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Information forabout British citizens living in Russia,Russia – including guidancevisas, onworking, residency, healthcare and driving.
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Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the UK government has imposed sanctions against a range of Russian companies and individuals. These sanctions may affect transactions in, or connected with, Russia.
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If your child is born in Russia, you should register the birth with the localRussian authorities.authorities You(in canRussian).
Read thenour guidance on moving, living or retiring abroad. This covers how to:
Russian naming practices
Russian babies are given a patronymic as well as a first name and applysurname. forA patronymic is a birthmiddle registrationname certificate.based on the father’s first name. For example, if the father’s first name is Ivan, the baby is given the middle name ‘Ivanovich’ (for a boy) or ‘Ivanovna’ (for a girl).
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If you live in Russia, make sure that:
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Returning to the UK
Read returning to the UK permanently. This includes information on bringing family members back to the UK, tax and access to services.
For more information on leaving Russia, read about safety and security in the travel advice for Russia.
You may not be able to exit Russia if you have any unpaid debts, fines or penalties in Russia. Check if you have any outstanding payments using the Russia State Bailiff’s Services portal (in Russian,Russian) site may not be available from outside Russia) or Russian State Services portal (in Russian,Russian). siteYou may not be availableable fromto access these portals outside Russia).Russia.
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Updates to this page
-
17 July 2025 Added information on local accommodation services, checking for outstanding fines, penalties and tax debts, and accessing a UK pension from Russia.
-
17 January 2025 A new section on mobile phone services in Russia has been added: Russian authorities now require foreign nationals to pass biometric checks to access local mobile phone services.
-
20 March 2024 Information added in the Driving in Russia section on the requirement for British holders of Russian residence permit or passport to obtain a Russian driving licence.
-
4 August 2023 Information on visas, dual nationality, dual taxation and driving has been updated.
-
15 November 2022 This guidance has been reviewed and updated for British people currently living in Russia. We continue to advise against all travel to Russia.
-
2 March 2021 Updated with information about coronavirus and vaccines for UK nationals
-
7 March 2014 First published.
Update history
2026-01-27 16:07
Rewrote guide to make it easier to read and understand. Includes new information about dual citizens travelling to the UK (‘Passports and travel’ section), and about accessing benefits for disabled drivers (‘Driving in Russia’ section).
2025-07-17 14:11
Added information on local accommodation services, checking for outstanding fines, penalties and tax debts, and accessing a UK pension from Russia.
2025-01-17 11:50
A new section on mobile phone services in Russia has been added: Russian authorities now require foreign nationals to pass biometric checks to access local mobile phone services.
2024-03-20 09:57
Information added in the Driving in Russia section on the requirement for British holders of Russian residence permit or passport to obtain a Russian driving licence.
2023-08-04 10:58
Information on visas, dual nationality, dual taxation and driving has been updated.
2022-11-15 12:50
This guidance has been reviewed and updated for British people currently living in Russia. We continue to advise against all travel to Russia.