Mobility rights arrangements of the Commonwealth of Independent States

Not to be confused with Single Economic Space of the Eurasian Economic Union or Union State. Further information: Common Economic Space of the Commonwealth of Independent States and Eurasian economic integration

The countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States have concluded a number of agreements among themselves in the field of citizens' mobility rights, which regulate visa-free travel, recognition of documents, cooperation in the field of employment and the common labor market.

Background

According to the Article 5 of Belavezha Accords, the High Contracting Parties shall recognize and respect each other's territorial integrity and the inviolability of existing borders within the Commonwealth. They shall guarantee the openness of borders, freedom of movement of citizens and freedom of information within the Commonwealth. According to Article 7, the High Contracting Parties indicate that through common coordinating institutions, their joint activities will consist in coordinating foreign policy activities, cooperation in the formation and development of a common economic space, common European and Eurasian markets, in the field of customs policy, in the development of transport and communication systems, cooperation in the field of environmental protection, migration policy and the fight against organized crime.

The Eurasian Economic Union overlaps with the Commonwealth of Independent States.

Agreements and treaties

1990s

In Bishkek on 9 October 1992, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan concluded the Agreement on visa-free movement of citizens of the Commonwealth of Independent States within the territory of its participants. The Agreement entered into force on 9 October 1992. For Georgia, the agreement entered into force on 1 August 1997. On 21 July 1997, Azerbaijan sent notification of accession, but since Armenia did not agree to Azerbaijan's accession, the Agreement never entered into force for Azerbaijan. Turkmenistan withdrew in 1999. Russia withdrew in 2000. Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan withdrew in 2001. In particular, the document is in force for Georgia as of 2024.

Agreement on mutual recognition of visas of the participant states of the Commonwealth of Independent States signed on 13 November 1992. Protocol on the termination of the Agreement on Mutual Recognition of Visas of the Participant States of the Commonwealth of Independent States of 13 November 1992 signed on 21 November 2014. The Agreement terminated on 13 December 2019.

Agreement on the Establishment of the Consultative Council on Labor, Employment and Social Protection of the Population of the Participating States of the Commonwealth of Independent States signed on 13 November 1992.

Convention on Legal Assistance and Legal Relations in Civil, Family and Criminal Matters signed on 22 January 1993. In particular, the document is in force for Georgia as of 2024.

Agreement on assistance to refugees and internally displaced persons signed on 24 September 1993.

Agreement on cooperation in the field of labor migration and social protection of migrant workers signed on 15 April 1994. In particular, the document is in force for Ukraine as of 2024.

Convention of the Commonwealth of Independent States on Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms signed on 26 May 1995.

Agreement on Cooperation for the Formation of a Single (Common) Educational Space of the Commonwealth of Independent States signed on 17 January 1997.

Agreement on the provision of medical assistance to citizens of the participant states of the Commonwealth of Independent States signed on 27 March 1997. In particular, the document is in force for Ukraine as of 2024.

2000s

Convention on legal assistance and legal relations in civil, family and criminal cases signed on 7 October 2002.

Agreement on mutual recognition and equivalence of documents on secondary (general) education, primary vocational and secondary vocational (specialized) education signed on 15 September 2004.

Decision on the Concept of Cooperation of the Participating States of the Commonwealth of Independent States in Combating Illegal Migration signed on 16 September 2004.

Agreement on cooperation in the field of professional development and retraining of specialists of the participant states of the Commonwealth of Independent States signed on 25 May 2007.

Convention on cross-border cooperation of the participant states of the Commonwealth of Independent States signed on 10 October 2008.

Convention on the Legal Status of Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families of the Participating States of the Commonwealth of Independent States signed on 14 November 2008. In particular, the document is in force for Ukraine as of 2024.

2010s

The Treaty of the participant states of the Commonwealth of Independent States on the interstate search for persons was signed on 10 December 2010 by Azerbaijan, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. It was amended on 8 October 2024.

Agreement on the Unified System of Registration of Third Country Nationals and Stateless Persons Entering the Territories of the Participating States of the Commonwealth of Independent States signed on 18 October 2011.

Resolution on the Concept of the Common Migration Space of the CIS Participating States signed on 17 May 2012.

Decision on the Model Agreement on Readmission signed on 23 November 2012.

Agreement of the participant states of the Commonwealth of Independent States on mutual recognition of documents on higher/higher professional education signed on 31 May 2013.

2020s

Agreement on Free Trade in Services, Establishment, Operations and Investment signed on 8 June 2023. It is partly based on the WTO General Agreement on Trade in Services and covers four modes of supply for the delivery of services in cross-border trade including the right to freely provide services on site after crossing the border with supplier present as a natural person.

Common labor market

At the meeting of the CIS Council of Heads of Government held in Minsk on 28 May 2021, an agreement on cooperation in the field of promoting employment of the population of the CIS member states was signed. It is the first ever multilateral international treaty of the CIS participant states in the field of employment. The document was developed by the Advisory Council on Labor, Employment and Social Protection of the Population of the CIS participating states in accordance with the Priority Measures for the formation of a common labor market and regulation of labor migration for 2017–2020. The agreement entered into force in 2022. On 30 May 2024 at the Commonwealth Headquarters Representatives of the CIS countries discussed cooperation on the creation of a common labor market.

On 6 March 2024, representatives of Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and the CIS Executive Committee finalized the work on updating the Concept of Phased Formation of a Common Labor Market and Regulation of Labor Force Migration. On 29 November 2024, the CIS finally adopted an updated Concept for the phased formation of a common labor market and migration regulation.

References

External links

v t e Eurasian economic integration
Institutions	Eurasian Development Bank Eurasian Economic Commission Eurasian Economic Community Eurasian Patent Convention Eurasian Patent Organization Eurasian Economic Union Enlargement Eurasian Customs Union
Infrastructure	Eurasian Land Bridge New Eurasian Land Bridge EU–Russia Common Space Belt and Road Initiative
History	Russian Empire All-Russian nation Pan-Slavism Soviet Union Comecon Common European Home Post-Soviet states

v t e Eurasian Economic Union
Member states	Armenia Belarus Kazakhstan Kyrgyzstan Russia
Observer members	Cuba Moldova Uzbekistan
Prospective members	Mongolia Syria Tajikistan Uzbekistan
Free Trade Zone agreements	China Egypt Iran Moldova Serbia Singapore Tajikistan Uzbekistan Vietnam

Europe articles

History

Chronology	Bibliography of European history Prehistory Classical antiquity Late antiquity Middle Ages Early modernity World War I World War II Pax Europaea Crisis situations and unrest since 2000 COVID-19 pandemic and Delta cron hybrid variant (2020–22) Russian invasion of Ukraine
By topic	Military Sovereignty predecessor states

Geography

Politics

Eurosphere International organisations Integration Law Post-Soviet Europe Transatlantic relations
Intergovernmental	Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) Council of Europe (CoE) Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO) Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) European Political Community (EPC) GUAM Organization Open Balkan North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) statistics Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation
European Union	Economy relations free trade agreements Education European Economic Area (EEA) European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) Eastern Partnership Euronest Parliamentary Assembly European Union Customs Union (EUCU) Eurozone Foreign relations Members enlargement Politics Schengen Area Visa policy Statistics

Economy

History Financial (and social) rankings Free trade areas Energy Telecommunications Transport
Intergovernmental	Central European Free Trade Agreement (CEFTA) Eurasian Customs Union (EACU) Eurasian Economic Community (EAEC) European Free Trade Association (EFTA)
Sovereign states by	Average wage Budget revenues per capita GDP (nominal) per capita GDP (PPP) per capita GNI (nominal) per capita GNI (PPP) per capita HDI Internet users (%) Minimum wage Press Freedom Index Unemployment rate (%) Health expense per capita Military spending (%) Urban population (%) Electricity use per capita

Society

Ages of consent Etiquette Social (and financial) rankings Languages endangered Tattooing Universities Bologna Process Erasmus
Culture	Art painting sculpture Architecture Capital of Culture Cinema film festivals Classical music Cuisine Dance Literature Philosophy Religion Christianity Islam Judaism Sport Symbols (Armorial, Flags)
Demographics	Ageing Childhood population (%) Ethnic groups genetic history Immigration Life expectancy by region Retirement

International trade

Terminology

Organizations
and policies

Political economy

Regional organizations

Americas	Andean Community of Nations Caribbean Community Central American Integration System Mercosur
Asia-Pacific	Association of Southeast Asian Nations Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation
Europe, Central Asia, and North Asia	Customs Union of Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Russia Eurasian Economic Union European Union Customs Union
Middle East and North Africa	Arab Customs Union Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf
Subsaharan Africa	East African Community Economic and Monetary Community of Central Africa Southern African Customs Union West African Economic and Monetary Union

Exports by product

v t e Regional organizations
Bodies	African Union Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization Arab League Arctic Council Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Asia Cooperation Dialogue Asia Council Asia-Europe Foundation Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Assembly of European Regions Association of Caribbean States AUKUS Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America – Peoples' Trade Treaty British–Irish Council Bucharest Nine Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Central American Integration System Central European Free Trade Agreement Central European Initiative Collective Security Treaty Organization Commonwealth of Independent States Commonwealth of Nations Community for Democracy and Rights of Nations Community of Democratic Choice Community of Latin American and Caribbean States Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership Council of the Baltic Sea States Council of Europe Craiova Group East African Community Economic Community of West African States Economic Cooperation Organization Eurasian Economic Union European Political Community European Union Forum for the Progress and Integration of South America GUAM Organization for Democracy and Economic Development Gulf Cooperation Council Indian Ocean Rim Association Liptako–Gourma Authority Latin American Integration Association Latin American Parliament Lublin Triangle Melanesian Spearhead Group Mercosur Nordic Council North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Open Balkan Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe Organization of American States Organization of Ibero-American States Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation Pacific Alliance Pacific Islands Forum Paneuropean Union Polynesian Leaders Group Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership Shanghai Cooperation Organisation South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation South Atlantic Peace and Cooperation Zone Southern African Development Community TAKM Three Seas Initiative Trilateral Cooperation Secretariat Organization of Turkic States Union of South American Nations Visegrád Group West Nordic Council Western Balkans Quad
Topics	Regional integration Regional organizations by population Regionalism (international relations)

Regional organizations

Bodies