How one Englishman moved to Russia seeking ‘traditional values’

In 2024, foreigners were given a new reason to move to Russia. Residents of other countries who “share Russia's spiritual and moral values” could now apply for a temporary residence permit (TRP) valid for three years – a key first step toward Russian citizenship. 

Unlike other routes, this path does not require applicants to pass exams on Russian language or history and it’s also not subject to regional annual quotas. However, the TRP only allows you to live and work in the region in which it was issued. This is the main distinction from the general process for obtaining a residence permit (you can find more details about this here). 

By the beginning of May 2025, Russia’s Ministry of Internal Affairs had received over 1150 applications – mainly from citizens of Germany, the United States, France, UK, Canada and the Baltic States.   

Among them was our reader Kennon Wong from the UK, who shared his experience with us.

A longstanding connection to Russia

Originally from Cambridge, Kennon first visited Russia at the age of 19. In 2012, he went to the city of Izhevsk as a volunteer teaching English during the summer. Two years later, he returned to Moscow under the same program and, by 2015, after graduating from university, he decided to apply for work in Russia.

Although an engineer by trade, Kennon found work in social media, marketing and event management in the B2B and B2G sectors.

“I always loved visiting Russia, so, after graduation, I planned to stay for a year or two,” he says. “But, I ended up working in Russia for eight years.” 

In 2023, his employer shut down, due to potential sanctions, and Kennon had to go back to the UK. 

By then, he had married a Russian woman and neither wanted to lose ties with friends and family in Russia.

“I applied for this specific type of residency, because we haven’t been married long enough to qualify for a marriage-based permit – you need to be married for at least three years,” he explains. 

When they heard about the new TRP option, they immediately started looking into how to apply.

Getting a visa

To apply for the TRP, applicants must be physically in Russia. And, to get here, they need to get a specific single-entry visa from the Russian embassy beforehand (more details on how to get this visa can be found here). 

This part of the decree came into effect only in Fall 2024 and Kennon could not apply for that visa, as there was no official information on how to obtain it at the time. However, he had a valid private family visa and submitted documents in Russia. 

As explained by Nikita Sokolov, an employee of Braiden consulting, who advised Kennon, now, several months later, getting that specific visa for the UK citizens is more clear. For this new type of visa, you need to apply directly at the Russian embassy, not via a visa center. “Every case in the UK is handled individually. This is a new decree and each application is looked at individually at the embassy.”  

Applying in Russia

“Unfortunately, there’s very little clear guidance, so I worked with a migration specialist, who helped schedule my medical exams and fill in the application forms,” says Kennon. 

The whole process took about a month: preparing all the documents, having foreign documents translated and apostilled, acquiring a visa and getting a UK-issued certificate of no criminal record. All documents must be valid for at least three months (full list available here). 

In Moscow, Kennon had to visit several locations. One clinic for a medical exam (which cost around 9,000 rubles or approx. $100), another office for fingerprinting (11,000 rubles or approx. $130; you can find more information here) and then the migration center to submit the full package of documents.

“There's a big emphasis now on having the correct documents – the migration office is working at full capacity,” he says.

All communication and documentation at the center is in Russian.

According to Nikita Sokolov, there’s no official restriction on bringing an interpreter. Many non-Russian speakers rely on online translation tools. 

In response to our inquiry, the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs confirmed that individuals providing interpretation assistance are permitted.

Despite having a specific appointment time, he had to wait a few more hours. Once called upon, he submitted his paperwork, had his biometrics verified and was told to wait for a decision, which was expected by July. According to the law, the application for a temporary residence permit is considered for up to four months from the date of application. 

“Some applicants had to return 3-4 times, so I was lucky,” he adds.

Staying put while waiting

While waiting for the TRP, it’s not prohibited to travel across the country, if you have a valid visa and you are legally in Russia, according to the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs.

However, you cannot change the place of official registration or leave the country (because the special visa for the TRP application is only a single-entry visa). 

The TRP is, however, valid for three years. After that, Kennon can apply for permanent residency and, eventually, for citizenship (not later than four months before the TRP’s expiration). 

“I plan to live here for the foreseeable future,” he says.