The questions people hesitate to ask

If the country where you will use the document is party to the 1961 Hague Convention, an apostille is enough: one certificate, one authority. If it is not, you need consular legalisation — first the competent ministry, then that country's consulate; two queues, two fees. Russia, Türkiye and Tajikistan are all parties. We can tell you which route applies without seeing the document; the country and the purpose are enough.

A sworn translation means the translator has taken an oath before a notary; they sign the translation and carry the responsibility. Notarisation is one step further: the notary confirms that the signature really belongs to that sworn translator. Almost every official procedure asks for the second. The institution receiving your document states which one it wants — if you are unsure, show us the letter and we will read it.

Not for translation: a legible photograph is enough. For an apostille or consular legalisation the ORIGINAL is required, because the certificate is stamped onto the document itself, not onto a copy. We collect the original by courier, return it the same way once the work is done, and give you the tracking number.

Sworn translation and notarisation: 1–2 working days. Apostille: 1–3 working days. Consular legalisation: 3–10 working days, depending on how booked the consulate is. Residence and citizenship applications move on the authority's own calendar; we do not set that timing and we do not pretend to. When we take your file we tell you where things actually stand that week.

Most of the work runs remotely: you send a photograph, we collect the original by courier if it is needed, and we send the result back the same way. Only issuing a power of attorney and certain consular applications require you in person — that is the law, not our preference. We tell you which applies to you in the first conversation.

RVP (разрешение на временное проживание) is a temporary residence permit: valid three years, not renewable, and subject to a quota for some nationalities. VNJ (вид на жительство) is permanent residence: no work permit needed, freedom to live and work anywhere in Russia, and the step towards citizenship. In some cases VNJ can be obtained directly without RVP — nationality, marriage, place of birth and a language certificate decide it.

Passport, biometric photograph, a valid address declaration, health insurance, and — depending on the permit type — proof of income or student enrolment. Appointments are booked through the e-ikamet system. We prepare the file, book the appointment and stand with you on the day. A single missing paper means the appointment is void; you get the checklist in advance.

Applications generally run February–July in Russia and June–August in Türkiye. But the real constraint is preparation, not the application: diploma translation, apostille and — where required — recognition take 4–8 weeks. That means starting at least two months before the application window. For the 2026/27 intake, preparation should begin now.

For employment, usually yes. For study, usually no — the university makes its own assessment. In Türkiye recognition comes from YÖK, in Russia from Rosobrnadzor, and both can take months. Whether it applies to you is decided by the institution you are applying to. We do not start until we have asked, because an unnecessary recognition application costs both money and three months.

We give you the price in writing before any work starts, and we do not add charges later. State fees — the apostille fee, the consular charge, the residence card fee — are shown separately, because they are paid to the authority rather than to us and the authority sets the amount.