Guide to Education System, Cost of Living & Visa Process in Russia

About Russia

Russia, also known as the Russian Federation, is located in Eurasia. It is the largest country in the world. Russia is famous for its natural beauty and biodiversity. The country has a mixed economy that is characterized by upper-middle incomes. It has huge natural resources comprised mainly of oil and natural gas. The Russian economy ranks 12th in the world in terms of Gross Domestic Product (GDP), and 6th in terms of Purchasing Power Parity (PPP). Russia, since the early 21st century, has been witnessing very fast economic growth which is fueled by an increase in domestic consumption as well as enhanced political stability.

Economy of Russia

Russia, being extremely rich in natural resources, exports huge quantities of oil and natural gas, timber and metals to other countries. Average monthly wage in Russia was 39355 RUB/month during July 2017. The tax code that has been adopted by Russia during 2001 is still in effect. By virtue of being simple and highly streamlined, it has helped in reducing the burden of taxation on the people, and has also facilitated significant increment of national revenue. Russia has a 13% tax rate which is charged uniformly. Due to this flat tax structure, Russia ranks second globally among countries that have the most efficient tax systems. Although there are many other countries that are rich in resources, Russia is positioned way ahead of most of them in terms of steady economic development.

Demography of Russia

Even though Russia has a huge population, the population density is much lower than many other countries. This is due to the fact that the country is enormously large. European Russia and South West Siberia have the maximum population density. Approximately three-fourth of the entire Russian population inhabits the cities, and the remaining fraction lives in rural areas. Russia’s population had started declining rapidly during the mid-1990s. However, the downward curve has stabilized recently, mainly due to decrease in death rates, and increase in birth rates as well as immigration. Armed with industrial and economical developments, and supportive government policies, Russia will soon become a nation having a huge population of young educated people.

Education in Russia

Traditionally, Russia has always attached great importance to education. Furthermore, it has also been strong in the areas of science as well as industry. Among all the Eurasian countries, Russia has the highest number of postgraduates. These factors together make Russia an obvious destination for educationists, students, scientists, technocrats and industrialists for lucrative prospects in their fields of interest.

When calculated as a percentage of the total population, Russia has the maximum number of graduates and postgraduates in the world. Standing at 54%, this speaks volumes about the level of importance that the country gives to education. That fact that is even more interesting in this context is that the Constitution of Russia guarantees a free education system to all the citizens. Towards the end of the 1990s, Russia had changed its school education period from 10 years to 11 years. As has been mentioned above, education provided in state-run secondary schools is absolutely free of cost. University level education is free too; however, it subject to certain reservations. A large number of students enroll themselves in university courses by paying full fees. Although Russia encourages both male and female students to pursue education at all stages, more women enrol for university education. The country has a literacy rate of almost 100%. It was estimated in 2016 that more than 50% of adult Russians had attained tertiary education.

In 2014, education in Russia was ranked 8th best among European nations and 13th best globally. Additionally, the country had the 21st highest education attainment rate in the world. Cognitive skills of Russian students were rated 9th highest. During this year, Russia was also among the top ten most sought-after destinations among international students. During 2015, the mathematics and science aptitudes of Russian students were ranked 34th by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). In the year 2016, Bloomberg placed the higher education system of Russia in the third position among all countries of the world.

Cost of Living in Russia

Developments in the areas of science and technology, industrial developments, and a rising population have led to rapid urbanization in Russia. With almost 75% of the total population living in cities, it is rather obvious that the costs are higher in the urban hubs like Moscow, Saint Petersburg, Vladivostok, etc. Although Russia ranks 6th globally in terms of PPP, On the Mark TEFL understands the importance of furnishing people, who wish to relocate to this country to seek jobs, with a guide to the cost of living that it has recently observed.

Visa Process in Russia

Foreign citizens who intend to visit Russia for the purpose of seeking jobs would require obtaining an ordinary Work Visa. The validity of this visa is limited to a period not exceeding 1 year. Like all other Russian visas, the Work Visa is also received from Russian Embassies and Consulates located in different countries of the world. An applicant shall have to obtain his/ her visa from the embassy or consulate that is present in his/ her native country. If all the necessary documents are submitted to the issuing authority, visa processing takes place within 3-10 business days.

In order to apply for a Russian visa, the following documents are required:

• Original Passport
• One Passport-size Color Photograph
• Tourist Invitation
• Visa Application Form Issued by Russian Consulate

At certain Russian Embassies and Consulates, the applicant is required to submit his/ her visa application in person to the visa processing centers and not the consular section. Visa processing costs vary from one center to another.

Since January 2015, Russia has made it mandatory for visa applicants belonging to the UK, Denmark, Namibia and Myanmar to provide their fingerprint scans. After an initial trial period, the government will decide whether the system will be expanded to other nations too.

*Note: The Russian Consulate mandates printing of the Visa Application Form on A4 paper, by maintaining a 5 mm page margin on the right as well as bottom. Unless these requirements are met, the application form is not considered to be a valid one.