Immigration to Russia as a Doctor

What is the procedure you have to follow? 

You need to study a medical course in Russia to become a doctor in the country. There is not much information about the process that foreign doctors can move to the country and get a license to work. You have to follow this procedure to study a medical course in Russia and

Determine whether you are eligible or not.

For the first step, you would better read about the requirements and the procedure you have to follow to become a doctor in Russia. Read the whole content of the section and determine whether you follow it or not. 

Read each step carefully and determine the requirements and documents you have to gather. You should find it out that you can meet the requirements. So you would better get a clear understanding of the whole way you have to pass. 

Find a Russian university that offers a medical course to foreigners. 

You should find a Russian university that offers a medical course to foreign students. There are a few ones that do it, but you should find out the one that is appropriate for your conditions, and you can fulfill the requirements. 

This is a list of the universities that offer a medical course; 

• Belgorod State Medical University Russia
• Orel State Medical University Russia
• Peoples Friendship University Moscow Russia
• Saint Petersburg State Medical University Russia
• First Moscow State Medical University Russia
• Crimea State Medical University Russia
• Bashkir State Medical University Russia
• Kazan Federal University Russia
• Kazan State Medical University Russia
• Volgograd State Medical University Russia

The above list is not a definite list of the Russian university that offer medical courses. You can find more schools and universities. But they are the best ones. Visit their website and find out the requirements. It’s your responsibility to find the requirements and fulfill them. 

This is a general list of the requirements you have to fulfill; 

• Latest educational degree (high school diploma). 
• Passing the entrance tests. 
• Russian language proficiency (if required) 
• Application form 
• A copy of your passport. 
• The cost of the invitation letter, check it with them. 
• Sample of writing 
• Statement of Purpose or SOP. 
• Recommendations 
• Etc. 

The above list is just a sample, and you need to check the requirements with the university. For instance, some universities might require you to show proof that you have passed courses in maths, biology, chemistry, or physics. The decision is with the university. 

Also, the university might require you to have an English language fluency certificate. If the course is in English, you will have to submit English language fluency. But most of the medical courses are offered in Russian. 

The essential point about the university is to find out the tuition. You have to find out how much it costs you to study at this university and whether you can pay the tuition or not. Remember that the tuition rises by the year, and you must find out the exact amount you have to pay. If the university increases the tuition per year, you have to find out how much the increase is and whether you can afford it or not. 

Also, determine the cost of living in this Russian city. Find out if you can find a part-time job to pay part of your expenses. 

You will have to fulfill the requirements and get admission to the university. After you receive the admission letter, you can apply for a Russian student visa. 

Apply for a Russian student visa. 

After you get the admission letter, you need to apply for a student visa to enter the country and begin your course. 

You might be exempt from a student visa, and it’s up to your nationality. You’d better read the Russia student visa article on the Visa Library page to know if you are exempt from a visa or not. 

If you need a visa, you have to gather the supporting documents. This is a sample list of the documents you have to gather; 

• Passport. 
• Admission letter. 
• Application form.
• A Russian travel invitation or visa.
• Photo of yourself. 3.5 x 4.5 cm (1.18 x1.57 inches).
• Filled and printed visa application form
• A valid passport for the next six months after the expiry of the valid visa application that you want to request
• Clean record certificate. 
• Passport-sized photo (attached on the printed form of visa application)
• Accommodation proof
• Medical insurance of at least 30 000 €
• Proof that you are financially able to pay for your expenses
• Issued HIV/AIDS certificate in the last three months
• Medical insurance document

The above list is a general list of the documents you have to gather. You might have to submit further documents on your nationality and the Russian embassy’s decision. You’d better visit their website or contact them to know if they require further documents or not. 

After you are done gathering the documents, you have to find the Russian embassy, consulate, or visa center responsible for visa processing in your home country. It’s your responsibility to find out who is in charge of visa processing. 

Schedule a meeting with this center and visit them in person. You have to submit all the documents to them and pay the fees for visa processing. The fee is up to your nationality, the embassy services, and the type of visa you apply for. Figure it out with the embassy. 

Russian officials will also ask you questions about the purpose of your visit and your studies. The questions are part of the interview that is common to ensure the purpose of the visit is genuine. You should give true and honest answers and prepare yourself for the interview. It’s a critical part of your application. 

When the meeting with the embassy is done, you need to wait for processing. It’s about 10 days to 3 months. So you’d better apply as early as possible not to miss your deadline. 

When the visa is ready, the embassy informs you to get the visa label on your passport. Now you can move to Russia. 

Complete your education, 

Your medical course in Russia takes six years to complete. It’s to get firsthand work experience and get familiar with the working procedure in Russia. 

You’d better do research and find out about the university and the course’s speciation. You should obey the national law, rules, and regulations in the meantime. So find as much information about your rights and things you can and can’t do in the country. The Russians are strict with the rules and security issues. 

The state exam and Earning Primary Accreditation

After you complete your education, you need to pass the state exam to become a doctor in Russia. It’s the last obstacle you have to pass to become a doctor in this country. It also determines the type of license you have as a doctor. 

The exam is called the GOZZ exam. It is made of three parts; 

Test: a general test that evaluates your knowledge. Practical: The second step includes Practical; You will examine a patient, and he/she will tell you all about the symptoms and medical conditions, and you have to make the required plan of action. You must make a diagnosis and write a note of your findings and provide a treatment plan.  

Oral Exam: You will be asked some questions, and you have to answer them correctly and accurately. You will be asked about the disease, symptoms, treatment, radiological findings, etc. 

You also have to pass the Accredition exam, which is the licensing exam. If you pass the GOZZ exam, you can pass the Accredition exam as well. 

Residency or internship. 

After you finish your studies and pass the tests, you need to complete your residency, which is 1-2 years. But a surgical can take up to 3 years. 

Russian officials will guide you to take the internship according to your specialty in a hospital or clinic. But it must be according to the field you want to work in. 

After passing the residency, you can apply for your license to the Ministry of Health. Visit their website to learn how you can apply for the license, but it’s easy. The website is in Russian, and it’s not available in English version. 

Get a Russian work permit. 

After you finish your studies and get your license, you need to get a work permit to work in Russia. It’s the authorization to work as a foreign person in the country. It’s the employee who can apply for a work permit, and you, as a doctor, can not apply for a work permit. 

If your salary is higher than 167.000 rubles (2.300 EUR) per month, you are qualified for a highly skilled specialist visa. If you are already in Russia, you do not need a work visa. But if you leave Russia and want to enter again and your student visa validity is over, you need a work visa. 

You can find more information about Russia’s work visa and Russia’s Highly Skilled Specialist Visa from the Visa Library articles or watch the related video on the YouTube page.