Working in Russia as a Foreigner: Documents and Translation
Whether you are starting work with an employer or applying for work authorization through the MVD, you'll need documents from your home country translated into Russian and notarized. We handle the translation and notarization end to end, fully online.
- In-country team in Krasnodar since 2001
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Documents You’ll Likely Need Translated
What a foreign national needs translated depends on the employer and on the migration unit of the MVD handling the case. Several work authorisation regimes exist—the патент, the разрешение на работу, and highly-qualified-specialist status—and each carries its own rules and deadlines set by the MVD. Your employer or the migration unit will tell you which documents they expect and in what form. Our role starts once you have that list.
The documents most foreign workers have translated for employment in Russia are your passport, an education document such as a diploma and its transcript, and a police clearance certificate from your home country. Depending on the regime and the post, medical examination certificates may also come into it. Each foreign document will generally need an apostille or consular legalisation issued in the country where it was issued, then translated into Russian. Once properly apostilled or legalised, we provide notarized Russian translations where a Russian notary certifies the translator’s signature.
One distinction worth knowing in advance: the medical examination is normally carried out at an authorised Russian medical organisation, and the certificate comes out in Russian. Those need no translation. People often arrive with medical papers from home expecting to use them, and that is generally not what is wanted.
Documents to Prepare
- Your passport, with any pages containing stamps, visas, or annotations clearly visible
- Your education diploma or certificate and a transcript or diploma supplement if you have one
- A police clearance certificate or certificate of good conduct from your home country
- Medical examination certificate if required by your employer or the migration unit
- Employment letter or contract from your employer if required by the migration unit
- An apostille on the original of each foreign document if your country is part of the Hague Convention
- As a rule no apostille is needed if your country has a legal-assistance treaty with Russia, such as most CIS countries, Serbia, or the Czech Republic—confirm this before you order
- A notarized Russian translation of all required documents, completed by a translator registered with a Russian notary
- Confirmation from your employer or the MVD of which documents you actually need
Apostille or Treaty: Which Does Your Country Need
An apostille is a certificate attached to a document by an authority in your home country. It confirms the signature, seal, and the capacity of the person who signed—not what the document says. If your documents come from a country in the Hague Apostille Convention—such as most of the EU, the United States, or the United Kingdom—each one generally needs an apostille on the original before a Russian employer or migration office will work with it. We do not add apostilles; an apostille always comes from your home country, never from Russia.
If your country has a legal-assistance treaty with Russia instead—such as most CIS countries, Serbia, or the Czech Republic—an apostille is as a rule not required, and the standard official stamp from the issuing authority is enough. That is the general position rather than a certainty about your particular document, so confirm it with your employer or the migration unit before ordering. Either way, once your documents are ready in their original language and properly certified as your country requires, send us scans. We handle the notarized Russian translation that your employer or the migration unit of the MVD expects.
Two things get confused here. Having a diploma translated is not the same as having the qualification recognised in Russia: recognition is a procedure run by Rosobrnadzor. Some foreign qualifications are recognised automatically by treaty or by an approved list and others are not, and which group yours is in is not worth guessing—ask your employer and Rosobrnadzor. We translate the diploma; we do not run the recognition.
What we do not do is decide your case. We are translators working with a Russian notary; we do not file applications, we do not advise on whether you qualify for a given work regime, and we cannot tell you what your employer or migration unit will ask for. They will tell you. Get the list, and send us clear scans. If the requirements change afterwards, let us know and we will translate what was added.
Cost depends on how many documents you need translated and how long each one is. Rates are on the pricing page; send the scans and you will have a fixed price for your own documents within 2 hours during working hours, fixed before you pay rather than adjusted after.
You May Also Need
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Passport Translation
The passport is in every employment file. We translate it in full, including the pages carrying stamps and visas.
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Diploma & Transcript Translation
Where the post depends on a qualification, the diploma and its transcript are translated together so nothing is missing from the record.
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Police Clearance Certificate
Issued by the competent authority of your own country, apostilled there, and translated here once it reaches us.
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Notarized Translation Into Russian
How it works: the translator signs, a Russian notary certifies that signature, and the file is ready for the employer or the migration unit.
Frequently Asked Questions
What documents does a foreign worker need to work in Russia?
It depends on your employer and the migration unit of the MVD. Typically your passport, diploma, police clearance certificate, and sometimes medical examination certificates. Always confirm the exact list with your employer or the relevant MVD unit before ordering translations.
Do I need an apostille on my documents?
It depends on your country. If your country is part of the Hague Apostille Convention, yes. If your country has a legal-assistance treaty with Russia, as most CIS countries do, an apostille is as a rule not needed. Check with your employer or the migration unit for your specific case.
Can I use a translation made in my home country?
As a rule, no. Russian employers and migration offices work with translations notarized inside Russia, where a Russian notary certifies the signature of a translator registered with that notary. A translation made abroad, even a sworn or certified one, is usually not accepted.
What if my medical examination was done in Russia?
Medical examinations for work authorization in Russia are typically done at authorized Russian medical organizations, and the certificates are issued in Russian. Those normally need no translation. Foreign medical records, if requested, would need to be translated.
How long does a notarized translation take?
Once we receive clear scans of your documents, standard turnaround for notarized Russian translation is 2 to 3 business days.
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We are not a law firm or a government agency; we provide notarized translation and document processing. Work authorization requirements are set by the MVD and your employer and can change, so confirm the exact document list with the office that will review your application.
