For employers hiring foreign nationals, the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation (Министерство внутренних дел Российской Федерации) has outlined two changes with different effective dates. From 1 September 2026, the results of testing for HIV and particularly dangerous infections will be transferred to the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation’s (Министерство здравоохранения Российской Федерации) unified system, which territorial offices of the Ministry of Internal Affairs will be able to access. From 1 January 2027, an announced requirement will oblige employed foreign nationals to support themselves and their dependants at no less than the calculated minimum level.
Which changes affect HR processes
The first change concerns the handling of information from a foreign national’s medical examination (the procedure for assessing the foreign national’s health). From September 2026, the results of testing for HIV and particularly dangerous infections must be recorded in the Ministry of Health’s unified information system. Territorial offices of the Ministry of Internal Affairs are expected to be granted access to this data.
For HR functions, this means that information about the relevant medical results will become part of the interagency digital framework. However, the Ministry of Internal Affairs’ statement does not explain whether the employer will have access to this system, be required to submit information to it, or need to change its internal procedures for handling an employee’s medical documents.
Why it is important to distinguish between the 2026 and 2027 dates
The transfer of medical results is scheduled to begin on 1 September 2026. This is a separate change and does not have the same effective date as the financial support rule. It should be tracked separately in the HR calendar and internal guidance so that the medical requirements are not confused with pay-related matters.
The requirement for a minimum level of support for an employed foreign national has been announced from 1 January 2027. The material provided does not describe a new calculation method or specify any actions that employers must take in advance. Therefore, the future procedure should not be applied to current employment relationships without a confirmed legal basis.
What is known about the calculated minimum level of support
From 2027, an employed foreign national will have to support themselves and accompanying family members who are dependants at no less than the established calculated minimum level. The calculation is expected to take into account the subsistence minimum and a coefficient for the relevant region.
This statement is important for monitoring the pay parameters of foreign employees, but it does not provide a ready-to-use formula. It does not specify the coefficient, how it will be approved, which payments will be included, or how the number of dependants will be determined. Employers should not fill in these elements themselves or use unverified calculations.
How to establish internal controls without unnecessary decisions
At this stage, the employer’s practical task is to record the changes as future requirements and verify them against the official regulatory act (the legal document establishing the new rules). This approach makes it possible to distinguish information from the Ministry of Internal Affairs’ statement from mandatory procedures that will be expressly established by law.
Once the regional coefficient has been introduced, it will be worth checking the pay of foreign workers in relation to the region where they work. The review should be based on approved figures, not assumptions about future values. The material does not explain how the calculated minimum level should be compared with a specific salary structure or other payments.
Several regions and unspecified consequences
Employment of a foreign national in several constituent entities of Russia remains a separate area of uncertainty. The excerpt provided does not explain which regional coefficient should be applied in this situation or how the calculation should be made. Until official guidance is issued, no single approach should be treated as correct.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs also did not identify the consequences of violating the future requirements or specify any penalties in the statement cited. Employers should not attribute to these changes fines, grounds for HR decisions, or other consequences that are not mentioned in the reviewed material. It is more appropriate to monitor the publication of the regulatory act and regional figures.
What to check
- Record 1 September 2026 as the date when medical results will be transferred to the Ministry of Health system.
- Distinguish in HR planning between the 2026 medical change and the support rule taking effect on 1 January 2027.
- Check the official regulatory act establishing the new rules.
- Verify that the coefficient has been approved in the region where the foreign employee works.
- Once the figures have been approved, check the pay of foreign workers.
- Do not apply an unconfirmed calculation procedure to employees working in several regions.
- Do not budget for penalties or employer obligations that are not mentioned in the Ministry of Internal Affairs’ statement.