90/180 Rule for Visa-Free Stay: How to Count Days and What Has Changed

Foreigners often refer to the visa-free stay limit in Russia as the “90/180 rule”: one cannot stay in the country for more than 90 days cumulatively within any 180-day period. However, it is important to check the current version of the law before traveling. Starting from 2025, a stricter approach has been established for the general visa-free regime under Federal Law 115-FZ: the temporary stay period for a foreigner arriving without a visa should not exceed 90 days cumulatively within a calendar year, unless otherwise provided by law or international treaties.

This article helps safely count days, avoid confusing the old 90/180 formula with the current limit, understand the risks of overstaying, and check exceptions in advance. If you need to first understand whether you can enter without a visa, start with the article visa-free entry to Russia .

What the 90/180 Rule Means

The 90/180 formula means a rolling count: on any date, not only the current trip is taken into account, but all days spent in the country over the previous 180 days. If more than 90 days have accumulated within this window, there is a risk of overstaying.

In practice, people made mistakes in three areas:

Currently, it is important not to automatically apply the 90/180 formula to all situations. The current version of Federal Law 115-FZ applies to regular visa-free entry, while specific rules may exist for certain nationalities, statuses, or international treaties.

What Limit to Check Now

Before traveling, check three questions:

1. Is your entry truly visa-free or is a visa document required?
2. Is there an international agreement for your nationality with a special duration?
3. Do you have a status that changes the stay duration: temporary residence permit, residence permit, patent, work permit, study, temporary asylum, or any other legal basis?

If there are no special grounds, rely on the current general limit for visa-free temporary stay and verify it through official sources. Do not use old 90/180 calculators without checking the publication date.

Who This Is Important For

Counting days is especially important if you:

• frequently enter Russia for short trips;
• visit relatives without a visa;
• plan to work and have not yet arranged a legal basis;
• have previously received fines or warnings;
• left Russia before the expiration of your stay and want to return quickly;
• changed your passport and are afraid that old trips will “not be seen”;
• are unsure whether a separate agreement applies to your nationality.

If there are past violations, check the risk of entry ban and the grounds for lifting the entry ban before your new trip.

How to Count Days of Stay

A safe practical approach is to count calendar days when you were physically in Russia. The day of entry and the day of exit are better included in the calculation as days of stay, unless there is an official written clarification regarding your specific situation.

For the calculation, gather:

• entry and exit dates from stamps, tickets, and boarding passes;
• migration cards;
• old passports if trips were made under a different document;
• information on the extension of stay or granted status;
• documents regarding a patent, RWP, residence permit, study, or work, if they affect the duration.

Do not count “from memory.” A mistake of one or two days can become a problem when checking, extending documents, or on the next entry.

Calculation Examples

If you are counting days for a period before the law change, the old 90/180 approach may be needed. If it is about a trip now, first check the current limit of the calendar year and exceptions.

What Does Not Automatically Extend the Duration

Do not assume that the duration of stay has automatically extended if you:

• asked a question in chat or verbally at the border;
• found an old article on the internet;
• left for one day;
• changed your address of stay;
• did migration registration;
• opened a bank card;
• got a job without document verification;
• submitted an application but did not receive confirmation of the result.

Migration registration confirms the address of stay, but it does not, by itself, cancel the overall limit of temporary stay. Work also requires a separate legal basis: a patent, a permit, or another status.

What Happens if the Duration is Exceeded

Exceeding the allowed duration may lead to administrative proceedings, fines, deportation, issues on the next entry, and subsequent entry restrictions. Specific consequences depend on the article, region, circumstances, recurrence, and documents in the case.

Related materials:

• fines for foreigners in Russia ;
• deportation, expulsion, and entry ban ;
• entry ban: what to do for a foreigner .

If the violation has already been formalized by a decree, do not limit yourself to a verbal explanation. You need the date, article, authority, a copy of the document, the appeal period, and confirmation of fine payment if it has been imposed.

What to do before returning to Russia

Before purchasing a ticket, check:

1. All entry and exit dates from previous trips.
2. What limit applies specifically to your citizenship and status.
3. Whether there are documents that extended or changed the duration of stay.
4. If there are any unpaid fines, deportations, decisions on undesirable presence, or entry bans.
5. Whether the full name, date of birth, and passport number match in all documents.
6. Who will arrange the migration registration after entry.
7. Whether RuID, biometrics, or other preliminary actions are needed for your trip.

If in doubt, it is safer to request an official clarification or obtain a consultation before the trip rather than dispute at the border.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does the 90/180 rule still apply?

For many practical inquiries, this name remains, but the general visa-free limit in the current version of 115-FZ needs to be checked separately. From 2025, the basic rule for visa-free temporary stay is related to 90 days within a calendar year unless there is an exception under law or an international treaty.

Should the day of entry and the day of exit be counted?

For safe calculation, consider both days as days of stay. If the dispute is about a specific case, refer to the documents, official clarification, and the position of the authority or court.

If I left for a day, does the period reset?

No, you cannot rely on that. Under the old 90/180 approach, leaving for a day did not remove already used days from the rolling window. Under the current calendar limit, a short exit also does not mean the automatic appearance of a new full term.

Does migration registration allow you to stay longer?

No. Registration at the place of stay and the duration of legal stay are different issues. Registration does not replace the legal basis for being in Russia.

What to do if the period has already been exceeded?

Gather documents, do not hide dates, and check if there is a ruling or decision. Further actions depend on the situation: departure, appeal, status resolution, checking entry ban.

Official Sources

What to do next

If you are unsure how many days you have already used and whether you can return to Russia, create a table of entries and exits, check the applicable rule for your citizenship, and keep the documents. If there is a risk of a ban or deportation, start with materials on entry ban and lifting the ban .