Exemption from Russian Language and History Test: What Changes from August 11, 2025?

Amendments have been made to Article 15.1 of Federal Law No. 115-FZ of July 25, 2002, “On the Legal Status of Foreign Citizens in the Russian Federation.”

As a general rule established by this article, a foreign citizen must prove proficiency in the Russian language, knowledge of Russian history, and knowledge of the basics of Russian legislation in order to obtain a temporary residence permit, residence permit, work permit, or patent.

In accordance with the amendments, foreign citizens who are engaged in labor activities on the basis of work permits issued within the framework of quotas are exempt from proving proficiency in the Russian language, knowledge of Russian history and the basics of Russian legislation when applying for a work permit are exempted for foreign citizens who are employed on the basis of work permits issued within the quota established by the Government of the Russian Federation for the issuance of work permits to foreign citizens arriving in the Russian Federation on the basis of a visa.

The amendments shall enter into force on August 11, 2025.

Federal Law No. 329-FZ of July 31, 2025