Russia Considers New Residency Regime for EAEU Truck Drivers
The Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) of Russia is ready to discuss the possibility of establishing a special residency regime for truck drivers from member countries of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU). Deputy Minister of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure of Armenia Armen Simonyan announced this.
It should be recalled that changes to the law “On the Legal Status of Foreign Citizens” came into force in Russia on January 1, 2025. According to these changes, citizens of visa-free countries entering the Russian Federation for non-work purposes may stay in the country for no more than 90 days per year.
The new restrictions had caused dissatisfaction among truck drivers, as their permitted period of stay is expiring before the year ends due to the time spent on the road and in border queues.
Simonyan noted that similar issues have also been raised by Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, while, for example, the restrictions do not apply to Belarus, as it is a member of the Union State.
According to the Deputy Minister, there is no final legal act yet, but work is ongoing. Russia has not yet issued an official statement.
It should be noted that in October, Armenian truck drivers blocked the highways leading from Armenia to Georgia. Subsequently, Minister of Economy Gevorg Papoyan reported that the Russian side was considering extending the period of stay from 90 to 180 days.