Information on Work, Work Permits and Residence Permits for International Students and Alumni

International students and alumni of HSE University may be eligible to work in Russia, obtain work and residence permits, and apply for Russian citizenship under special terms. The HSE University Office for Legal Affairs has prepared some helpful information and guidance on these procedures.

Employment and work (rendering of services) as a foreign student

Foreign citizens currently studying on HSE University master's programmes can:

• perform work (provide services) during vacation periods without obtaining a work permit or labour patent
• work in their free time at HSE University
• if studying full-time under a state-accredited master's programme, work in their free time (in accordance with subparagraphs 6, 7, 7.1 of paragraph 4 of Article 13 of Law No. 115)

HSE University master’s programmes are full time and state accredited. Students entering Russia on a visa basis require a student visa in order to work without a work permit. Those with other types of visas may need to obtain a work permit (Russian: РНР). 

Simplified procedure for obtaining citizenship for foreign graduates

Foreign citizens who have graduated from HSE University master’s programmes, permanently reside in Russia, and have been working in the Russian Federation for a total of at least one year before applying for Russian citizenship can obtain citizenship in a simplified manner, ie without having a five-year period of permanent residence in the Russian Federation (paragraph ‘e’ of the second part of Article 14 of the Law on Citizenship). The foreign citizen’s employer must pay insurance premiums to the Pension Fund of the Russian Federation for the duration of their employment.

Simplified procedures for holders of ‘red’ diplomas

Foreign students who graduate with a ‘red’ (or ‘honours’) diploma from a Russian university can benefit from simplified procedures for receiving temporary and permanent residence permits and applying for Russian citizenship.

To obtain a ‘red’ diploma, a student must be awarded only ‘excellent’ grades for the pre-defence and defence of their research thesis (8, 9, or 10 points). They should have no ‘satisfactory’ grades (4 or 5) in their HSE University transcript. At least 75% of their grades should be ‘excellent’, while the rest should be ‘good’ (6 or 7).

Obtaining a temporary residence permit (TRP; Russian: РВП) as a foreign graduate with an honours degree from HSE University

A temporary residence permit may be issued to a foreign citizen who has successfully completed a state-accredited full-time study programme and received a diploma with honours, thus bypassing the quota approved by the Government of the Russian Federation (subparagraph 1 of paragraph 3 of Article 6 of Law No. 115).

Obtaining a permanent residence permit (Russian: ВНЖ) as a foreign graduate with an honours degree

A foreign citizen who has successfully completed a state-accredited full-time study programme and received a diploma with honours can obtain a residence permit without obtaining a temporary residence permit (subparagraph 11 of paragraph 2 of Article 8 of Law No. 115).

Confirmation of knowledge of the Russian language, history and legislation with an HSE University diploma for obtaining a work permit or residence permit

An HSE University diploma can be used to confirm knowledge of Russian language, history, and the basics of Russian legislation for the purposes of obtaining a work permit or residence permit (subparagraph 3 of paragraph 1 of Article 15.1 of Law No. 115).

June 21, 2022