Armenia: Russia ready to adjust stay regulations for Eurasian truckers

The Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs is ready to introduce a special residency regime for truck drivers from member states of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), Armenia’s Deputy Minister of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure Armen Simonyan, announced.

During a parliamentary commission session, Committee Chairman and “Civil Contract” faction MP Vagharshak Hakobyan recalled that amendments to Russia’s law “On the Legal Status of Foreign Citizens” came into force on January 1, 2025. Under the new regulations, citizens of visa-free countries entering Russia for purposes other than employment may remain in the country for no more than 90 days within a calendar year — a significantly stricter rule compared to the previous system, which permitted stays of 90 days within any 180-day period, Caliber.Az reports, citing Armenian media.

Hakobyan noted that these restrictions have caused considerable dissatisfaction among truck drivers, whose allowed stay began expiring before the year’s end due to lengthy travel times and prolonged queues at border checkpoints. He therefore asked whether negotiations with the Russian side were underway to ease the requirements.

Simonyan responded that Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan have raised similar concerns, while Belarus remains exempt due to its participation in the Union State with Russia. Following several stages of negotiations, he said, the Russian authorities signaled their readiness to establish a special entry and residency regime for truck drivers. This information, according to Simonyan, was conveyed to Armenia’s Ministry of Internal Affairs by Russia’s Ministry of Transport.

Although no final legal act has yet been issued, work on the measure is ongoing, the deputy minister emphasized.

By Vafa Guliyeva