Admission Regulations At Russian Universities

1. Foreign citizens can take entrance exams held by the university even if they have valid results of the Unified State Exams. The admission office will take into consideration a better result.
2. Foreign citizens have the right to combine the results of the Unified State Exams (USE) and entrance exams. For example, if the applicant passes the USE in the Russian language with high scores, they submit the result to the admission office. But if the applicant is dissatisfied with their USE score in mathematics, they can take the entrance exam to try to improve their result. Finally, the highest score is chosen.
3. Foreign citizens are eligible for state-funded places if they apply under the international education agreements or have compatriot status. Applicants applying within the Russian Government quotas apply to a university as part of a special competition for foreign nationals.
4. Those applying as compatriots cannot exercise special rights – neither social rights nor rights related to the applicant's achievements.
5. Some universities have reduced the number of entrance exams for international applicants applying for fee-paying places (on a contract basis) to one. Foreign citizens apply as part of a special competition without competing with Russian applicants. However, you should bear in mind that the number of entrance exams is determined by a university itself. You must get more specific information from the admission office.
6. The procedure for translating foreign documents into Russian is changed. Some universities undertook to perform this procedure.
7. The document recognition certificate (if necessary) is submitted not later than on the day of enrollment consent submission. So you should find out beforehand where you can undergo this procedure, how to pay the duty, and clarify other issues for yourself.
8. Foreign documents must be legalized, if necessary.

Entry requirements for Russia

• Russia entry form completed on the State Services website
• Valid negative PCR test and retest taken within 72 hours from the date of arrival in Russia. As of the date of receiving the test results in Russia, students must isolate themselves. At the same time, they can study online
• If the PCR test is positive, applicants or students undergo a two-week quarantine
• To continue their education offline, international students must submit two negative PCR tests to the university

To find out more about admission to Russian universities, adaptation and life in Russia, read other HED magazine issues.

Some top universities admit foreign citizens to Bachelor's / Master's / Specialist programs based on the portfolio competition. Prepare separate files for each university you are going to apply to.

For example, Saint Petersburg State University assesses motivations letters, academic training documents, documents confirming the level of proficiency in the language of instruction as well as individual achievements.

Peoples' Friendship University of Russia will count the grade average of the previous education result. Special focus will be on the subjects related to future majors, participation in major disciplines contests, recommendations from non-governmental organizations, unions, associations of Russian and foreign institutions. For Master's programs, the positions of the previous university in the world ranking will be taken into account.