Pre-departure Guide

 (Download the pdf version) 

STEPS TO TAKE BEFORE YOU LEAVE YOUR COUNTRY

  • Apply for and receive a student visa at a Russian conssulate or visa center in your home country (single-entry visa; 90 days duration)
  • Enroll for a health insurance plan valid in Russia or decide which medical insurance to apply for in Russia
  • Get a medical certificate (download the form) signed and stamped by your physician in order to check into the dormitory
  • Check in your application whether you need dormitory accommodation
  • Request a buddy and get contacted by him/her
  • Check directions to the HSE dormitory or any other place of accommodation
  • Plan to arrive in Moscow in time for the Orientation session and the start of the semester
  • Check that the date of your departure does not precede the start date of your visa
  • Check Russian customs regulations and your airline luggage regulations
  • Check the location of your faculty and other HSE buildings 
  • Check how to get to the city from the airport (Aeroexpress trains, taxi)
  • Get acquainted with the Dormitory Internal Rules and Tenancy Agreement
  • Check with your bank the maximum cash amount you can withdraw in Russia
  • Check the Life in Moscow website for useful tips
  • Make sure to have enough battery power on all your devices upon arrival to Moscow


WHAT TO TAKE WITH YOU

  • Valid passport with visa
  • Medical insurance +HSE health certificate signed and stamped by a physician (to check into the dormitory)
  • Photocopies to have in your carry-on luggage: passport ID page, passport visa page, letter of referral from the Ministry of Education and Science (quota full-degree students), study contract (if applicable)
  • HSE acceptance letter
  • Ful-degree students only: legalized original diploma and transcript (Master programme students), letter of referral from the Ministry of Education and Science (quota scheme students), study contract (fee-paying degree students), all the translated documents you will be expected to submit at HSE
  • 4 passport-size (3cm x 4cm) photos on a mat paper
  • Contacts of your buddy
  • Contacts of your programme manager / exchange coordinator
  • Contact details for your embassy/consulate/diplomatic mission in Russia
  • Copies of all the documents to put into your carry-on luggage