MOSCOW, June 26 (RAPSI) – CIS citizens, except those in the Customs Union and the Common Economic Space countries, will need an international passport to enter or exit Russia starting January 1, 2015, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

The statement reads that the CIS countries have been notified of Russia’s plans in this respect and “have shown understanding for these efforts to restore order in the area of migration.”

The Foreign Ministry added that the citizens of the countries with which Russia signed mutual visa-free travel agreements on November 30, 2000 will be able to enter or exit Russia without a visa and will otherwise enjoy preferential treatment.

Almost 17.7 million foreign nationals visited Russia last year.

A United Nations study published last year ranked Russia as the world’s second-largest host of foreign migrants, with more than 11 million. The Federal Migration Service has estimated the number of illegal migrants at 3 million.