Temporary residence permit
The temporary residence exam in 2026
To obtain a temporary residence permit, a foreign national takes an exam in the Russian language, Russian history and the fundamentals of legislation. From 1 January 2026 it is taken on a computer only.
The official specification for this level gives 34 tasks, a maximum of 38 points, a pass mark of 19 and no more than 90 minutes.
The main difference from the patent: speaking appears at this level. You speak aloud, your answer is recorded and marked against criteria. There are three speaking tasks, and they carry their own mandatory minimum.
What is known for certain
Everything below comes from Rosobrnadzor's official specification for level 2 (temporary residence permit).
- Tasks — 34. Russian language — 21 (tasks 1–21), Russian history — 7 (22–28), fundamentals of legislation — 6 (29–34).
- Maximum for the paper — 38 points. There are 34 tasks but 38 points because some tasks are worth more than one: speaking and writing are marked against criteria.
- Pass mark — 19. Exactly half of 38.
- Time — no more than 90 minutes for the whole paper, including the oral part.
- There is an oral part. This is the difference from the patent, where there is none at all.
We do not publish the price, the validity of the certificate or the number of attempts: they are in neither the specification nor the decree on the conduct of the exam. The price is set by the institution administering the exam — there is no single national figure.
Thirty-one tasks out of thirty-four. Listening with recordings, reading, writing, vocabulary and grammar, history and law — every section of the temporary residence permit exam except speaking. Speaking has a page of its own: Speaking in the temporary residence permit exam, where you can record your answer by voice.
The explanation opens as soon as you answer, and every wrong option says why that option is wrong.
Free, no registration, as many times as you like.
Test yourselfPass marks: what most candidates miss
Reaching the total is not enough. Individual sections carry their own mandatory minimums, and failing one is not offset by success in the others. The specification puts it plainly: you reached the total but failed at least one of the section conditions — the result is not recognised as a pass.
Here are all the conditions for temporary residence. For the exam to count as passed, every one of them must be met — the notch on the bar marks the section's minimum.
19 out of 38 — that is what it takes to pass.
- Speaking 3 of 5
- Listening 4 of 6
- Reading 5 — no minimum
- Writing 4 — no minimum
- Vocabulary and grammar 5 — no minimum
- Russian history 3 of 7
- Fundamentals of law 3 of 6
On top of that — 13 points for the Russian language module as a whole (out of 25). A separate condition: the section minimums are not enough for it.
Add up the mandatory minimums: 19 — that is the entire pass mark. There is no slack: a shortfall in one section is not offset by anything.
Note how this scale is built. Reading, writing and grammar have no minimums of their own — but all of them count towards the single condition of "at least 13 points for the Russian language". You can fail them one by one; together you cannot.
Speaking is the only section that cannot be learned from a textbook. Three tasks, five points, minimum three. Either you speak or you do not, and the only way to find out in advance is out loud — on Speaking in the temporary residence permit exam you can record your answer and see what came across.
Exam day
The exam is taken on a computer, with video recording. Bring your passport with a notarised translation, your migration card, the notice of registration and the payment receipt. Some centres ask for a 3×4 photograph — check with yours in advance.
The oral part is recorded through a headset. If you do not have headphones with a microphone, ask the centre in advance: bringing your own is not allowed everywhere.
Details of how the day goes are on a separate page.
If you fail
If you fail, there are two different routes, and they get confused.
Appeal. When you are shown your results you are entitled to apply to the appeals commission of the institution where you sat the exam, if you believe the work was marked incorrectly. That right is written directly into Government Decree No. 824.
Retake. A separate paid attempt. The same institution is forbidden to give a candidate who failed the same variant of the tasks. Exact timings and procedure depend on the institution.
Who is exempt
Exempt from the exam are: minors, men over 65 and women over 60, highly qualified specialists and their family members, participants in the compatriot resettlement programme, and people holding an educational document issued in the USSR before 1991 or in Russia. The basis is Federal Law 115, Article 15.1, Part 5.
Citizenship of a Eurasian Economic Union state does not exempt you here: a citizen of Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan or Kyrgyzstan is exempt from the patent, but not from the temporary residence exam. These are different things, and they are constantly confused.
Frequently asked questions
How does the RVP exam differ from the patent exam?
In three ways. There are more tasks — 34 against 22. An oral part appears, which the patent does not have at all. And you are given 90 minutes instead of 80.
Why are there 34 tasks but 38 points?
Some tasks are worth more than one point. Speaking and writing are marked against criteria, so a single task can give two points.
Does a citizen of Kyrgyzstan need to take the RVP exam?
Yes. The Treaty on the Eurasian Economic Union exempts you from the patent, but not from the exams for temporary residence, a residence permit and citizenship.
How much does the RVP exam cost?
The price is set by the organisation administering the exam — it is fixed neither by the specification nor by the decree. Check with the centre where you register.
How long is the certificate valid?
The term is stated on the certificate itself. It is not in the decree on the conduct of the exam, so there is no figure here either.
Can I prepare for free?
Yes. All tasks, breakdowns and explanations here are free. Only speech assessment is paid.
Where is the exam taken?
At state institutions on the list approved by the Government. Private centres are not entitled to administer it.
Composition, scores, pass marks and timings verified on 8 September 2026 against Rosobrnadzor's level 2 specification and Government Decree No. 824. The price and the validity of the certificate are not in those documents — so they are not here either. This page was machine-translated and has not yet been edited by a native speaker. Check figures and legal wording against the Russian version.