Russia Has a Legal Pathway for People Who Still Believe in the Traditional Family
Russia has a legal pathway for foreigners who share traditional values — no language exam, no quota required.
For many people in Western countries, there is a growing sense that the world around them is changing in a direction they are not prepared to accept. For them, family means a mother and a father raising children together. They do not accept the idea that biological sex is a matter of personal choice. They hold dear such concepts as the continuity of generations, respect for elders, and responsibility to one's family and country. All of this falls under what Russian law defines as traditional spiritual and moral values – a list formally established by Presidential Decree No. 809 of 9 November 2022.
For people who share these views, Russia has had a dedicated legal pathway for relocation since September 2024. Presidential Decree No. 702 of 19 August 2024 "On Providing Humanitarian Support to Persons Who Share Traditional Russian Spiritual and Moral Values" grants a foreign national wishing to relocate to Russia – on the grounds of rejecting their home country's policies — the right to obtain a temporary residence permit without a quota and without sitting an exam on the Russian language, Russian history, or the basics of Russian legislation. No military contract is required.
Who Can Use This Pathway
This mechanism is available to foreign nationals and stateless persons who wish to relocate to Russia from countries pursuing what the Decree describes as "destructive neoliberal ideological attitudes" — that is, ideas and practices that contradict traditional Russian spiritual and moral values. This is where the law meets lived experience: the reference is to state policies promoting the primacy of individual choice over biological human nature, the dismantling of the traditional family institution, and the reframing of gender identity.
The specific list of eligible countries was approved by Russian Government Order No. 2560-r of 17 September 2024. It includes 47 states and territories: Australia, Austria, Albania, Andorra, the Bahamas, Belgium, Bulgaria, the United Kingdom (including Crown Dependencies and British Overseas Territories), Germany, Greece, Denmark, Ireland, Iceland, Spain, Italy, Canada, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malta, Micronesia, Monaco, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, the Republic of Korea, Romania, San Marino, North Macedonia, Singapore, Slovenia, the United States of America, Taiwan (China), Ukraine, Finland, France, Croatia, Montenegro, the Czech Republic, Switzerland, Sweden, Estonia, and Japan. The list is exhaustive — nationals of countries not included are not eligible to use this mechanism.
It is important to understand that this pathway is grounded in the applicant's motive for relocating. The applicant states in their application that their desire to move to Russia is driven by their rejection of the policies of their country of citizenship or permanent residence. This is not a mere formality — it shapes the entire logic of the application process.
What "Traditional Values" Means Under Russian Law
Russian legislation does not leave this term undefined. Decree No. 809 sets out a specific list: life, dignity, human rights and freedoms, patriotism, civic responsibility, service to the Fatherland, high moral ideals, the strong family, productive labour, the primacy of the spiritual over the material, humanism, compassion, justice, collectivism, mutual assistance and mutual respect, historical memory, and continuity of generations. This is not an ideological manifesto — it is a normative strategic planning document in the field of national security, binding on all public authorities.
Decree No. 702 expressly relies on this list when formulating the grounds for humanitarian support. Sharing traditional values means, in legal terms, sharing what is defined in Decree No. 809 — not an abstract personal notion of the "right" way of life.
How to Get a Russian Visa: The First Step Before You Arrive
The mechanism provides for the possibility of obtaining an entry document before arriving in Russia. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is required to issue single-entry ordinary private visas valid for three months, based on a decision by the head of the relevant Russian diplomatic mission or consular office in the applicant's country of residence.
The visa is issued in exceptional cases upon a written application stating the grounds set out in Decree No. 702. This means that already at the consular stage, the applicant must clearly articulate why they wish to relocate to Russia and how this relates to their rejection of their home country's policies. Generic language will not suffice — the stated motive must be specific and coherent.
No documentary proof of "commitment to traditional values" is required at the visa stage. A written application stating the relevant grounds is sufficient.
How to Submit Documents for a Residence Permit After Arriving in Russia
After entering Russia, the foreign national applies for a temporary residence permit (known by its Russian acronym, RVP). The application is submitted in accordance with Articles 6 and 6¹ of Federal Law No. 115-FZ of 25 July 2002 "On the Legal Status of Foreign Nationals in the Russian Federation," to the territorial body of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. The application must state the grounds provided for by Decree No. 702.
The decision on issuing the RVP is taken in the standard manner, provided there are no grounds for refusal under Article 7 of the same law — covering criminal and administrative grounds, undesirability of stay, and other formal restrictions. If none of these grounds apply, the application is considered on its merits.
Two significant advantages over the standard procedure apply from the outset: the application is submitted without regard to the government-approved quota, and no document confirming knowledge of the Russian language, Russian history, or the fundamentals of Russian legislation is required. These are precisely the barriers that, under the ordinary procedure, deter a significant number of would-be applicants.
What Documents to Bring
The document package for an RVP application under this ground does not differ from the standard one — except that no language certificate is needed. Requirements under Federal Law No. 115-FZ have not changed in 2024–2026 with respect to this particular ground. The foreign national will need an identity document, photographs, medical documents as required by Federal Law No. 115-FZ, and documents confirming the right to stay in Russia — a visa or a migration card. No separate "declaration of values" or supporting certificate is required by law: the ground is recorded in the application itself when the applicant states their reasons for relocating.
Documents issued abroad and not in Russian must be legalised or apostilled depending on the country of origin, and accompanied by a notarially certified translation into Russian. These steps are best handled before departure — to avoid losing time once in Russia.
Other Routes to Relocate to Russia
The traditional values pathway is designed for a specific motivation. For those wishing to relocate on other grounds — professional achievement, academic work, entrepreneurship, or an in-demand specialty — Russian law offers separate instruments. One of the most fully developed of these, introduced in 2025–2026, is the status of a foreign national representing an interest for the Russian Federation. It provides accelerated access to an RVP and a permanent residence permit (VNZh) without going through the standard queue, and does not require political support from above. For a full breakdown of how to obtain this status, see our dedicated article.
Manu Hakulov
In Conclusion
Decree No. 702 creates a real, legally grounded instrument for people who want to live in a country where their views on family, child-rearing, and the organisation of society are not subject to state correction. The removal of the language exam requirement and the quota makes this pathway genuinely accessible — provided the motive for relocating is stated honestly and consistently, and the documents are prepared in accordance with Russian law.