The Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation has proposed to require all foreigners to undergo fingerprinting upon entering Russia

A bill is being developed in Russia that involves implementing fingerprinting and identification of foreign citizens upon their entry into the country.

The document is part of the comprehensive legislative project «On the conditions of entry into the Russian Federation and exit from the Russian Federation for foreign citizens and stateless persons, as well as the conditions of their stay and residence on the territory of the Russian Federation.» It is anticipated that, when technically feasible, border service officers of the FSB of Russia will conduct real-time fingerprint registration, photography, and identification. The obtained data will be transmitted to the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia within one day after the migrant crosses the border or, if possible, in real-time, according to TASS.

The bill also includes consequences for foreign citizens whose entry into Russia is restricted due to changes in their registration data. In case of such violations during identification, migrants will be held accountable in accordance with Russian legislation.

If a foreign citizen is discovered to be under international or federal search, the relevant authorities will be notified.

As a reminder, the head of the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia for migration issues, Valentina Kazakova, previously announced that the procedure of fingerprinting and photography would soon be introduced for arriving migrants at Moscow airports. She also noted that since the end of 2021, foreigners entering Russia are obliged to undergo mandatory fingerprinting, photography, and medical examination within three months.