For employers, the message from the Moscow Migration Center (Миграционный центр Москвы), the Moscow institution providing migration-related services, is important not as a new set of obligations but as guidance for organizing recruitment and HR controls. A patent (a Russian work permit for certain foreign nationals) cannot be obtained through a company representative: the foreign national must apply for it in person. This should be taken into account when planning the employee’s start date and communicating with the candidate.
Applying in person cannot be replaced by company action
The Moscow Migration Center reminded employers that the foreign worker must submit the documents for obtaining a patent personally. An employer cannot apply for a patent on behalf of the employee. Therefore, the HR department should not structure the process as if the company could independently complete this stage for the candidate.
The practical meaning of this rule is that areas of responsibility should be divided in advance. The company can inform the employee that a personal visit is required and check that the employee understands the application procedure. However, the source does not specify which documents must be collected, how the application is processed, or what actions an employer may take beyond this.
How to factor opening hours into planning
From 08:00 to 12:00, documents may be submitted only by prior appointment. If the employee is planning a morning visit, having an appointment becomes a key condition for being allowed to submit the documents. This should be checked before the trip, not after the employee has already arrived at the migration center.
After 12:00, applicants with prior appointments have priority. The message does not explain whether this means that applicants without appointments may also be accepted, how long the wait may be, or how the queue is formed. Therefore, the company should not promise the employee a specific time for completing the procedure based on this information.
Controls should not replace the application procedure
Employers may find it useful to include the personal-submission requirement in the standard HR process for a foreign candidate. For example, when agreeing on the start date, the company can separately record that the employee must apply for the patent personally and that a morning visit requires a prior appointment.
This type of control helps prevent the mistaken expectation that the matter will be resolved through an employer representative. At the same time, the source does not establish the format of an internal check, the list of confirmations required from the employee, or an obligation for the company to accompany the employee. These details cannot be inferred from the Moscow Migration Center’s reminder.
Renewing the patent for the second year: account for weekends
The Moscow Migration Center states that an application to renew the patent for the second year may also be submitted on Saturday or Sunday. For employers, this is an additional organizational option: the employee may choose a weekend day for the personal visit if that option is suitable.
The original material does not provide the renewal deadlines, appointment requirements for this service, or a description of the procedure itself. It also contains no information about the consequences if the employee does not use the option of applying on a weekend. Therefore, HR staff should clarify these parameters in the Moscow Migration Center’s official materials rather than use this publication as a complete set of procedural rules.
“Amina” from 1 September 2026: what is known
From 1 September 2026, the “Amina” app («Амина») is expected to cover additional categories of foreign nationals. For employers, this is a signal to include the issue in monitoring processes related to foreign employees, especially if the company works with different categories of workers.
However, the selection does not list the additional users. The source also does not explain what actions will be required from the employer or foreign national, the deadlines for completing them, or how the app is connected with obtaining a patent. Until official guidance is published, a specific employee cannot be assigned to the new categories solely on the basis of this message.
What to check
- Check that the foreign employee understands that they must apply for the patent personally.
- If the visit is planned for 08:00 to 12:00, confirm that a prior appointment has been made.
- Do not plan the HR process on the assumption that the employer will submit the patent documents on the employee’s behalf.
- When renewing the patent for the second year, take into account that the application may also be submitted on Saturday or Sunday.
- Check the deadlines and procedure for renewing the patent in the Moscow Migration Center’s official materials.
- Confirm with the Moscow Migration Center the list of additional categories of users of the “Amina” app («Амина») from 1 September 2026.