Medical insurance
There are two types of medical insurance systems in the Russian Federation: Obligatory Medical Insurance (OMI, or «ОМС» in Russian) and Voluntary Medical Insurance (VMI, or «ДМС» in Russian). All Russian citizens and certain categories of foreign citizens* are eligible to receive free medical care under the OMI system.
All other categories of foreign citizens must purchase a VMI policy in order to access medical services.
Voluntary Medical Insurance (VMI) is a type of personal health insurance that allows the insured individual to receive qualified medical care at healthcare institutions throughout Russia.
Important! Having a VMI policy is a mandatory requirement for all Russian universities.
All foreign citizens coming to Russia for study (students, interns) are required** to obtain a Voluntary Medical Insurance (VMI) policy. In accordance with Russian legislation, failure to obtain a VMI policy by a foreign citizen is considered an administrative offense and may result in a fine*** of 5,000 to 7,000 rubles, as well as expulsion from the Russian Federation.
Since the VMI policy is one of the mandatory documents confirming the legal stay of a foreign citizen in Russia, each international student must purchase a VMI policy for the entire period of their stay (studies) in Russia. Note that a VMI policy is valid for 1 year. Once the policy expires, the student must purchase a new one.
Important!
Medical care for students who are citizens of the member states of the Eurasian Economic Uni on (Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan) is also provided on a paid basis under Voluntary Medical Insurance (VMI) agreements. All foreign citizens in Russia are entitled to free emergency medical care only in cases of life-threatening conditions or situations requiring urgent medical intervention.
An English-speaking operator is available through the emergency medical service.
Emergency contact numbers:
112 or 103 (from a mobile phone)
103 (from a landline)
After a patient’s condition has been stabilized, further treatment is only available with a VMI policy or on a paid basis at private medical clinics.
Foreign students with a VMI policy are not eligible for treatment at district clinics. According to the terms of the VMI agreement and depending on the specific case, students must contact their insurance company using the phone number listed on their policy to receive further instructions.
A VMI policy can be purchased from any insurance company that holds a valid license to provide insurance services in the Russian Federation. The policy must meet the minimum required standards:
- Include outpatient and polyclinic care, emergency medical assistance, and inpatient care (hospitalization);
- Include repatriation services to the student’s home country;
- Have a minimum coverage amount of 100,000 rubles, as stipulated by the directive of the Central Bank of Russia No. 3793-U dated September 13, 2015.
- We recommend purchasing your VMI policy from a Russian insurance company before arriving in Russia.
- Choose your insurance company carefully. Sel ect a large and stable insurer that offers insurance plans specifically designed for international students. For international students at the Gnesin Russian Academy of Music ПАО САК «Энергогарант» (Energogarant), ООО РСО «ЕВРОИНС» (EVROINS) и САО «РЕСО-Гарантия» (RESO-Garantia) offer optimal voluntary medical insurance terms.
- Choose an insurance plan. The plan must meet the minimum required standards.
- Pay attention to how you access medical services: direct access (you make appointments with doctors yourself) or via a call center (an insurance company administrator schedules your appointments).
- When selecting an insurance company, check the minimum age requirement for purchasing a medical insurance policy.
- Keep in mind that a basic VMI policy usually covers treatment only during acute illness phases. Ongoing medical monitoring and prescriptions for medications are generally not included in the basic VMI policy. To access these services, you need to purchase an extended VMI package or pay for individual medical consultations at private clinics separately.
In Russia, the average cost of hospitalization without surgery starts from 80,000 rubles. With surgery, the cost starts from 100,000 rubles.
The cost of a Voluntary Medical Insurance policy that meets the requirements in Moscow cannot be lower than 5,000 rubles.
In some cases, the cost of medical treatment may reach 300,000 rubles. For example, in cases of emergency hospitalization with intensive care, when advanced diagnostics and life-saving procedures are needed.
The Gnesin Russian Academy of Music cooperates with leading insurance providers such as
ПАО САК «Энергогарант» (Energogarant), САО «РЕСО-Гарантия» (RESO-Garantia) and ООО РСО «ЕВРОИНС» (EVROINS) which have developed specialized insurance plans for international students that meet all legal requirements of the Russian Federation.
For any questions related to medical insurance, you can contact us by email at insurance@gnesin-academy.ru
or by messaging the Department of Visa and Migration Support of Foreign Students:
+7 903 708-07-48 (WhatsApp, Telegram)
*1. Foreign citizens who hold a temporary residence permit or a temporary residence permit for educational purposes (RVP or RVPO);
2. Foreign citizens who hold a permanent residence permit;
3. Foreign citizens who have been granted temporary asylum in the Russian Federation.
** In accordance with Federal Laws No. 114 dated July 18, 1996, and No. 115 dated June 21, 2002, a Voluntary Medical Insurance policy is a mandatory document for foreign citizens. The absence of a VMI policy is grounds for denial of entry into the territory of the Russian Federation.