The Ministry of Finance of the Russian Federation has developed several legislative proposals that will significantly change the financial rules for labor migrants from visa-free countries. According to the publication "Kommersant," the most important innovation is the taxation of the family members of foreign workers.
According to the draft, migrants will be required to pay a patent not only for the right to work but also for each minor child or dependent accompanying them in Russia. The amount of this additional fee will be 50% of the cost of a standard work patent. Since the price of the document depends on the region, the final amounts can vary significantly: with a base rate of 1,200 rubles, the cost of a patent in various regions of the Russian Federation currently ranges from 3,400 to 27,300 rubles per month. For example, in Moscow, this payment is about 10,000 rubles, which means that for each child, the parent will be required to pay an additional 5,000 rubles per month.
Moreover, the new rules clarify the status of migrant children: upon reaching the age of 18, they will be required to either obtain a work patent independently or leave the country if no other legal grounds for their stay are found. The Ministry of Finance also plans to introduce advance payments for foreign citizens working in private homes, providing household management or personal assistance services.
These changes will pose a serious economic barrier for citizens planning to go abroad for work with their families. The patent mechanism, introduced in 2015 instead of the quota system, will now be supplemented by measures aimed at strengthening financial control over the presence of foreign families. Currently, the bills are at the stage of interdepartmental discussion, and the timelines for their adoption have not yet been determined.
