What restrictions on migrants in Russia came into effect from April 1?

New rules for migrants will come into force in Russia from April 1. Now, children will have to pass a Russian language exam before entering school, and drivers with foreign licenses will have to confirm their qualifications. In addition, restrictions will be imposed on the number of SIM cards and stricter control will be imposed on the residence status of foreign citizens. Asia-Plus has compiled and analyzed such legislative changes.

Migrant children will not be admitted to school without a Russian language exam

Now, to enter Russian schools, children of foreign citizens will have to pass a Russian language exam. It will be held in oral and written form, but an exception is made for first-graders - they will only pass an oral interview. If the child does not score enough points, he will not be accepted for study. The second exam will be possible only after three months. To pass the test, it is enough to get 3 points out of 5.

Now foreigners can have no more than 10 SIM cards

Another novelty concerns mobile communications. Now strict restrictions are being imposed in Russia. Russian citizens can have no more than 20 SIM cards per person. Foreigners - no more than 10. These restrictions were introduced due to the fact that sometimes hundreds of numbers are registered per subscriber, which allowed fraudsters to use SIM cards in gray schemes. According to Roskomnadzor, as of September 2024, 24.9 thousand people had more than 20 SIM cards.

Foreign driver's licenses are no longer valid

From April 1, foreign driver's licenses will be invalid for those who have held citizenship, a residence permit or a temporary residence permit in Russia for a year or more.

In order to continue driving, you will now need to pass a theoretical exam at the State Traffic Safety Inspectorate (GAI) and obtain a Russian driver's license.

The same requirements apply to Russians who have obtained a foreign driver's license after living abroad for a long time.

If a driver fails to exchange documents, he will be fined up to 15,000 rubles and will also be disqualified from driving until he receives a Russian license.

In addition, illegal migrants must legalize their status in Russia by the end of April. There is now a strict deadline for all migrants: they must regularize their legal status by April 30, 2025. Those who fail to comply will be placed on a register of persons under surveillance, meaning they will be forced to leave the country. Follow “Zamin” news on “Telegram”