Putin approves new rules for Ukrainians in Russi…

Citizens of Ukraine will need to legalize their presence or leave, according to a new presidential decree

Ukrainians living in Russia without valid residence documents have less than six months to legalize their stay or leave the country, according to a decree signed by Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday.

Among the legitimate grounds for residency are legal employment or enrollment in a Russian education program. The decree came into force with immediate effect.

Ukrainian citizens who register themselves with the Russian Interior Ministry via mandatory medical registration, photographing, and fingerprinting will not be liable for violating the rules of stay in Russia until September 10, according to the order.

The Russian Health Ministry has been tasked with providing undocumented migrants from Ukraine with a medical examination and registration before the cutoff date. The standard Russian visa process requires a medical test to prove the absence of illegal drug use and sexually transmitted diseases such as HIV.

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In addition, the decision applies to all foreign citizens and stateless people in the Zaporozhye Region, Kherson Region, and the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics, which joined Russia in the fall of 2022. All such people must undergo medical tests to confirm the absence of illegal drug use and HIV before June 10, the decree states.

Employers in the new Russian regions may continue to hire foreign citizens, but are required to register their workers via the Interior Ministry, the document says. Any visas and temporary residence permits for such workers are extended by the length of their existing labor contracts, but no later than the end of this year, it says.