Blog · 2024-03-10

Relocation news digest: what changed for expats around the world

🇷🇺 Russia: new rules for leaving the country with children

Russian children under 14 will no longer be allowed to cross the border into Abkhazia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan or South Ossetia on a birth certificate alone unless it carries a stamp confirming Russian citizenship. The rules for travelling on an international passport remain unchanged.

🇱🇹 Lithuania: authorities move to confiscate cars with Russian plates

Lithuanian authorities have announced that from 11 March 2024 they will confiscate vehicles bearing Russian registration plates. The one exception is cars in transit, which may remain in the country for no more than 24 hours. Previously, vehicles with Russian plates were simply banned.

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan: a major bank halts operations with Mir cards

The Kazakh bank Freedom Finance has completely stopped processing transactions through Russia's Mir payment system. The decision is likely tied to the recent US sanctions imposed on that same payment network.

🇦🇺 Australia: the right to extend a student visa is abolished

Until now, graduates of Australian universities could apply to extend their student visa by two years. That option will disappear in mid-2024, a change prompted by the country's shifting economic situation. Foreigners educated in Australia who meet certain criteria will still be able to apply for the Post-Study Work stream graduate visa.

🇵🇹 Portugal: new legal amendments open a faster path to citizenship

The government has published amendments to its citizenship law. The five years of residence required for naturalisation will now be counted from the moment a residence permit application is filed. This should significantly speed up the process of obtaining a Portuguese passport, since the often lengthy wait for a residency decision will now count toward the total.

🇫🇷 France: authorities plan to strip citizenship over support for Russian policy and antisemitism

Under French law, foreigners who have acquired French citizenship can be deprived of it if their actions run counter to the national interest. The authorities argue that individuals who support Russia's actions or express antisemitic views should lose their citizenship under this provision.

🇸🇬 Singapore: the Ministry of Manpower raises salary thresholds for work visas

The Employment Pass is Singapore's work visa for highly qualified foreign specialists. From January 2025 the eligibility criteria will change: the minimum salary requirement rises from US$5,000 to US$5,600, and for employees in the financial sector from US$5,500 to US$6,200. The authorities say the measure will help ensure that only genuinely in-demand professionals come to work in Singapore.

🇺🇸 United States: longer tourist visa validity for Kyrgyz citizens

The US authorities have extended the validity of tourist visas for citizens of Kyrgyzstan from 5 to 10 years.

🇧🇷 Brazil: issuance and renewal of RNM cards temporarily suspended

The Federal Police have temporarily halted the issuance and renewal of RNM cards - the Brazilian identity documents for foreign nationals. For now, holders may continue to use their existing RNM as proof of identity even if it has expired.

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka: authorities will not extend the free-visa programme for Russian citizens

Last November, Sri Lanka launched a free-visa programme. The minister of public security has now announced that the country will not extend the scheme for citizens of seven nations, Russia among them.

🇫🇮 Finland: cars with Russian plates must leave the country by 16 March

A ban on the use of vehicles with Russian registration plates takes effect in Finland on 16 March. The authorities have not yet said what will happen to cars that remain in the country after that date.

🇪🇸 Spain: visa applications can now be filed from home

Spain's visa centres have resumed their mobile biometrics service. A centre officer comes directly to your home to collect the required documents and biometric data. The passport with the completed visa is then delivered by courier.

FAQ

Can a child leave Russia on a birth certificate?

For the destinations that used to accept domestic documents (Abkhazia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, South Ossetia), children under 14 are no longer let through on a birth certificate unless it carries the stamp confirming Russian citizenship. That stamp is added by the migration unit of the interior ministry. Travel on the child's own international passport was not affected, which makes getting one in advance the safer option.

Can you drive into the EU with Russian plates?

No. Several EU states closed their borders to cars on Russian plates, and Lithuania went further by announcing confiscation of such vehicles, with an exception only for transit within 24 hours. Practice differs by country and has changed more than once: some turn drivers back at the border, others seize the car. Check the rules of the specific country of entry and transit first, because the cost of getting it wrong is the vehicle itself.

Do Mir cards work abroad?

Acceptance keeps shrinking. Banks are disconnecting from the system one after another over secondary sanctions risk, including one of Kazakhstan's largest banks. Even where the cards are formally accepted, individual banks and ATMs can refuse them without warning. Never plan a trip around Mir alone: carry cash or a card issued by a foreign bank as a backup.

Can I stay in Australia after graduating?

Yes, though the options narrowed after the right to extend a student visa for another two years post-graduation was removed. The main route is the post-study work visa, which weighs your field, the level of the qualification, your age and your English. Australia tunes migration to the economic cycle and changes requirements often, so check which courses still qualify before you enrol, not after you graduate.

Don’t want to figure this out alone?

We handle the whole process end to end: we check your documents, match a program to your situation and give you honest timelines and costs. Leave your details and a migration expert will get back to you. The first consultation is free.