Foreign citizens and stateless persons are required to present valid documents proving their identity and recognizing the Russian Federation in this capacity and a visa when entering the Russian Federation and leaving the Russian Federation.

A document certifying the identity of a foreign citizen is the passport of a foreign citizen or other document recognized as a document in accordance with an international treaty of the Russian Federation.

The document certifying the identity of a stateless person is:

A document issued by a foreign state and recognized in accordance with an international treaty of the Russian Federation;
Permission for temporary residence;
residence.
Entering the territory of the Russian Federation without a visa is only possible for citizens of states with whom international agreements on mutual trips have been concluded with the Russian Federation providing for entry, exit, movement, transit travel and stay in the Russian Federation without visas.

Agreements on mutual visa-free travel are concluded between the Government of the Russian Federation and the Republic of Azerbaijan, the Republic of Armenia, the Republic of Belarus, the Republic of Moldova, the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, the Republic of Tajikistan, the Republic of Uzbekistan and Ukraine.

Citizens of these states can enter the Russian Federation only on the passport of a foreign citizen. The initial period of their stay in the Russian Federation can not exceed ninety days. After the conclusion of the contract for training in accordance with the legislation of the Russian Federation, the term of temporary stay is extended for the duration of the concluded contract, but not more than for one year, calculated from the date of entry of the foreign citizen into the Russian Federation. The decision to extend the period of temporary stay is made by the territorial body of the Federal Migration Service at the location of the educational institution.

From the states with a visa order of entry, foreign citizens enter the country for study in the presence of an ordinary study visa. This visa is issued by the diplomatic mission or consular post of the Russian Federation abroad. The basis for issuing an ordinary visa for a foreign citizen is an invitation to enter the Russian Federation, executed in accordance with federal law.