Migrants may be required to undergo additional medical examinations

New medical requirements are being introduced in Russia for foreign citizens planning to engage in labor activities.

The Ministry of Health of Russia has announced that starting from March 1, 2026, migrants will be required to undergo testing for acute hepatitis, as well as for chronic viral hepatitis B and C.

Now all foreign citizens, stateless persons, as well as individuals applying for refugee status or wishing to obtain temporary asylum upon entering Russia for work, must undergo additional medical examinations.

In addition to expanding the list of mandatory tests, the ministry proposed introducing administrative fines for doctors and medical institutions that violate the procedure for conducting medical examinations of migrants.

The ministry claims that these changes are aimed at disease prevention and ensuring public safety in Russia.

The new requirement from the Ministry of Health of Russia emerged after it was reported on October 10, 2025, that citizens of Tajikistan could undergo medical examinations at one of the special points set up in Dushanbe, even before entering Russia. It was noted that a follow-up visit to a doctor after arriving in Russia is not required, as indicated in the materials for the meeting between the head of the Ministry of Health of Russia, Mikhail Murashko, and the Minister of Health and Social Protection of Tajikistan, Jamoliddin Abdullozoda, in Dushanbe.

Previously, examinations were conducted only on the territory of Russia, and dozens of migrants were deported from the country each year due to the detection of infectious diseases. It is still unclear whether the new agreement will simplify the procedure for migrants or complicate it.