Notification from the Ministry of Internal Affairs about the contract with a foreigner: deadlines
When a foreigner starts working in Russia on a patent, temporary residence permit (RVP), or residence permit (VNZh), the employer is obliged to notify the Ministry of Internal Affairs: to submit a notification of the conclusion of an employment contract. The same notification is submitted upon termination. The deadline is 3 working days from the date the contract is concluded or terminated.
The rule applies to companies, individual entrepreneurs (IE), and private individuals, and to citizens of any country — Armenia, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Belarus. The notification is submitted by the employer, not the employee, but it is important for the employee to monitor this: without notification, the work is considered unregistered, the employer faces fines of hundreds of thousands of rubles, and the employee may have issues with the patent.
Important: forms and submission procedures are periodically changed. Check the current requirements at the time of document submission.
Briefly: what to do
- Ensure that the contract is formalized in writing and take your copy.
- Ask the employer for a copy of the notification to the Ministry of Internal Affairs or confirmation of its submission.
- Verify the data in the contract against the passport and patent: full name, passport number, patent details, region, and position.
- Keep receipts for patent payments and registration documents.
- Upon termination, check whether the employer submitted a notification of contract termination.
- If there is no notification — do not wait, act: what to do if the employer did not submit a notification to the Ministry of Internal Affairs .
- If there are doubts or errors in the data — describe the situation to a migration lawyer using the form on this page.
What is this notification and when is it needed
The notification is a message from the employer to the Ministry of Internal Affairs that they have concluded or terminated a contract with a foreigner: this allows the state to see that the work is legally formalized. It is needed in three cases:
- a foreigner is hired under an employment contract;
- a civil law contract (GPH) for work or services is concluded;
- any of these contracts is terminated.
If the parties simply signed an additional agreement to the existing contract, a new notification is usually not required. But if the old contract is terminated and a new one is signed — the Ministry of Internal Affairs must be notified both times.
Who submits: the employer or the foreigner
The notification is submitted only by the employer — the company, IE, or private individual who hired the foreigner. The employee does not submit anything to the Ministry of Internal Affairs under the contract, but has the right to request confirmation of submission from the employer.
The employee’s status does not matter: whether on a patent, RVP, VNZh, or as a citizen of the EAEU — any employer is obliged to notify the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
Deadlines: 3 working days
| Situation | Who submits | Deadline |
|---|---|---|
| Conclusion of an employment contract | Employer | 3 working days from the date of signing |
| Conclusion of a GPH contract | Employer | 3 working days from the date of signing |
| Termination of any of the contracts | Employer | 3 working days from the date of termination |
| Correction of an error in the submitted notification | Employer | As soon as possible, no exact deadline is established by law |
The deadline is counted in working days: weekends and holidays are not included. But it cannot be delayed either — missing even one day is already considered a violation.
How to submit the notification
The notification forms are approved by the order of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia dated 30.07.2020 No. 536: there are different forms for employment contracts and GPH contracts. Before submission, download the current form, as it is periodically updated.
You can submit it in the following ways:
- in person at the migration department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs at the place of work;
- by mail — as a registered letter with a list of attachments;
- electronically through State Services (the procedure for such submission changes, check in your region).
When submitting in person or by mail, be sure to keep the confirmation: the receipt of the notification, the list of attachments, the receipt. Without it, it is difficult to prove that the obligation has been fulfilled.
What a foreigner should check in the contract
An error in the contract almost always carries over to the notification and then settles in the Ministry of Internal Affairs databases. Before signing, verify:
- Full name — exactly as in the passport and notarized translation;
- passport number and series, date of birth;
- patent, RVP, or VNZh details — series, number, date of issue;
- work region — must match the patent region;
- position or type of work — must correspond to the patent;
- start date of work — actual, not “later backdated”;
- salary amount and payment procedure.
More details can be found in the articles on what an employment contract with a foreigner should contain and how to check a patent before employment .
Errors in the notification and how to correct them
| Error | What is dangerous |
|---|---|
| Incorrect passport or patent number | Information does not match the Ministry of Internal Affairs database |
| Incorrect region or position | Work may be considered illegal |
| Missed submission deadline | Fine for the employer under Article 18.15 of the Administrative Offenses Code of the Russian Federation |
| Incorrect contract date | Dispute over when the employee actually started working |
| No confirmation of submission | No proof that the notification was submitted |
If the notification was submitted with an error, submit a new one — with the correct data — and attach a letter in free form: what exactly was indicated incorrectly. The sooner the correction, the lower the risk of a fine. If the data diverged from the Ministry of Internal Affairs databases due to an error, read how to correct an error in migration data at the Ministry of Internal Affairs .
Fines for failure to submit a notification
Responsibility is established by Article 18.15 of the Administrative Offenses Code of the Russian Federation. The employer pays the fine, and separately for each foreign employee: five people without notifications — five fines.
- officials — from 35,000 to 70,000 rubles;
- legal entities — from 400,000 rubles, possible suspension of activities for up to 90 days;
- in Moscow, the Moscow region, St. Petersburg, and the Leningrad region, fines are even higher.
The absence of a notification also affects the employee: when extending the patent and during inspections, it will be revealed that the work is not formalized, and for two or more instances of holding the employer accountable under this article, the employee risks a ban on entry. How to pay the patent without errors to avoid adding risks is covered in the article on patent payment deadlines , and what to do if the notification was never submitted is discussed in the material on what to do if the employer did not notify the Ministry of Internal Affairs about the contract .
Sources
- Order of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia dated 30.07.2020 No. 536 — forms and procedure for notifying the Ministry of Internal Affairs about the employment of foreigners.
- Federal Law No. 115-FZ, Article 13 — legal basis for the employment of foreign citizens.
- Administrative Offenses Code of the Russian Federation, Article 18.15 — responsibility for illegal employment of foreign workers.
FAQ
Who submits the notification to the Ministry of Internal Affairs — the employer or the foreigner?
Only the employer: the company, IE, or private individual who hired the foreigner. The employee does not submit the notification but can and should request confirmation of submission.
What is the deadline for notifying the Ministry of Internal Affairs about the contract with a foreigner?
3 working days from the date of the contract conclusion. Upon termination — 3 working days from the date of termination. The deadline is counted in working days, excluding weekends and holidays.
Is it necessary to notify the Ministry of Internal Affairs about the GPH contract?
Yes. The notification is submitted not only for employment contracts but also for civil law contracts and service contracts with a foreigner. The same deadline applies — 3 working days.
What happens if the employer did not submit the notification?
A fine under Article 18.15 of the Administrative Offenses Code of the Russian Federation: for officials — from 35,000 rubles, for legal entities — from 400,000 rubles, separately for each employee. For the employee, this poses a risk when extending the patent and during inspections. The situation can often be corrected if action is taken quickly.
Can the notification be submitted through State Services?
Electronic submission is possible, but the procedure and availability change, and the employer usually needs an electronic signature. It is safer to submit in person and obtain a receipt or clarify the current procedure in your migration department.
Is a notification required when extending a patent?
The extension of the patent itself does not require a notification. But if the old contract is terminated and a new one is signed, each event must be notified separately, within the same deadline of 3 working days.
How can a foreigner check that the notification has been submitted?
Request a copy of the notification with the Ministry of Internal Affairs stamp or confirmation of submission from the employer. If the employer refuses to show the documents — this is a reason to clarify the situation before inspections.
How we can help
Whether the employer submitted the notification, submitted it with an error, or did not submit it at all — this determines what risks you currently face and whether they can be resolved without consequences. Describe the situation to a migration lawyer using the form on this page: what kind of contract, when it was signed, what your status is. The lawyer will analyze the case and suggest specific steps — to check the notification, correct the error, or document the employer’s violation.