How to apply as an international student
Build your admission route
Answer three questions to see which pathways are open to you, whether you need entrance tests and which documents to prepare.
Choose one answer in each column — your options will appear here.
Three steps to admission
Choose a programme
More than 100 Bachelor's, Specialist's, Master's and PhD programmes.
Submit your documents
- By email to admis@rgau-msha.ru as PDF files
- Online via the RuID app or the Gosuslugi portal — apply online
- In person: 4 Verkhnyaya Alleya, room 15 — show on the map
Take the entrance test
Bachelor's and Specialist's programmes: a Russian language test. Master's programmes: a test in your field. Quota students take no entrance examinations.
Document checklist
The list adapts to the status you chose above. Your ticks are saved in this browser, so you can come back later.
Standard set. Choose your status to adjust it.
0 of 8 readyTranslations and legalisation
Recognition of your certificate
Format
What you will need to pass
| Who | Entrance test |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's and Specialist's programmes | Russian language test |
| Master's programmes | Test in your field of study |
| Postgraduate (PhD) studies | Entrance examinations for the PhD programme |
| Russian Government quota | No entrance examinations — selection on education-in-russia.com |
| Compatriots, citizens of Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and residence permit holders on state-funded places | Entrance tests on the same terms as Russian citizens |
| Foundation programme | No entrance examinations |
For test dates and the subjects for your programme, contact the International Admissions Office: admis@rgau-msha.ru.
Plan your dates
Russian visas and migration procedures take time — start early.
Until 30 October 2026
Foundation programme applications
Admission may close earlier once groups are full.
40 working days
Visa invitation
Count back from your planned arrival: an application at the end of October means arriving no earlier than January.
Set by the Ministry
Russian Government quota
Application dates are published on education-in-russia.com. Apply early — the portal accepts applications in stages.
By the Admissions Office schedule
Fee-paying and state-funded places
Entrance test dates and the deadline for the consent to enrolment are announced during the admission campaign.
Within 2 days of arrival
Health insurance (VHI)
Every international student must have a valid VHI policy.
A year of Russian before your degree
Admission for the 2026/27 academic year. Admission may close earlier once groups are full.
Applications until
30 October
- Fee for the year
- 190,000 RUB
- Course length
- 1,080 hours
- Format
- Full-time, two semesters
- Ends
- 30 June 2027
Classes start as students arrive and groups are formed. The full fee is paid at once when you sign the documents: the enrolment order and registration are issued only after payment.
Tracks
What to send
- Scan of your passport
- Notarised translation of your passport into Russian
- Scan of your education certificate and transcript
- Notarised translation of your education certificate
For your entry invitation
- 1Signed study contract
- 2Tuition fee paid
- 3Receipt for the 8,000 RUB invitation fee
- 4Completed visa application form
The visa application form is in Russian. If you have questions about filling it in, write to the Visa and Registration Office.
Coming to Russia to study
The Visa and Registration Office supports you from the invitation to every visa extension.
How do I get an invitation to enter Russia?
Send a copy of your passport, its translation and the completed visa application form to InterTim@rgau-msha.ru.
Processing takes 40 working days. Invitations are issued electronically and sent to your email when ready. For degree programmes, the invitation is issued after enrolment; for the Foundation programme, after you sign the contract and pay the fee.
Which visa do I need?
Citizens of countries with a visa regime need a study visa with the purpose of travel “study” (учёба).
The first study visa is issued by a Russian consulate or visa centre abroad. It is usually single-entry and valid for up to 90 days. After arrival you extend it in Russia with the Visa and Registration Office; each new study visa is issued for up to one year.
I come from a visa-free country. What do I need?
From 1 July 2026, foreign citizens entering Russia visa-free must use the Gosuslugi RuID app and submit an application no later than 72 hours before entry. Citizens of Belarus, children under 6 and those entering on a Russian visa are exempt.
Your passport must be valid for at least six months from the date of entry. RuID does not replace your migration documents — always carry the originals.
What is a migration card?
You receive it free of charge at the border every time you enter Russia (except citizens of Belarus and holders of a residence permit). Check immediately that your name, passport number, entry date and purpose of entry are correct — the purpose must be “study” (учёба). If you notice a mistake after leaving the border checkpoint, contact the Visa and Registration Office.
After arrival you have deadlines for migration registration, the medical examination and fingerprinting. Read what to do in your first days.
Who will help you
Write in English or Russian. Office hours: Monday to Friday, Moscow time (UTC+3).
International Admissions Office
Quota and state-funded students
58 Timiryazevskaya Street, room 337
Fee-paying students
58 Timiryazevskaya Street, room 319
Foundation programme
Visa and Registration Office
58 Timiryazevskaya Street (academic building No. 27), room 303
Ready to apply?
Send your documents to the International Admissions Office or apply for a Russian Government quota place.