Help Russia / Applying for asylum

Applying for asylum

Who is considered a refugee?

According to the Russian legislation and the 1951 UN Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees, a refugee is defined as someone outside of his/her country of origin who is unable to return there because of persecution on account of his race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group or political opinion.

If you consider yourself to be a refugee, you should approach the Russian migration authorities to apply for a refugee status in the Russian Federation.

If you do not meet the refugee definition but cannot return to your country of origin due to war, violence or any other humanitarian reasons (e.g. serious health issues), you have the right to apply for a temporary asylum (TA).

Asylum application process

Appealing refugee status rejection

Call UNHCR toll-free from your browser

You are about to call UNHCR. If you are ready, please click next to allow microphone access when asked so we can hear you.

Set your browser permissions

Please give permission to access your microphone and geolocation when prompted by your browser. Sharing your location is optional, but enabling your microphone is required for UNHCR operator to hear you.

Example microphone permissions prompt that will appear in your browser:
Example microphone permissions prompt that will appear in your browser: Example

Toll-free call to UNHCR