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 monthly salary rises from about $4,000 to about $4,400, and for employees in the financial sector from about $4,300 to about $4,900 (the thresholds are set in Singapore dollars; figures here are converted to US dollars). 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.

What changed by October 2026

Russia: children under 14 leaving the country

Since 20 January 2026 the birth certificate has been removed from the documents on which children under 14 can leave Russia. A child now needs their own international passport for Belarus, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, even when travelling with both parents. A new-style 10-year passport for a child under 14 costs 3,000 roubles, about $36, and an old-style 5-year one 1,000 roubles, about $12.

Portugal: citizenship was not speeded up but pushed back

The 2024 amendments mentioned above would have shortened the wait, but in 2026 Portugal went the other way. Since 19 May 2026 the period before citizenship has risen from 5 to 10 years for most foreigners. A child born in Portugal can obtain citizenship by declaration if a parent has lived in the country for 5 years. More on the page about Portuguese residence by investment.

Finland: the border and property

The land border with Russia has been closed since 15 December 2023, and on 4 June 2026 the Finnish government extended the closure until further notice. Since 15 July 2025 Russian and Belarusian citizens have not been granted the Ministry of Defence permit for real estate with land, such as a house, a plot or a holiday home, unless they hold a Finnish permanent residence permit: an outright refusal has replaced the earlier case-by-case checks. A flat is held as shares in a housing company and needs no such permit.

Brazil: visa-free entry remains

Russian citizens still do not need a visa for Brazil: up to 90 days in each 180-day period. Citizens of the US, Canada and Australia, however, have again needed an electronic visa even for tourist trips since 10 April 2025.

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