The Moscow Migration Centre (Миграционный центр Москвы, a government-run centre handling migration services) has reiterated the procedure for receiving applicants submitting documents to obtain a work patent (патент, a Russian work authorization for visa-free foreign nationals). The arrangement has applied since 20 July 2026: during the morning period from 8:00 to 12:00, documents may be submitted only by prior appointment. For an employer and HR function, this means that the method and time of the visit must be taken into account if an employee or candidate plans to visit the centre.
What has changed in the intake procedure
Starting from 20 July 2026, the Moscow Migration Centre (Миграционный центр Москвы) applies a procedure under which documents to obtain a work patent are accepted from 8:00 to 12:00 exclusively from applicants with a prior appointment. This specifically concerns the submission of work patent documents at this centre, rather than any migration procedures or other institutions.
After 12:00, prior appointment does not disappear from the process: visitors who have booked in advance receive priority. The centre’s notice does not specify exactly how the intake of other visitors is organised after noon. The source also does not state an end date or validity period for this procedure.
How this affects hiring planning
If the HR process depends on visiting the Moscow Migration Centre (Миграционный центр Москвы) to submit work patent documents, a morning visit cannot be planned without a confirmed appointment. The practical value of the rule is to prevent in advance a situation in which an applicant arrives with documents during the 8:00–12:00 period, but submission at that time is not available to them.
When planning a visit after 12:00, it is useful to take into account the priority of visitors who have booked in advance. This does not mean that the source establishes a separate obligation for the employer to book an employee or guarantees an appointment time. The notice records only the priority of those who have booked and the three available appointment channels.
Where to make a prior appointment
The centre specified three appointment channels: the official website of the Moscow Migration Centre (Миграционный центр Москвы), the “Amina” app («Амина») and the “Migrant Service” app («Мигрант Сервис»). When organising the process, it is important to rely specifically on these channels named in the official notice, rather than unverified instructions or third-party services.
The notice itself does not specify what information is required to make an appointment, how far in advance a visit should be selected, whether an appointment can be rescheduled, or how its existence is confirmed. Therefore, unconfirmed timelines and conditions should not be built into the HR schedule: before the visit, the centre’s current information must be checked.
How to establish internal controls without unnecessary assumptions
For an employer, it is sufficient to distinguish between confirmed rules and what the source does not disclose. It is confirmed that morning intake from 8:00 to 12:00 requires a prior appointment, and that after 12:00 applicants with appointments have priority. The procedure for intake without an appointment after noon and any consequences other than the inability to submit documents in the morning without an appointment are not confirmed.
A practical control may consist of confirming the visit time and checking the current publication of the Moscow Migration Centre (Миграционный центр Москвы) before the planned visit. This approach helps take the published intake procedure into account without attributing additional requirements to the centre for the employer, applicant, or set of documents.
What to check
- Check whether the planned visit concerns the submission of documents to obtain a work patent at the Moscow Migration Centre (Миграционный центр Москвы).
- If the visit is scheduled for 8:00–12:00, arrange a prior appointment before planning the applicant’s trip.
- For appointments, use the centre’s official website or the “Amina” («Амина») and “Migrant Service” («Мигрант Сервис») apps.
- If the visit is planned after 12:00, take into account the priority of applicants who have booked in advance.
- Before the visit, check the current publication of the Moscow Migration Centre (Миграционный центр Москвы): the notice does not specify the validity period of the procedure.