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In Moscow, police officers may conduct document checks on foreign citizens to maintain public order and ensure compliance with migration legislation. It is important to know your rights and responsibilities so that such situations proceed quickly and calmly.
What You Must Carry With You
Always carry the originals of the following documents:
Identity Document:
Your international passport.
Your international passport.
Migration Card:
The form you received upon entry into Russia.
The form you received upon entry into Russia.
Registration Documents:
The detachable part of the arrival notification, confirming your registration at your place of stay.
The detachable part of the arrival notification, confirming your registration at your place of stay.
Documents Confirming the Purpose of Stay:
Visa (if required), a valid work permit, or temporary residence permit.
Visa (if required), a valid work permit, or temporary residence permit.
How a Legal Check Should Be Conducted
A police officer approaching you is obliged to:
Identify Themselves: State their rank, position, and surname.
Show Identification: Present their service ID upon your request.
Explain the Reason: Clearly state why you have been stopped (e.g., "a routine document check is being conducted").
Have Identification Badges: Their uniform must include a chest badge with an identification number.
Be in Uniform: The officer must be in uniform. Individuals in civilian clothes without presenting official ID do not have the right to check your documents on the street.
Your Rights During a Check
- Right to an Interpreter: If you do not speak Russian, you have the right to request an interpreter.
- Right to Refuse to Show Documents to Someone Without ID: If the officer does not identify themselves or show their ID, you are not obliged to show them anything. You can call 102 and report a suspicious person.
- Right to Record: You can turn on your phone's audio recorder or camera to record the conversation.
- Right to a Protocol: In case of detention and being taken to a police station, you have the right to demand that a detention report be drawn up and to receive a copy of it.
- Right to a Phone Call: If detained, you must be given the opportunity to inform your relatives, friends, embassy, or university coordinators of your whereabouts.
What to Do If You Are Detained
- Remain calm and polite. Do not be rude or offer physical resistance.
- Clarify where and on what grounds you are being taken. Remember the address of the police station.
- Immediately use your right to a phone call. Inform your friends, your educational institution's coordinator, or your country's embassy of your location.
- Demand that a detention report be drawn up and request a copy of this report.
- Do not sign any documents you do not understand (e.g., in Russian without a translation).
- Memorize or write down the officer's badge number and surname.
If Your Rights Are Violated
Report this to your university coordinator, seek legal assistance, or call the single emergency number 112.
