PhD student: visa
1. What do I need to know about visa extension?
1. If your studies at HSE University continue beyond the expiry date on your current visa, you will need to renew both your visa and migration registration.
2. You can apply for visa extension in person through the Student Service Centre as early as 90 days or as late as 45 days before your current visa expiration date. Visa extensions shall be made via the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs. The processing time is 45 calendar days. The documents are accepted from 14:00 until 18:00.
3. You can extend your visa for up to one calendar year at a time in line with the duration of your studies at HSE University. Please note that your visa will also lapse if your passport is due to expire in six months.
4. If you receive a new passport in Russia, make sure to obtain along a certificate from the embassy of your country, indicating the date when you actually got the document. Submit the original of this certificate and of your new passport to the HSE Visa and registration Center, and copies of them to the passport officer of your dorm, on the same date after obtaining them. You have only 3 days to apply for the new registration and a transfer of your visa transfer into the new passport.
5. If you plan to leave Russia, we do not advise to book tickets until you receive your passport with an extended visa.
2. What documents do I need to submit to extend my visa?
I am a fee-paying student
1) your passport + copies of all pages containing stamps and visas;
2) receipt confirming the payment of the visa fee;
Please, do not use Sberbank online or the terminal for the fee payment. Pay the fee at the checkout window in the bank by giving the requisites to the bank cashier. Carefully check the payment details.
3) migration card and its copy
4) registration slip and its copy - both sides (when renting an apartment it's also necessary to provide a copy of the owner's passport, his/her phone number and email);
5) your photo;
6) copy of your tuition agreement;
7) HSE Certificate of Attendance;
8) extract from the HSE Enrolment Directive;
9) for newly enrolled students holding a visa issued by previous university, it is required to provide a copy of certificate of graduation from previous university.
I have a tuition waiver (government scholarship)
1) your passport + copies of all pages containing stamps and visas;
2) receipt confirming the payment of the visa fee;
Please, do not use Sberbank online or the terminal for the fee payment. Pay the fee at the checkout window in the bank by giving the requisites to the bank cashier. Carefully check the payment details
3) migration card and its copy
4) registration slip and its copy - both sides (when renting an apartment it's also necessary to provide a copy of the owner's passport, his/her phone number and email);
5) your photo;
6) copy of the recommendation letter issued by the Russian Ministry of Education and Science;
7) HSE Certificate of Attendance ;
8) extract from the HSE Enrolment Directive;
9) for newly enrolled students holding a visa issued by previous university, it is required to provide a copy of certificate of graduation from previous university.
3. What should I do if it is too late to submit my documents for visa extension?
Contact the HSE Visa and Registration Centre immediately. Most likely, you will have to leave Russia and get a new visa invitation. Contact your doctoral school to find out the procedure and follow this link for more details about getting a new Russian visa.
4. Where can I get the documents required for extending my visa?
An extract from your HSE Enrolment Directive; HSE Certificate of Attendance; tuition agreement or a Ministry recommendation letter
- Get these documents from your doctoral school
- For newly enrolled PhD students holding a visa issued by previous university, it is required to provide a copy of certificate of graduation from previous university.
Your passport
Its expiry date must be at least 18 months away from your planned date of entry into Russia. It must also contain minimum two blank consecutive visa designated pages for your Russian visa and entry/exit stamps. If you do not have enough blank pages in your passport, you must apply for a new one. If you want to use a copy of your passport that you made earlier, please make sure to add a copy of the page containing the most recent stamps made when crossing the Russian border.
Receipt confirming payment of the visa fee
When you need to get payment details for the visa fee, please send an email to the HSE Visa and Registration Centre at visa-registration@hse.ru with a scan of your registration slip in the attachment. The Centre's manager will send you the details and explain how to make the payment correctly (the visa fee is 1,600 roubles).
Please, do not use Sberbank online or the terminal for the fee payment. Pay the fee at the checkout window in the bank by giving the requisites to the bank cashier. Carefully check the payment details
Please note that the University will not be held responsible in case of any mistakes related to the payment of the visa fee, as well as in case of any changes in the place of submission and payment details on behalf of the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs, or if the Ministry of Internal Affairs refuses to issue a visa.
If you find an error in your receipt, contact a bank staff member. If the error cannot be fixed, please keep the receipt with the error and make the payment again. If you want to learn more about getting a refund for incorrect payments, please follow this link.
Copies of documents
There are a few photocopy centres on the premises of HSE University. You can make copies on both sides of the sheet with two two-page passport copies on each side.
Photo
You can use one of the photos you have or make a new one. Requirements: a colour photo 35 by 45 mm in size against a white background.
Visa application
Visit the Student Service Centre with all your documents prepared. One of the Centre’s managers will fill in and give you a personal profile form for signing. Check it for any mistakes and sign it. You should also leave your contact information. The manager will then tell you about the next steps in the process.
5. What should I do while I wait for my visa?
It usually takes 20 working days to process a visa. While waiting for it, we recommend preparing documents for extending your registration. After getting your new visa, you will only have three working days to submit documents to extend your registration. Check beforehand with the dormitory passport office or your apartment’s owner which documents you will need to extend your registration.
What documents can I request in order to extend my registration?
You may request the following to extend your migration registration in advance:
At Doctoral school get:
1) a HSE Certificate of Attendance;
2) an extract from your HSE Enrolment Directive;
3) a copy of your tuition agreement if you stay on a fee-paying basis;
4) a copy of the recommendation letter issued by the Russian Ministry of Education and Science if ou receive scholarship.
How do I know when my visa is ready?
You will be notified via e-mail. If you have provided another address, check your spam just in case. You may also find out about your visa’s status by sending a message to visa-registration@hse.ru, indicating your full name, citizenship and the approximate date for the submission of your documents to extend your visa.
What should I do when I get a notification that my visa is ready?
Bring your passport to the Student Service Centre at the time indicated in the message. Your passport will be held by the Centre for one to three days. You will be informed when you can pick up the passport. Please try to collect the passport on the appointed day. While you do not have your passport, carry a copy of its bio-page and your current visa.
6. I got a new visa. What should I do next?
Carefully check your personal details, for example, by comparing the new and old visa, or refering to the guide. If you find an error in your visa, contact the HSE Visa and Registration Centre immediately.
You must apply for an extension of your migration registration within three days from the date of issue of your new visa. The extension procedure may vary depending on your place of stay. The procedure depends on your place of staying and has no fee.
I am staying in a dormitory
Bring all required documents (a copy of your passport with the new visa, a copy of your migration card, active registration slip and other documents you received from your programme office) to the dormitory passport officer.
You may need a registration application form on HSE University letterhead. To obtain the form, send a request to the HSE Visa and Registration Centre at visa-registration@hse.ru, and collect it after you get the confirmation on its readiness.
Ask the dormitory passport officer when your extended registration will be ready. Please refer to our guide to check your registration slip when you get it. If you find an error in your registration slip, contact your dormitory passport officer. You will receive a new registration slip within a few days. Until you do, please keep the registration slip with the error.
I am staying in a private flat
Please bring all required documents (a copy of your passport with the new visa, a copy of your migration card, active registration slip and other documents you received from your programme office) to the owner of your flat. The owner of the flat can refer to our guide.
You may need a registration application form on HSE University letterhead. To obtain the form, send a request to the HSE Visa and Registration Centre at visa-registration@hse.ru, and collect it after you get the confirmation on its readiness. It usually takes 3 working days to process your application for the form.
Ask the owner of your flat when your registration will be ready. Please refer to our guide to check your registration slip when you get it. If you find an error in your registration slip, contact the owner of your flat. You will receive a new registration slip within a few days. Until you do, please keep the registration slip with the error.
I am staying in a hotel/hostel
Please bring your new visa to your hotel receptionist and ask him/her to extend your migration registration. You can ask him/her when your extended migration registration will be ready. When you get your new registration slip on the appointed day, please make sure to carefully check your personal details.
Please refer to our guide to check your registration slip when you get it. If you find an error in your registration slip, contact your hotel receptionist. You will receive a new registration slip within a few days. Until you do, please keep the registration slip with the error.
Important: When you apply for registration extension your obligatory medical examination and fingerprinting certificates may be checked. In case you haven't passed the procedures within the allowed deadline, or the certificates have expired, you may be rejected the extension of visa and/or registration.
Have you spotted a typo?
Highlight it, click Ctrl+Enter and send us a message. Thank you for your help!
To be used only for spelling or punctuation mistakes.