Relocation news digest - November 15, 2024

Russia: no fast-track path to restoring citizenship

The government has declined to back a bill that would have let Russians who renounced their citizenship reclaim it through a simplified procedure.

Under the proposal, a person who had given up Russian citizenship but later chose to restore it could have done so while abroad, sidestepping the mandatory residency requirement in Russia. The government's legislative-affairs commission criticised the initiative.

Singapore: Changi Airport to raise passenger fees

Changi Airport plans to fund a terminal upgrade worth $2.4 billion (3 billion Singapore dollars) between 2025 and 2030. The move reflects growing demand for air travel and the need to keep the airport competitive.

Passenger service charges will rise from 46.40 to 58.40 Singapore dollars, and transit fees from 6 to 18 Singapore dollars, by 2030. Ticket prices for travellers will increase by roughly 1%.

Canada: new rules for temporary resident visas

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada has updated its policy on temporary resident visas (TRVs), which allow foreign nationals to enter Canada for tourism, business, study or transit.

Previously, TRVs were issued for multiple entries, often valid for 10 years (or until the passport expired). Now immigration officers are advised to decide at their discretion whether to grant a single- or multiple-entry visa, based on the applicant's individual circumstances - including the purpose of travel, financial stability, medical considerations and ties to their home country.

Australia: a new migration strategy

The Australian government has unveiled a new migration strategy:

• a new Skills in Demand visa;
• simplified labour-market testing requirements;
• a system-wide streamlining of immigration processes;
• a new points system for skilled migration.

Through these reforms the government aims to meet demand for skilled workers and improve labour mobility.

Portugal: tighter rules for proving residence

According to the explanatory note to a recommendation put before the Assembly of the Republic by the PSD party, "the widely reported abuses cannot be ignored - for example, micro-companies with dozens of immigrant workers, or dwellings where mattresses are rented out, in most cases illegally."

Citing complaints from across the country - particularly from municipalities where the largest migration flows are concentrated, as the National Association of Civil Parishes (ANAFRE) has already acknowledged - PSD deputies argued that it is "essential to strictly define the list of required documents and to try to prevent this instrument from being abused for the economic exploitation of migrants."

Finland may reopen its border with Russia in February 2025

Representatives of the Russian and Finnish border services have reportedly discussed the possibility informally.

Economic conditions in the border regions have worsened: local residents on both sides are losing income as tourists stay away. Many complain that they can no longer visit relatives.

EU and Schengen: internal border checks extended

Several countries have extended internal checks at their borders:

• until December 2024 - Italy and Slovenia;
• until March-May 2025 - Austria, Denmark, France, Germany and Norway.

From 9 December 2024 the Netherlands will introduce internal border checks, currently scheduled to run until May 2025.

Border guards may request identity documents and carry out detailed checks on travellers crossing the borders of the Schengen countries named above.

Russia approves taxation of cryptocurrency transactions

The law was signed on 29 November 2024 (No. 418-FZ). Cryptocurrency transactions will now be subject to profit tax (for legal entities) and personal income tax (for individuals). The bill resurfaced in connection with the start of mining regulation.

The law classifies digital currency as property.

Murblz advises on tax matters anywhere in the world.

Kazakhstan: banks stretch payment times for Russian business to two months

In the autumn of 2024, Kazakh banks sharply increased processing times for payments involving Russian businesses and began requesting ever more supporting documents and data on the sending and receiving companies.

Payments can now take up to two months to clear.

The tightening is, unsurprisingly, tied to international sanctions.

United States: entering the country over the holidays

If you are a foreign national planning a trip to the US during the holiday season, make sure you have all the necessary documents: a passport valid for a sufficient period, a valid US visa of the appropriate class, and prior travel authorisation where required.

Be prepared, too, for possible delays in visa issuance.

Tighter travel restrictions are possible shortly after the new presidential administration takes office on 20 January 2025.

Murblz helps citizens of Russia and Belarus obtain US visas.

Hong Kong: students may take part-time work

Foreign nationals enrolled as full-time students are exempt from restrictions on part-time work.

The policy is designed to encourage graduates to stay on and build their lives and careers in the Hong Kong SAR.

Vietnam Airlines launches direct flights from Moscow to Hanoi

Flights will operate twice a week, on Mondays and Wednesdays, starting 6 January.

UAE: a new digital social-security platform

The General Pension and Social Security Authority has launched a new online platform, Ma'ashi.

The service's updated features include:

• two-factor authentication;
• no more signed forms for registration or de-registration - instead, staff who have updated their account on the Ma'ashi portal will now receive an email link to confirm registration or de-registration;
• an employer dashboard showing the contributions and penalties due.

Spain: doing business is set to get harder

The Spanish government now requires applicants for a business-activity permit to apostille their higher-education documents, while those applying under the professional-experience track must provide social-security records from their country of origin.

These changes will lengthen the time needed to gather the documents for such applications.

What has changed by autumn 2026

Several items in this issue have had a follow-up. In brief, here is where things stand in autumn 2026.

Finland: the border with Russia never reopened

The issue's expectations did not come true: all eight crossings on Finland's border with Russia have been closed since December 2023, and the closure has been extended several times, most recently in June 2026, with no reopening date. Travel from Russia to Finland is possible only via third countries.

Schengen: checks remain and the entry system is running

Internal Schengen border checks were extended throughout 2025 and 2026, and Germany checks all its land borders at least until mid-September 2026. Since 10 April 2026 the electronic Entry/Exit System with a photo and fingerprints instead of stamps has been fully operational at external borders.

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