From June 27th, the mandatory medical checks that foreign nationals complete in order to obtain immigration documents in Russia, will now include a test for Covid-19.
What has changed?
While many countries have introduced testing for Covid-19 at border control to determine whether an individual is permitted entry or not, Russia is now including testing for the Coronavirus infection during their mandatory immigration related medical checks.
Currently, all foreign nationals applying for the following immigration documents in Russia are expected to complete a mandatory medical examination: Work permits; Work patents; Temporary residence permits (TRP); and Permanent residence permits (PRP). By Order of the Ministry of Healthcare of Russia No. 581н dated 15.06.2020, Covid-19 has been added to the list of infectious diseases tested for during this medical examination. A positive finding of the Coronavirus will be sufficient grounds for a refusal of issuance or the cancellation of an aforementioned document.
Medical tests are currently not required for the highly skilled worker’s permit; therefore, this new test will not apply to these applicants at this time. This will be monitored though in case of any future change in this respect.
We continue to monitor developments throughout the globe in relation to how countries are handling entry into their country and the reopening of borders, testing for positive Covid-19 cases, quarantine requirements and the resuming (or continued suspension) of immigration document processing. It is unlikely that Russia will be the only country to include Covid-19 in their list of infectious diseases to test for. For those countries where a post arrival medical is required for immigration purposes, it is highly likely that a test for Coronavirus infection will also become part of this process. Whereby Russia has stated that a positive test will result in the rejection of the issuance of permits, it remains to be seen whether other countries would adopt this approach or rely on quarantine methods to suspend permit processing until such a time as the applicant was deemed to be clear. Further to this, with many locations also testing for a positive infection on entry to their jurisdiction, some countries may be able to catch any confirmed cases prior to a formal post arrival medical check being carried out and make the necessary arrangement in relation to the individual and their immigration papers at an earlier stage.
For further information on country specific medical checks required for immigration applications, please contact the Sterling Lexicon immigration team.