The visa history of Russia deals with previous requirements of foreign nationals to enter Russia, that are no longer in effect.
Kievan Rus' In Kievan Rus', entry of foreigners was fixed according to customary law. As a rule, the following categories of foreigners were granted admittance: merchants and travelers, mercenary soldiers, and, after the Christianization of Kievan Rus', priests, painters, and artisans engaged in the construction of churches.
In the tenth century, Rus' concluded treaties establishing procedural rules. The most notable of these was the Treaty with Byzantium in 911, concluded by Oleg of Novgorod, according to which a Russian who committed crimes in the Byzantine Empire, was sent for punishment to Rus, and a Greek was sent to Byzantium. Their property was subject to confiscation.
Russkaya Pravda, the legal code of Rus', accorded foreigners equal rights with Russian citizens.
Grand Duchy of Moscow Russkaya Pravda was also the main act regulating the status of foreign nationals in the Grand Duchy of Moscow.
Other highlights of the formation of the legal regime governing the entry, stay, residence, and movement of foreigners in the territory of Russia for the purpose of trade were treaties—between Novgorod and Sweden, the Treaty of Nöteborg (1323); and between Novgorod and Norway, the Treaty of Novgorod (1326)—allowing merchants of these countries to move freely along the Neva River.
During this period, foreigners entering Russia were issued a special document to travel across the country, the Proezjaya Gramota (Russian: Проезжая Грамота, English: Charter for journey).
Tsardom of Russia In this period, legal regulation of the arrival and stay of foreigners in Russia continued to develop.
In the 16th-17th centuries the Russian borders were closed to the free entry of foreigners.
The Russian government was interested gaining the expertise of foreign specialists and to come to agreement with the monarchs of the country where such foreigners resided. In some cases, foreigners were accepted who arrived at the border on their own initiative, but acceptance of their services was preceded by a lengthy procedure to establish their identities and qualifications.
Foreigners were allowed to settle only in certain places, such as cities; and it was forbidden them to travel Russia unaccompanied by Russian officials. In the 16th-17th centuries, the influx of foreigners to Russia was small, and so did not require passport control, although almost every foreigner was in possession of a Posolsky Prikaz (Посольский Приказ, or "Ambassadorial Prikaz") issued by the foreign ministry.
From the 16th century to the first half of the 17th, foreigners settled among the Russian population. Under pressure from the Church, in accordance with the Decree of 1652, areas, or quarters, were allocated on the outskirts of cities—such as Moscow's German Quarter—where immigrants from Western Europe settled and they were allowed to live according to their own customs. Staying in the city center was only permitted for those foreigners who converted to Russian religious belief.
In the 17th century, the government sought to invite foreign manufacturers to Russia to establish sectors of important industries, and offered them favorable conditions for the activity, such as the donation of state-owned land for factories and plants, the right to the enterprises by inheritance, loans from the Treasury, and long term monopolies on the production of goods (15–20 years).
The Novotorgovyy Charter (Новоторговый Указ, or "New Trading Charter"), of 22 April 1667, was the first attempt at legislative regulation of the legal status of foreigners in the Russian state. This act was narrowly focused, regulating only questions of entry by foreign merchants. In Moscow and other cities, only those who had a "special charter of trade, with a red seal" could enter. Those foreigners who did not have such a charter could trade only in Arkhangelsk and Pskov.
The reign of Peter the Great (1682-1725) is characterised by the formation of state administration on a large scale, the transformation of the Tsardom of Russia into the Russian Empire.
Russian Empire Under the Russian Empire, legislation was enacted, in phases and in sufficient detail, to regulate the order of entry, and the period of residence, of foreigners in Russia. The legislation specified the categories of foreigners who had the right of free entry to the country, who could stay and gain citizenship, as well those who did not have such a right. Foreigners arriving in Russia had to have a passport of their country, and have a form giving permission for a specified period of stay. Rules of admission were not the same for all, and depended on the category or specialization and on other factors (nationality, the purpose of travel, religion, etc.).
The expulsion of foreigners from Russia was also regulated by legislation.
From 1649 to 1866 there were international instruments on the extradition of deserters, fugitives, and political prisoners, including instigators of 1866 and other violators.
Large-scale changes began with Peter I's decrees of 13 December 1695 and 16 November 1696. According to the first decree—treating those foreigners who had "arrived for service"—"to pass all foreigners without detention", and to treat other visitors as "under former decrees". The second decree stated that "all foreigners, for whatever purpose they [came], having [been] asked, to pass without detention".
The first half of the 18th century (1702-1762) The regulation of the legal status of foreigners in the Russian Empire was connected with Peter I's reforms. Peter I, seeking to make Russia more powerful and in every possible way to improve and expand trade with foreign states, issued the Manifesto of 16 April 1702. "About a call of foreigners to Russia, with the promise [of freedom] of worship" opened Russia to free access by foreigners, who were guaranteed a number of rights, privileges, and freedom of worship.
The Manifesto of 1702 was a powerful spur to drawing up legislation regulating the entrance and departure of foreigners, resulting in open borders for foreigners. The ban lodges of the German Quarter were rescinded.
Entry into Russia was allowed only to persons of "military rank", merchants, and master craftsmen. Originally, provisions of the Manifesto of 1702 touched only military persons, craftsmen, and merchants. Later, other categories of foreigners whose expertise was wanted—including scientists and foreign jurists—were covered.
The decree of 31 August 1719 empowered the Office of Police Affairs to keep an accounting of foreigners coming to St. Petersburg from other countries, and then to send those accounts to various government departments—such as the Admiralty board, concerning those foreigners who came to serve in the fleet; the College of War, concerning service in the army; or the Collegium of Commerce, created in January 1722 in Moscow, which supervised questions of trade with foreign merchants. Thus were foreigners accredited to relevant agencies, which determined the terms of their residence and service.
A special passport ("pass")—a document for internal use, proving a person's identity—was issued to foreigners.
For their departure from Russia, foreigners received exit passports from the departments to which they were attached, the passports being stamped by the Collegium of Foreign Affairs with the mark of the chief of police showing the traveler was leaving no debts. Deadlines for departure were specified: from the capital, two days; from boundary provinces, three weeks; and from internal provinces, three months.
Thus, the freedom of movement across Russia for foreigners declared in the Manifesto of 1702 did not happen in practice. The continuing need for all foreigners to have "letters for journey", or "proezjaya gramota", and "passports", when traveling through the country or crossing its borders, was confirmed by further decrees—for example, the Decree of 30 October 1719. By the 1720s, a number of decrees of Peter I rigidly regulated the stay of foreigners in Russia, the issuance of such decrees being explained by internal and external factors.
From 1762 and until the end of the 18th century This period can be characterized as the one where the most favored treatment was accorded foreigners in Russia. Extensive land allotments were given them; money and privileged tax status were provided. But such extensive privileges had negative side-effects, which consisted of isolation and the autonomy of foreigners from local laws. Foreigners lived and worked under their charters and lived as if they occupied a state within the state. During this period open access to the country was available even to Jews, who on pain of punishment had been forbidden to live in Russia.
On 4 December 1762, Catherine the Great, for practical reasons—increasing population, improving methods of agricultural cultivation and cattle-raising, and fostering improvements in housekeeping—published the Manifesto "[Concerning giving] permission to foreigners, except Jews, to arrive and settle in Russia and about free return for Russian people running abroad". This act resolved an issue of free entry of foreigners into Russia and granted them considerable rights and privileges, including the right of free settlement.
On 23 July 1763, there was the Imperial Manifesto of the empress "[Concerning giving] permission to all foreigners coming to Russia to settle in those provinces in which they will wish and [...] granted to them [by] right". This document in many respects defined immigration policy of Russia from 1760 to 1770.
The 1766 treaty of commerce between Great Britain and Russia provided, on the basis of reciprocity, "freedoms and benefits" for trade people.
During this period, a number of changes concerning entry into Russia and departure of foreign citizens were legislated, so that the admission of foreigners into Russian began to require only the presentation of a passport.
The legal status of foreigners was fixed in regulations of the period—the Police Ustav of 1782 and Charter to the Cities of 1785. Article 121 of the Police Ustav assigned police the duty of accounting for foreigners in each city.
The stay of foreigners who were not in public service became legally regulated. The Charter to the Cities prescribed that foreign merchants and craftsmen who settled in the country but did not accept Russian citizenship, be recorded with the guild, as well as pay the established taxes and fees. They were recorded at the city office, and had no right to leave a certain place of residence (Art. Art. 12, 60). Article 129 of the Charter regulated the departure of foreigners from Russian cities. Foreigners were allowed to travel with their family out of the city only after notifying the municipal magistrates, confirming the payment of all debts and the local tax for three years.
The end of the 18th century - 1860