How to apply
INRTU offers more than 200 degree programs, delivered both in English and Russian languages. We also have double degree programs and short term study opportunities such as foundation courses, foreign languages and summer school.
In case of uncertainty on program choice, we encourage you to schedule a zoom meeting with our Admissions Manager for a qualified consultation on choosing the perfect program for you. Contact us to schedule a meeting by email: admission@istu.edu.
We advise you to submit your application at least 2 months before your program schedule start period to facilitate timely issuance of invitation letter necessary for processing your visa.
Late applications will still be processed though you might miss the beginning of your studies as visa processing takes time.
There is one intake for degree programs:
September / October
There are several intakes for non-degree programs:
- Foundation course (2 years) – October, November
- Preparatory course (15-month Russian language course) – March, April
The list of required documents for initial assessment includes:
- a high-quality scan copy of international passport (must be valid for at least 1.5 years);
- a high-quality scan copies of your education certificate(s) and academic transcript(s).
- a high-quality scan of a valid student visa (if available)
Send your documents to admission@istu.edu or contact one of our managers.
Our admission team will process your documents and contact you within 5-10 business days with results of the review process.
In most cases, documents are required to be certified in the applicant’s home country.
Applicants from some countries will also have to go through a procedure of recognition of their diplomas or certificates in Russia.
There are 2 types of legalizations:
• consular legalization
This procedure is carried out in 2 stages:
Stage 1. Witnessing of documents by Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the country of issue of the document (depending on legislative requirements of the country of issue: generally the original, in some countries – copies) – the corresponding stamps with the indication of the position and the signature of the assuring person are put down;
Stage 2. Witnessing of documents by Consulate/Embassy of the Russian Federation in the country of issue of the document – the corresponding stamps with the indication of the position and the signature of the assuring person are put down.
• «Apostille – a simplified legalization procedure, read more.
Without legalization
No legalization of education documents is required if the country of issue and the Russian Federation have executed a treaty on no legalization.
As of 2025, these countries include:
• Albania, Algeria, Armenia, Argentina, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, China, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Egypt, Estonia, Finland, Georgia, Greece, India, Iran, Iraq, Italy, Kazakhstan, Korea, Kyrgyzstan, North, Latvia, Lithuania, Macedonia, Moldova, Mongolia, Montenegro, Poland, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Tajikistan, Tunisia, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Vietnam and Yemen.
An updated list is available on the website or you can get more information at the Russian Embassy in your country.
Take the entrance exams online. We offer up to 80% tuition fee discounts for English-taught programs and up to 64% discounts for Russian-taught programs.
To read more about tuition discount.
The type of entrance exam depends on the level of the educational program (Bachelor's, Master's, or Doctoral/PhD) as well as the chosen program of study.
For admission to Bachelor's programs taught in Russian, applicants need to take two entrance exams:
- Russian as a Foreign Language
- Mathematics, Chemistry, or Biology (depending on the chosen field of study)
For admission to Bachelor's programs taught in English, applicants must take two entrance examinations:
- English
- Mathematics
For admission to Master's and PhD programs, applicants must take one entrance examination in a subject related to their chosen field of study. Please kindly note that entrance exams for PhD programs are conducted exclusively in Russian.
Review the full list of entrance exams for Bachelor's, Master's, and PhD programs:
Exams for English-taught Bachelor's programs (pdf, 149.21 Kb) Exams for Russian-taught Bachelor's programs (pdf, 162.15 Kb) Exams for English-taught Master's programs (pdf, 101.92 Kb) Exams for Russian-taught Master's programs (pdf, 138.87 Kb) Exams for English-taught PhD programs (pdf, 30.41 Kb)
Upon successful completion of your entrance exams, you will receive a conditional letter of acceptance within 1-3 business days from our admission team.
Admission team will send you a student contract and all necessary documents for your successful enrollment. You have to sign the full set of documents for admission and send them to your admission manager.
Please note that currently there are restrictions on money transfers from abroad to Russia. Your admission manager will provide you with payment instructions. We will refund your payment in case you decide not to study or your student visa is denied.
The invitation letter is issued by the Federal Migration Service within 30-45 days. An electronic version of invitation letter will be sent to you by e-mail.
Visit Russian Embassy in your country, the issuing time for student visa is approximately 10 days.
As soon as you receive your student visa, please read the guide on how to prepare for coming to Russia.
We are waiting for you in Irkutsk. Welcome!