What is the Register of Controlled Foreign Nationals

In Simple Terms

The Register of Controlled Persons is a special list. It includes foreign nationals and stateless persons who have violated Russian laws. For example, if a person worked without a permit or broke the entry rules, they can be added to this register.

Why This Register Exists

Here’s why it’s needed:

To control who enters and leaves the country.
To prevent those who have already violated the rules from entering.
To let employers and other organizations check if they can hire a person or provide services.

How Someone Gets on the Register

A person can be added to the register if they violated migration rules, such as overstaying in Russia. Sometimes the list includes those who worked without proper documents or broke the entry/exit rules. If someone is officially banned from entering Russia, their data is also added to the register. Being listed can mean a ban on entry for several years.

What It Means to Be on the Register

Being included in the register of controlled persons leads to serious restrictions for foreigners in Russia, affecting many aspects of daily life.

Financial Restrictions

Banking operations become limited—one cannot open new accounts in Russian banks. No more than 30,000 rubles can be withdrawn per month from existing accounts, and transfers are allowed only for mandatory payments. Purchasing property or vehicles is forbidden.

Movement Restrictions

A foreigner cannot change their place of residence without the Ministry of Internal Affairs’ (MVD) permission and cannot leave the region of residence. Obtaining a driver’s license or driving a car becomes impossible.

Registering a business or becoming an individual entrepreneur is prohibited. Marriage registration in Russia is unavailable. Children from families of controlled persons cannot enroll in Russian educational institutions.

Control Measures

Police officers have the right to enter the residence of a controlled person at any time. The person must appear at the Ministry of Internal Affairs when summoned. Violating restrictions can lead to detention and placement in a deportation center, and repeated violations may result in deportation.

How to Get Removed from the Register

Removal from the register is possible by submitting an application to the Ministry of Internal Affairs with documents confirming legal stay in Russia. The application is reviewed within 30 days. The register is updated every 4 hours, and information about removal is sent to organizations within a day.

As of 2025, more than 680,000 migrants had been included in the register; by April, about 640,000 entries were active. You can check your status on the official website of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia.

Who Should Care

Foreigners planning to visit Russia.
Those already living and working here.
Employers who want to avoid breaking the law.

Real-Life Example

Let’s take an example of a migrant from Central Asia. In January last year, he entered Russia on a short-term visa for one month. He planned to find a job and legalize his status, but paperwork was delayed. When the visa expired, he was still in the country.

What Happened Next

In February 2025, when the Register of Controlled Persons started working, information about the violator was automatically sent to the system. The reason was overstaying the permitted period. The Ministry of Internal Affairs entered the data into the database without further investigation.

The First Problems

One morning, the migrant found his bank account was blocked. At the bank, they explained: due to being added to the register, only minimal operations are allowed—withdrawal up to 30,000 rubles monthly. Other financial operations are prohibited.

An attempt to travel to a neighboring region to visit friends failed—he was stopped while traveling. It turned out he could not leave the region without permission from the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

Employment Issues

A potential employer refused to cooperate—companies face severe fines for hiring people from the register. Obtaining new documents, registering relationships, or getting a driver’s license became impossible.

Attempts to Get Removed

An appeal to the Ministry of Internal Affairs for removal from the list was unsuccessful. Officials explained: first, you must restore your legal status in the country or leave Russia. The application review period is one month.

A Vicious Circle

Statistics show that in the first weeks of the system, more than 200 appeals were made to human rights advocates. A third of applicants had their banking operations frozen, and dozens were detained by the police. Many had valid documents but ended up in the database due to technical errors.

The violator found himself in a dead end: to be removed from the register, he needed legalization, but the restrictions made this almost impossible. The only way out was to leave Russia and wait for the ban to expire, which can last up to ten years.

Table: What Happens If You Are on the Register

What happened	Consequences
Violated migration rules	Entry ban
Worked without a permit	Fine, entry ban
Broke entry/exit procedure	Entry ban
Ended up on the register	Not allowed into Russia

Conclusion

The Register of Controlled Persons is like a blacklist for foreigners who violated the rules. If you want to visit Russia without problems—follow the laws.