FAQ

The group of Russian state universities RACUS offers education in more than 1,200 educational programs in Medicine, Engineering, Economics and Humanities taught in Russian, English, and French.

Choose a university to study in.

Upon arrival, students who have chosen studies in English or French are interviewed for knowledge of the language of instruction. It is not necessary to present international language certificates (IELTS, TOEFL, CAE, DALF, TCF, etc.). For admission to the university, it is sufficient to have English/French in the educational document on the previous level of education (secondary education, higher education).

The recommended age for applying for studies at Bachelor’s, Master’s, and Specialist’s degrees is up to 29 years. In exceptional cases applications from older candidates may be considered if they have already received previous education. 

Admission to postgraduate programs (Clinical Residency and PhD) is carried out without any age restrictions.

After the Admission Letter is issued by RACUS, the Direcorate for Migration of the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia begins the procedure of formalization of the Invitation to Study which is the main document for obtaining Russian study visa. The deadline for issuing an Invitation for studies is on average from 30 to 45 days. The Invitation for studies will be sent to you by e-mail after receiving the full payment for the academic year according to the invoice.

Upon the receipt of the Invitation Letter you are supposed to submit your documents to the Consular Division of the Russian Embassy in your country in order to obtain Russian study visa. The standard set of documents for obtaining a study visa includes:

• Invitation to study;
• International Passport;
• Visa Application form;
• Color photo 3,5x4,5;
• Negative HIV certificate;
• Medical certificate.

The average period of issuing study visa: 7–14 days.

The list of required documents for Russian study visa may vary from country to country. We advise you to check this information (including the list of documents, terms and cost of visa formalizing) with the Consular Division of the Russian Embassy in your country.

It depends on the chosen specialty and the language of instruction.

Programs in Medicine: General Medicine – 6 years; Dentistry – 5 years; Pharmacy – 5 years; Veterinary Medicine – 5 years; Clinical Residency – 2–5 years; PhD – 3 years.

Programs in Engineering, Economics and Humanities: Bachelor's degree – 4 years; Master's degree – 2 years, PhD – 3 years.

Foundation Course – 1 academic year (7–10 months).

The education of foreign citizens in Russian universities is covered up to 80% by the Russian Government, which makes the tuition fees affordable. Taking this into account, the average tuition fees in Russia may vary between 1,500 and 4,000 USD per academic year depending on the chosen program and language.

You can find the exact tuition fee on the page of your chosen university.

After receiving confirmation of admission, the applicant receives an Admission letter and an invoice for payment for the first academic year. Tuition fees must be paid within the deadlines indicated on the invoice. Without the payment, the invitation letter will not be issued by the migration service and the study visa cannot be issued, as well. Payment of tuition fees after arrival in Russia is not possible.

Foreign students coming for studies at the Foundation Course through RACUS are admitted to the university without any entrance exams.

Foreign students coming for programs in Russian, English, and French through RACUS are admitted to universities on preferential terms; namely, they usually pass entrance exams in the form of interview or testing.

The RACUS organization ensures your admission to the university if you comply with all the necessary formalities.

1. In case the student made the payment but for some reason failed to come to Russia for studies, the amount paid for his or her tuition, accommodation, and life and health insurance will be reimbursed in the amount of 100%. However, the student’s registration fee, bank charges as well as charges for currency conversion into Russian rubles are non-refundable.

2. In case the student arrived in Russia and was provided with the accommodation in students’ hostel, the amount paid for studies is subject to the following regulations:

a) the amount paid for the Foundation Course is non-refundable;

b) the amount paid for undergraduate (1–6 years) and postgraduate programs (2–5 years) is reimbursed in the amount of 30% of the tuition and accommodation fees in a students’ hostel for one academic year.

The refund may be proceeded only upon the receipt of the properly filled Application for Refund issued by RACUS and only according to the provided student’s/sender’s banking details to a foreign currency account.

The tuition, accommodation, and life and health insurance fees stated in US dollars are approximate equivalents of the cost in the Russian national currency — the ruble. The actual cost of tuition, student accommodation, and life and health insurance may be slightly adjusted on the date of the invoice issuing, in accordance with the current US dollar exchange rate established by the Central Bank of Russia.

At the stage of preliminary document processing, applicants must pay a one-time registration fee of 150–300 USD, depending on the list of the services provided:

• Preliminary evaluation of educational documents, preparation, and submission of the document package to the University Admissions Committee, issuing the admission letter, processing of the applicant’s files, initial assistance upon the student’s arrival (e.g., fingerprint registration, medical examination, migration registration, visa extension, etc.).
• Preparation of the document package and submission to the university's passport and visa service, transfer of documents to the Russian migration service for the issuance of the study invitation, receipt of the invitation letter upon completion of processing, its registration with the university and the organization RACUS, and sending to the applicant.

You can send an application to study at Russian universities on our website.

Prepare and submit a full package of documents for studying in Russia:

• Application of the established form (issued by the RACUS organization);
• A copy of the passport pages with the photo and personal data (the passport should be valid for at least 2 years from the supposed date of the arrival in Russia);
• A copy of the Higher Secondary School Certificate/Diploma of higher education with academic transcript;
• Signed contract (issued by the RACUS organization).

Applications are accepted at the central office of the RACUS organization in Russia and in its representative offices in 77 countries annually from January 10 to October 25.

Discover 4 simple steps to your education in Russia.

Every year the RACUS organization holds a scholarship competition for talented students called Bright Future. The scholarship covers tuition fees for the educational program chosen by the candidate. All information about the conditions of participation in the scholarship competition and the list of documents required for submission/registration is indicated in the competition documentation attached to the description of each scholarship.

The Russian government annually allocates up to 30,000 scholarships for foreign citizens to study at Russian universities. For information about Russian Government scholarships, please contact the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation.

It is impossible to transfer from any foreign university to a Russian university for a subsequent year. Foreign citizens should apply for the first year at Russian university. However, it is possible to transfer your credits with the prospect of changing to a higher year. To do this, after the admission to the first year, a foreign student should provide an academic transcript with a list of subjects that were studied earlier. Such issues are resolved individually with every candidate.

You may also apply for the next level of education upon the receipt of higher education diploma at your university. For example, if you have completed a Bachelor’s degree, you can submit your documents and apply for a Master’s degree program at Russian university.

• consultations on application, admission, and study at the university;
• examination of educational and other documents for the eligibility of admission to the university;
• provision of an Admission Letter (confirmation of enrollment) to study at the university;
• formalizing of documents to obtain the invitation to study at the Migration Service of Russia;
• consultations on obtaining a study visa at the Russian Embassy;
• organization of arrival in Russia;
• meeting at Moscow/Saint Petersburg airport;
• transfer to the city and university of study;
• provision of accommodation in a student hotel/hostel;
• organization of the beginning of studies at the university;
• mentoring of the student for the entire period of study at the university until graduation (up to 7 years).

Education at Russian state universities which form part of the RAСUS group is carried out in Russian, English, and French.

Applicants who wish to study in Russian but do not speak Russian are admitted to the special Foundation Course program.

Applicants who enroll in programs in English and French do not need to study at the Foundation Course. They enter the 1st year of study directly. Russian, as a foreign language, is included in the educational program for the entire period of study according to the program chosen by the student.

Your application may be considered as an exceptional case, and you may receive an Admission Letter to confirm your conditional admission for the studies and the necessity to submit all missing documents within the indicated period of time. For more details, do not hesitate to contact RACUS Central Office in Russia.

Upon completion of studies, the graduates receive a diploma of higher education in conformity with Russian national standards, specifying degree/qualification (Bachelor of Science, Master of Science, Specialist/Specialist Engineer) and educational program. The recognition of Russian diplomas all over the world is ensured by intergovernmental and international agreements/conventions or by the national legislation of the countries.

This is an educational section of a higher educational institution, whose purpose is to prepare foreign citizens for further study in undergraduate and postgraduate educational programs in Russian on an equal basis with Russian students.

The duration of study is 1 academic year (7–10 months). The main purpose of the Foundation Course is to study the Russian language and improve the level of knowledge in special major disciplines (Chemistry, Biology, Physics, Mathematics, Computer Science, etc.) to continue studying at the university according to the chosen program.

Training at the Foundation Course is carried out in 4 fields:

• Medicine: Chemistry, Biology;
• Engineering: Mathematics, Physics, Computer Science;
• Economics: Mathematics, Physics, Computer Science;
• Humanities: History, Social Studies, Literature, Geography.

The university may also include other subjects in the Foundation Course program at its discretion.

You can find tuition, accommodation, and life and health insurance costs on the page of the university you are interested in. These payments are mandatory upon initial enrollment. The final cost depends on the package of services established in each country, which may additionally include registration fee, visa issuing costs, translation of educational and other documents into Russian, international airfare, transfers (group or individual) from Moscow/Saint Petersburg to the city of study, and other contractually regulated services.

The studies are annually scheduled as follows:

• Foundation Course: from the 15th of September to the 15th of November;
• English and French Medium programs: from the 15th of October to the 1st of November, depending on the university;
• Russian Medium programs: the 1st of September.

Students must arrive 10 days before the start of their studies.

Upon arrival in Russia, the manager who meets you immediately informs the central office of the RACUS organization so that we can inform the representative of the RACUS organization in your country, who in turn will inform your parents about your safe arrival, accommodation in a student dormitory, etc.

Upon arrival in Moscow or the city of study, the personal manager of the RACUS organization will help you purchase a SIM card so that you could communicate with your parents.

• Make sure you did not leave any of your belongings inside the aircraft;
• Fill out your migration card (these forms are usually distributed to passengers before the landing, or you may find them in front of the passport control area);
• Pass through the passport control (it may take 20–60 minutes). Remember the name of your destination university (the passport control staff may ask you to tell the city and university of your destination). Print out and prepare beforehand your Admission letter issued by RACUS as it may be required at the passport control;
• Collect your luggage from the baggage carousel. In case any of your luggage items got lost, please address LOST AND FOUND desk nearby the baggage carousel. You will have to fill in a declaration form for your lost luggage;
• Upon exit from the customs area look around to find our representative among the greeters, they will be holding a sign RACUS. If you cannot find it, do not leave the arrival area until you are found, and in no case leave the airport! Free Wi-Fi is available at all airports in Russia.

ATTENTION! Once you have received your luggage, there is no need to wait for other students from your group, you may go to the customs control through the green gate (in case you have less than 10,000 USD in cash), and then come out to the arrivals area.

ATTENTION! Do not leave your luggage and personal belongings unattended! Make sure you keep your documents safe so they don’t get lost! Upon your arrival you are supposed to present your passport together with your visa and migration card to the university passport and visa department within 3 days after you pass the passport control at the Russian airport for your prompt registration at the migration authorities in conformity with Russian legislation. This registration at the migration authorities is not possible without a valid passport and student visa together with a relevant migration card!

Upon your arrival to Russian airport you will have to pass through the passport control then receive your luggage and get through the customs control. After the customs control, you will exit into the arrivals area of the airport, where one of our RACUS managers will meet you with a RACUS meeting sign. Before your arrival, we also prepare a guarantee letter proving that RACUS staff will meet you and take you to the city of your destination and to the university.

Please do not come without prior notification of RACUS about your arrival to avoid any trouble at the airport because in the absence of our representative with a guarantee letter that includes the student’s name this foreign student may be asked to go back to his home country on the next available flight (in such cases the travel expenses are to be paid by the student).

Please inform us in case your flight was delayed or in case you are late for the flight, lost in the airport or if you have any difficulty.

Upon your arrival RACUS will arrange your transfer from the airport to the city and university of your destination (including the student pick up at the airport of final destination and transfer to the students’ hostel/university hotel), check you in at the hostel and arrange your admission formalities at the university.

Upon arrival at Moscow/Saint Petersburg airport, all students should have 1000 USD in cash for the primary expenses (excess luggage payment, purchase of a SIM card, of necessary seasonal clothing, food, etc.). Keep in mind that the process of obtaining a working bank card from a Russian bank may take up to one month, since it is necessary to register for migration beforehand.

In hand luggage (usually 8–10 kg), we recommend putting a passport, an envelope with documents, a laptop/phone/tablet, and cash of at least 1,000 USD for primary expenses. Valuables (money and documents) cannot be checked in luggage; they must be transported exclusively in hand luggage and make sure that nothing is lost!

Usually, 20–23 kilos checked-in luggage is allowed for the both international and domestic flights.

Students arriving at the beginning of their studies (September — November) should definitely take warm clothes with them. We do not recommend bringing any kitchen utensils, bed linen, or other similar items, as they can be purchased at a much cheaper price and of a higher quality in Russia. It is strictly prohibited to bring food with you.

• Hand luggage: 8–10 kilos
• Checked-in luggage: 20–23 kilos

The majority of students arrive to the international airports of Moscow and then travel to the chosen university in another Russian city by train or plane.

Every passenger with over 50 kilograms of luggage has to pay customs duty, which is 4 Euro per kg of excess weight (as per the customs regulations in Russia). Formalities regarding excess baggage usually take a lot of time (up to 3 hours), as a result a student can be late for his transfer, train or flight. Also, in case of heavy excess luggage, you will need to pay for the services of porters by yourself.

Before arrival to Russia, every foreign student should properly legalize the documents of previous education (together with Academic transcript) in the country that issued these documents.

There are two types of legalization: Consular legalization and Apostille.

1. Consular legalization includes two seals:

• Legalization seal by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs/ Ministry of education in the country that issued the documents or by another relevant organization in accordance with the legislation established in a particular country;
• Legalization seal by the Russian Embassy (Consulate General) in the country that issued the documents.

2. If the country that issued your educational documents is a member of The Hague Convention, then only one seal is necessary – Apostille. In most cases, it is issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Legalization procedure is applicable to the original educational documents (Certificate and Academic transcript) or to the properly notarized copies.

The documents to be submitted to the university upon the student’s arrival are the following:

• Original of your Certificate of secondary education/Diploma of higher education properly legalized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of your country (or any other organization as prescribed by your country's laws and regulations) and the Embassy of the Russian Federation in the country that issued your educational documents (or apostilled, for the countries-members of The Hague Convention);
• General Medical Certificate. The students enrolled for medical specialties should provide an extended health certificate (detailed information to be given by RACUS representative in your country);
• Vaccination certificate or another document that includes information about all previously made vaccinations;
• Certificate of absence of HIV infection;
• Certificate of photofluorography and a relevant chest radiography picture;
• 12 photos, size 3 х 4 cm.

Transfer services from Moscow/Saint Petersburg to the city of study include:

• Meeting the student at the international airport in Moscow/Saint Petersburg (in accordance with the current transfer regulations). Note: if the student arrives individually (not in a group), an additional fee of $150 applies for organizing the individual transfer.
• Transfer to another Moscow airport or a railway station for further travel to the city of study.
• Airfare or railway ticket from Moscow/Saint Petersburg to the city of study.
• Meeting the student upon arrival in the city of study.
• Transfer to the student's hostel.

ATTENTION! The transfer fee depends on the city of study and must be paid 100% in advance before the student arrives in Russia. Transfer services are mandatory for first-year students or foundation course students arriving in Russia for the first time, as required by Russian border service regulations. The transfer cost and details are specified in the Admission Letter and the invoice for payment.

Russian is spoken by about 400 million people all over the world. Every year, foreign graduates of Foundation Course and Russian language course throughout Russia boldly add to this number.

The Foundation Course is your opportunity to learn Russian and then continue your education at the university in Russian language. This is an educational unit of a higher educational institution where foreign students are being prepared for further obtaining a higher education at Russian universities. During one academic year (7–10 months), students study Russian and core subjects of their future specialty: Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics, Physics, Computer Science, etc. The program of the Foundation Course has an average level of complexity and is designed for the average level of preparation of the applicant. Students who regularly attend classes and conscientiously do their homework do not face problems in studying and in mastering the curriculum in Russian. More than 80,000 foreign students annually enter the universities and study Russian.

As practice shows, more than 98% of students successfully graduate from the Foundation Course and start their 1st year of studies in Russian. Upon graduation from the Foundation Course, foreign students already can:

• read and understand the content of the texts;
• to present the content of the texts and carry out discussions;
• to understand the oral speech and conduct dialogues;
• to present the texts in writing as well as write down lectures and notes.

Moreover, the fact that international students face practicing Russian every day (in the hostel, at the university, on the street, in shops, etc.) also makes a significant contribution to the learning of Russian. Thus, Russian is not a difficult language to learn, and, besides, currently more than 400,000 foreign students from 200 countries already study at Russian universities and make progress.

In case of expulsion of the student from the university (for any reason) while studying at the Foundation Course, the amount paid by the student is not refunded under any circumstances.

In case of expulsion of the student from the university (for any reason) in the first semester (from September 1 to February 1) of the academic year of the main (1–6 years) or postgraduate (1–5 years) program, the amount paid by the student for the academic year in the amount of 100% is refunded to the Student in the amount of 30% of the amount paid.

In case of expulsion of the student from the university (for any reason) in the second semester (from February 9 to June 30) of the academic year, the amount paid by the student is not refunded under any circumstances.

The date of the student's expulsion from the university is the date when the rector of the university signed the expulsion order. The amount transferred to insurance companies is not refunded under any circumstances.

In case of a student’s illness during the study period, he is granted an academic leave in accordance with the rules in force at the university. Meanwhile, the funds paid by the student in the current academic year are transferred to the next academic year.

According to numerous reviews of foreign students studying at Russian universities, Russia is a very safe and tolerant country. Life in Russia is as safe as life in any developed country in the world. However, even in the most peaceful places, you should always remember elementary precaution rules that will let you avoid the possible troubles.

In Russia, the protection of public security is carried out by the state law enforcement service – the police, which ensures the safety of Russian and foreign citizens living in the country. All buildings of educational institutions and student hostels are guarded 24/7 by the university's own security department or by hired security structures. Permit system is in effect in all university buildings and student hostels. Students enter the university and student hostels using special student passes, which they receive when enrolling in the university. Usually, students are allowed to come in the hostel and leave it from 6.00 a.m. to 23.00 p.m.

Every student enrolled in the university is obliged to go through the procedure of recognition of foreign educational documents at his own expense (the approximate cost is 80–100 USD) and receive a Certificate of equivalence from the National Accreditation Center.

Recognition of a foreign education is an official confirmation of the significance (level) of education received in a foreign country, with the granting of academic, professional and other rights to its holder. The student provides the Certificate of equivalence to the university, since this document is mandatory for the admission of a student to study at the main (1–6 years) programs of the university.

The RACUS organization provides the student with the necessary information and consulting assistance in obtaining a Certificate of equivalence free of charge.

1. Immediately head to the police department at the place of stay or to the nearest police department where the document was allegedly lost and get a certificate from the police regarding the loss of a specific document. The certificate must be issued to you immediately. Remember that without this certificate from the police, your presence on the territory of Russia will be considered illegal;

2. Report the incident to the international department of your university or to RACUS organization, where you will be advised on further actions.

An academic year lasts for 10 months: from September 1 to June 30.

The academic year is divided into 2 semesters. At the end of each semester, students take tests and exams in the subjects they studied.

1st semester: September 1 – January 25;

2nd semester: February 9 – June 30.

Approximate vacation dates:

• Winter holidays (2 weeks: from January 25 to February 9);
• Summer holidays (2 months: from July 1 to August 31).

Students can spend their winter and summer holidays in Russia or go to their home country.

You can always contact the central office of RACUS organization by e-mail education@racus.ru indicating your child's full name, citizenship, and university of study. We will provide data on your child's academic performance.

Yes, you can. After graduation from university and receipt of diploma of higher education, you can apply to various companies by sending them your resume for the openings. At the same time, it is necessary to comply with the current rules established by the Legislation of Russia.

On average, a student needs 250–350 USD per month to live in Russia. However, for the first months it is better to have about 1,000 USD extra for additional expenses like settling your place in the hostel (buying the dishes, writing materials, etc.). Of course, this is an approximate amount – it all depends on your needs. You can spend more or less. In general, students of Russian universities have many benefits, which allows them to save on transport, entertainment and many more. In addition, most universities have their own sports centers, where students can work out for free or at a lower price.

In all Russian student hostels, there is an equipped kitchen on each floor where you can cook your own food at your own discretion. A wide range of products from all over the world presented in Russian stores allows a foreign citizen to stick to the nutrition he got used to at home. It would be useful for a student to learn how to cook his own food, especially national food, before coming to Russia.

The average food expenses for a student are 250–300 USD per month.

A student can visit any cafes or restaurants, including affordable student cafes. The average cost of a student lunch set (soup, main course and side dish, salad, tea) is 2–3 USD.

Russian legislation allows foreign students to officially work part-time in their free time, and neither the student nor the employer needs to obtain any special permits for this.

However, you should not expect that a part-time job will fully cover all your living expenses. On average, a student can earn 300–500 USD per month by working 4 hours a day. Studying in Russian universities is quite intensive, in addition, there are also tasks for self-preparation, so students do not have much free time. Parents (sponsors) should have funds and bear all expenses in full during your stay in Russia as a student.

Students are not recommended to work for the first two years of their stay in Russia, as they do not yet speak Russian sufficiently and have not fully adapted to the living conditions in the new country. The work that foreign students can find is most often temporary, unskilled and low-paid: in restaurants, cafes, hotels, shops, children's summer camps, etc. Such earnings should be perceived by a foreign student only as a way to earn pocket money, an opportunity for additional communication in Russian, a possibility to better learn the culture and customs of Russians, but certainly not as a source of income for annual tuition fees at the university, accommodation in a student dormitory and life and health insurance.

Foreign students entering to study for the first time are granted a single-entry study visa for 90 days. Upon arrival to Russia, students are required to submit documents for visa extension 45 working days before the expiration of a single-entry visa. After that, they will be granted a multiple-entry study visa for a period of 1 academic year.

In subsequent years of study, the timely extension of a multiple-entry study visa (45 working days before the expiration date) is the exclusive responsibility of the foreign student. For an expired visa, a student will face a fine or deportation and a ban on entry to Russia for 5 years.

To apply for a multiple-entry study visa, the validity period of a student's passport must be at least 2 years from the date of issuance of the visa. It is essential to bear it in mind and to renew the passport or to extend its validity, if necessary.

All international students are guaranteed a place to stay in a double/triple room of a student hostel/hotel. Every student is provided with furniture (table, chair, bed, bedside table, wardrobe, and bed linen).

Things necessary for personal use (dishes, cutlery, kettle, computer, etc.) are to be purchased by students independently at their own expense. Toilets and shower rooms with hot and cold-water supply are located on each floor or in each block (depending on the type of the hostel). All buildings in Russia, including hostels and academic buildings are supplied with central heating, and the average temperature in buildings is almost always 20–22 °C. On each floor there is a kitchen where you can cook your own food to your taste. Cafe, gym, classrooms, laundries, etc. are available in almost every student hostel/hotel or close to it.

It is necessary to keep student hostels clean and to maintain order, as well as to take into account the interests of the roommates and respect them. Students ensure cleanliness and order in their rooms by themselves. Common areas (corridors, kitchens, showers, and toilets) are cleaned by the hostel/hotel staff.

The average cost of accommodation in a student hostel is 20–40 USD per month, depending on the city, university, and type of hostel/hotel.

According to Russian legislation, a medical life and health insurance policy should be issued to every foreign student. The insurance policy is issued for 1 year and its average cost is 190 USD for 1 year. The insurance policy should be renewed annually (for the entire period of study).

Even before the arrival of a student to Russia, the RACUS organization draws up a life and health insurance policy for the student in one of the stable Russian insurance companies. Upon the student’s arrival to Russia, the original policy is issued. The insurance policy guarantees that the student will receive the necessary medical care based on the insurance program during the validity term of the policy.

The insurance policy specifies the contact numbers of the insurance company, which you can use to make an appointment with a doctor. If you have any questions, you can always contact the RACUS organization for help and consultation.

The main thing you need to know about the weather in Russia is that it varies a lot depending on the region. The RACUS organization offers education in the cities of the European part of Russia with fairly comfortable weather conditions.

In this part of Russia, all 4 seasons are pronounced: summer, autumn, winter, and spring. The average temperature in summer is +25 °C. It gets cooler in autumn, from +10 to +15 °C. In winter, the temperature is between -10 and +5 °C. In spring, it is noticeably warmer, the temperature rises to the level of +10 and +15 °C.

Central heating works perfectly in houses, administrative buildings, dormitories and in any other public places, including stores, shopping centers, etc. Therefore, in the cold season, residential and public premises, as well as all transport, are heated. The average temperature in all spaces, almost at any time of the year, is higher than +20 °C.

• Payment for the first year of study must be made within the time specified in the invoice. Funds are transferred to a bank account based on an invoice issued by the RACUS organization;
• Payment for subsequent years of study is made before August 1 of the current academic year in full for one academic year. Exceptions are allowed in which it is allowed to transfer the amount of tuition fees and accommodation in a student dormitory for semesters: 70% of the total cost of tuition, accommodation, and insurance up to August 1, and 30% of the total cost of tuition, accommodation, and insurance up to January 15.

Remember that money transfer from your country to a Russian bank can take up to 1 month.

Transfer from one Russian university to another is unrecommended (due to the difference in educational programs) but possible provided the student follows academic rules and fulfills financial obligations. To receive more detailed information, please contact the central office of the RACUS organization.

During winter and summer holidays, students can travel around Russia as well as visit other countries. When planning a trip, it is important to comply with the migration legislation of Russia:

• to inform the university in advance of your travel plans and make sure that your study visa has a sufficient validity period for this;
• within 3 days after returning from a trip, to apply to the university for migration re-registration – a mandatory procedure after returning from any trips, both from Russia and from foreign countries.

To reside in Russia legally, foreign students are obliged to:

1. Fill out and receive a migration card when passing through passport control at the airport.

Migration card is an evidence that you have crossed the Russian border legally. Along with the passport, it is an indispensable document for migration registration and stay of a foreign citizen in Russia. It is valid while you are in Russia, and, if you leave the country, you fill out a new one when you return. It should always be kept with you along with your passport.

2. Complete the migration registration procedures at the university within 3 days from the date of crossing the Russian border.

This is done by the university; you only need to bring the necessary documents to the passport and visa service of the university within 3 days from the date of crossing the Russian border. Then the university employees will give you a tear-off part of the arrival notification (registration) with a mark of the Main Directorate for Migration of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia. This is your migration registration document.

After the first crossing of the Russian border, the RACUS organization employees and employees of the university will help you prepare and submit a package of necessary documents. Subsequently, migration registration is the exclusive responsibility of a foreign student.

Failure to comply with the migration registration rules specified in this section is a violation of the laws of the Russian Federation which may entail disciplinary and administrative liability – from the imposition of a fine to expulsion from the university or deportation from the Russian Federation with a ban on re-entry.