Every year the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of Russia and Rossotrudnichestvo announce admission of foreign citizens, stateless persons and compatriots living abroad to study at Russian universities in state-funded places within the quota. One of the ways to get an invitation from a Russian university is to successfully undergo the selection process abroad – in the foreign citizen's country of residence. Let us look at this stage in detail.
Applying within the quota
1st step
Candidates to study are selected in their countries by Rossotrudnichestvo with the participation of state education authorities' representatives in the country of stay, Russian embassies and foreign representative offices.
- Register at edu.rs.gov.ru
- Attach all the requested documents. If you have no one or another document as of the moment of registration, you can upload it later as you get it
- Specify from one to six universities, but not more than two universities in each federal district, prioritizing them – the first university on the list is the most desired one
- After registration the candidates' portfolios are reviewed by the representative office of Russia in their country. The document review and interview dates can vary from country to country. You should get more specific information from the representative office of Russia in your country
- Wait for the invitation to take part in selection competitions in your country of residence
- Find yourself in the list of candidates recommended for participation in the second selection stage
The first selection stage in other countries can be held in the format of testing, competition of documents confirming education or qualification, creativity exam, portfolio competition, interview (it can be conducted online) as well as Olympiads.
Following the selection, the rankings of international applicants will be compiled for each country, with their files attached. The file will comprise an impressive package of documents, including medical certificates, lists of published papers. In their files, prospective students also specify the universities they would like to join. The list of candidates selected following the Olympiads will be compiled for each test separately.
Over the last two years, the number of citizens of the CIS countries admitted to study within the Russian Government quota in Bachelor's, Specialist's and Master's programs has increased by a quarter in the 2021-2022 academic year.
2nd step
The information about each application pursued is sent by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of Russia to Rossotrudnichestvo that brings it to the notice of Russian and foreign embassies and its representative offices abroad. The documents of approved candidates are sent to the universities.
The university must compile the list of international applicants until July 1. If future majors require creative abilities, special physical or psychological characteristics, foreign nationals will be invited to take an additional exam – it must take place until August 5. The university may decide to conduct this test online but only if the person taking the test is accurately identified.
What about applicants who were not admitted to the universities they chose? In this case, their documents will be submitted for review to the two universities that have the smallest number of international students and offer the same study program.
3rd step
After applicants are notified by Russian and foreign representative offices that they have been admitted to the university, they must contact the university's International Relations Department or the International Office by email or phone and inform them about the date of their arrival.
Students from some countries must undergo the process of recognition of their foreign education document before they arrive at a Russian university to study. The legalization procedure was covered in HED Issue 6.
Universities will not accept foreign candidates' documents not translated into Russian, translations that are not certified, and documents that are not completed according to the requirements as well as documents independently submitted by the citizens of the country of stay.
4th step
Right after your arrival at the university, you should contact the International Relations Department or International Office to execute all the documents required in the territory of Russia. For this purpose, bring your passport and migration card which was issued at the border when entering Russia. Health insurance policies are executed separately.
Upon arrival, applicants submit their original documents.
Notarization and legalization of academic credentials
Recognition of academic credentials
Universities offering the chosen program
Learning Russian
Foreign citizens whose Russian is not very good have the right to learn the language at preparatory departments and faculties of educational institutions. Attendees get the scholarship throughout the period of study regardless of their academic performance.
The period of study at the preparatory faculty or department can last for up to one academic year. This period is not included in the period of study in main professional educational programs.
Foreign citizens' costs of travel to their place of study are paid by foreign citizens themselves and (or) sponsors.
In the enrollment campaign of the 2021-2022 academic year, the largest number of applications was received from such countries as China, Vietnam, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Afghanistan. The number of study places within the Russian Government quota for citizens of Belarus, Kazakhstan, Syria, and Mongolia has also increased.
As a rule, the selection start announcements are published on the website of Rossotrudnichestvo or Russian embassies in your countries.
For all questions about admission within the Russian Federation Government quota, you can call the hotline of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of Russia +7 495 122-22-68.
