Russia drafts 5,000-ruble cap on fees for state-service filings via Post, MFC
In short
The Russian government has prepared a draft decree allowing Russian Post and multifunctional centres (MFCs) to charge up to 5,000 rubles for accepting applications for state services and delivering finished documents, RBC reported, citing the draft. The decree is due to take effect on 1 March 2027 and implements a law of 26 July 2026 that let postal organisations accept Gosuslugi applications for a fee. The Ministry of Digital Development said the charge is needed to keep services accessible to all residents, while the draft says the money can go to staff pay and purchases.
Read the full story 1 min read
The Russian government has prepared a draft decree under which Russian Post and multifunctional centres (MFCs) would charge up to 5,000 rubles for accepting applications for state services and delivering completed documents. RBC reported the figure, citing the draft decree, and TASS, Vedomosti, Kommersant and RIA Novosti reported the same ceiling. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 ]
According to Vedomosti and Kommersant, the decree is to enter into force on 1 March 2027. Money received from the service is to go to staff pay, the purchase of goods and services and other expenses of the organisations, the documents say; TASS writes that the funds “can be directed” to these costs, while Vedomosti and Kommersant state that the funds “will be directed” to them. [ 2 , 3 , 4 ]
The draft was prepared to implement a law of 26 July 2026 that allowed postal organisations to accept Gosuslugi applications for a fee and deliver the results, Vedomosti and Kommersant reported. They describe the measure as part of the reform of Russian Post, which has received the status of a “commercial analogue of MFC”. [ 3 , 4 ]
Kommersant reported a separate offline scenario for the postal channel: Russian Post accepts an application in person as an alternative to electronic filing, then delivers the result to the addressee and informs the applicant that it is ready. The additional charge in this arrangement relates to accepting the application and the operator's subsequent actions. The electronic filing channel is not being replaced by the paid service, Kommersant said. [ 4 ]
The Ministry of Digital Development said that establishing the fee for taking in applications and delivering documents through Russian Post and MFCs is needed to ensure the services remain accessible to all residents of the country. [ 6 ]
Why it matters
The draft would create an explicitly paid counter channel for filing state-service applications through Russian Post and MFCs, alongside the electronic route that Kommersant says is not being replaced. It follows the designation of Russian Post as a “commercial analogue of MFC” and, if adopted, would set how much residents can be charged for in-person filing and document delivery. The documents give no estimates of take-up or revenue, so the practical scale is not stated.
Key facts
- A Russian government draft decree would allow Russian Post and multifunctional centres (MFCs) to charge up to 5,000 rubles for accepting state-service applications and delivering completed documents. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 ]
- The decree is set to take effect on 1 March 2027. [ 3 , 4 ]
- It was prepared to implement a law of 26 July 2026 that allowed postal organisations to accept Gosuslugi applications for a fee and deliver the results. [ 3 , 4 ]
- Money received from the service can be directed to staff pay, the purchase of goods and services, and other expenses of the organisations, according to the draft. [ 2 , 3 , 4 ]
- Kommersant reported the postal channel is a separate offline scenario in which Russian Post accepts an application in person, delivers the result to the applicant and tells them it is ready. [ 4 ]
- The Ministry of Digital Development said the fee is intended to ensure state services remain accessible to all residents of the country. [ 6 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- The fee for accepting state-service applications and delivering documents through Russian Post and MFCs would be up to 5,000 rubles. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 ]
- The draft decree is to enter into force on 1 March 2027. [ 3 , 4 ]
- The document was prepared under a law of 26 July 2026 that permitted postal organisations to accept Gosuslugi applications for a fee and deliver the results. [ 3 , 4 ]
- Proceeds from the service can be used for staff pay, procurement and other expenses of the organisations involved. [ 2 , 3 , 4 ]
Still unclear
- Whether 5,000 rubles is a ceiling or the actual price, and whether it applies per application or per service. The documents describe the figure only as “up to” or “not exceeding” 5,000 rubles and give no schedule of specific prices.
- Whether the decree has been adopted and when exactly the fee would apply in practice. Outlets refer to a draft government decree (проект постановления); none of the documents says it has been signed or published.
- The treatment of the funds differs slightly between outlets. TASS says the money “can be directed” to salaries and purchases, while Vedomosti and Kommersant state that the funds “will be directed” to them.
- Whether the postal fee and the MFC fee are identical. Most documents put both channels under a single ceiling of 5,000 rubles without separating the two.
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- RBC reports that the draft government decree sets the fee for accepting Gosuslugi applications through Russian Post and MFCs at up to 5,000 rubles. [ 1 ]
- TASS reports the fee for accepting and delivering state-service applications will not exceed 5,000 rubles, and that the proceeds can fund staff pay and purchases. [ 2 ]
- Vedomosti reports the fee ceiling and that the decree takes effect on 1 March 2027, citing RBC and the draft decree. [ 3 ]
- Kommersant reports the draft decree, the effective date and the separate offline postal scenario. [ 4 ]
- RIA Novosti reports that the cost of accepting applications through MFCs should not exceed 5,000 rubles. [ 5 ]
- RBC reports that the Ministry of Digital Development said the fee is needed to ensure services are accessible to all residents. [ 6 ]