Verified: July 2026. Requirements set by Federal Law 53-FZ and Ministry of Defence Order No. 300 as amended in 2023–2024.
The eligibility checklist
| Requirement | Standard |
|---|---|
| Age | 18–65 (raised from 60 in Dec 2023) |
| Passport | Valid 12+ months |
| Russian language | A2 minimum (verbal orders) |
| Migration papers | Current, not expired |
| Criminal record | No unspent conviction |
| Health | Category A or B (V for support roles) |
| Prior military service | Not required |
| Education | Not required |
| Marital status | Any |
| Country of citizenship | Any (no country blocked) |
What "A2 Russian" actually means at intake
You must be able to: understand basic verbal commands ("build up," "at ease," "form up"), read Cyrillic signage on barracks, sign your name on official papers, answer simple questions about your background. You do not need to read literature or write essays. Two months of Duolingo + weekly live tutor gets a motivated adult from zero to A2.
Health minimums that matter
Automatic rejections (category D): HIV positive, active tuberculosis, hepatitis B or C, epilepsy, insulin-dependent diabetes, severe mental disorders, missing limb, corrected vision below 0.5, BMI over 40.
Everything else — glasses, healed injuries, mild hypertension, moderate overweight — is category B and accepted. Full breakdown: fitness categories A to D.
Documents you must physically bring
- Passport (original)
- Migration card + current registration
- Criminal record certificate — apostilled, translated, less than 6 months old
- Birth certificate — apostilled and translated
- Education diploma — translated
- 6 photos 3×4 cm
Full list with common mistakes: documents checklist for foreigners.
What is NOT required (contrary to common rumours)
- Not required: prior military service in your home country
- Not required: a specific religion
- Not required: renouncing home-country citizenship (dual is accepted for service; some countries require you to renounce at their end for their own reasons)
- Not required: sponsorship by a Russian citizen
- Not required: a job or salary threshold in your home country
- Not required: being ethnic Russian or Slavic
Practical age nuances
18 is a hard floor — no exceptions, even with parental consent. 65 is the current upper limit. If you are 63–65, expect the recruitment centre to prioritise you for rear/technical roles rather than line infantry. Age above 45 does not disqualify but the medical bar rises (blood pressure, ECG, joint condition all get closer scrutiny).
What is honestly not going to work
- Applying with a passport that expires in 3 months
- Applying with an expired migration card and no extension
- Applying with hidden HIV or hepatitis — bloodwork catches this
- Applying through a WhatsApp "recruiter" who promises no medical exam — that is a scam (spot it here)
