Purposes (TRPEP), or Permanent Residence Permit (residence permit) are required; whether the registration at the place of residence or migration registration at the place of stay needs to be updated; and, if the student holds a patent or work permit, whether the new passport details must be entered into that document.
Special procedures and deadlines apply to TRPs and residence permits. For example, when replacing a passport, official guidance requires a TRP holder to contact the Ministry of Internal Affairs within 10 days. When a name or citizenship changes, a residence permit must be replaced no later than 10 days after the new identity document is issued.
For a TRPEP and visa, the applicable procedure depends on the grounds on which the document was issued and on the specific document concerned. Therefore, the requirements should be verified before the applicable deadline expires.
Can the documents be submitted through an MFC?
Migration registration rules allow a notification of arrival to be submitted through a Multifunctional Public Services Centre (MFC), usually by the host party.
However, an MFC is only a channel for submitting the notification; it does not replace contacting the Ministry of Internal Affairs regarding the transfer of a visa, replacement of a TRP, TRPEP, or residence permit. Before visiting an MFC, you should confirm with the specific centre whether it accepts notifications for updating personal data and make sure not to miss the three-business-day deadline.
Important: After a new passport has been issued or personal data have been changed, an international student must not continue using outdated passport details when arranging migration registration, extending their period of stay, or processing other migration documents.
Important: Until the personal data have been updated, keep the old passport and all supporting documents, if available.