Residence and Nationality in Russia

Russia is continuously putting in place a residency and eventual citizenship regime to attract wealthy or expert foreigners into its borders. If you have capital, talent or ideas Russia will find a way to grant you a visa and eventually permanent residence and citizenship. Like everything in Russia, you need however the right connections, the right legal team and the right approach in order to thrive.

It is possible to obtain Russian citizenship by presidential decree. However, only French actor Gerard Depardieu, American actor Steven Seagal and wrestlers Roy Jones and Jeff Monson have been able to achieve it through this very unlikely method. If you know Vladimir Putin personally and you are a film or sports star, your migration problems could be solved relatively quickly. It should be noted that the Russians forgive Putin for this little weakness.

Contribution to the economy is another less complex path to obtain Russian citizenship, though not much more realistic. Following the legislation in force, those investors who have a minimum participation of 10 % in the shared capital of a legal entity of the federation, have access to a simplified procedure to achieve citizenship.

However, the applicant must meet the following conditions: its business must be registered on the territory of Russia, the company must be in operation for at least three years, its annual income must be at least 10 million rubles (approximately USD 140 000) and the total share capital cannot be less than 100 million rubles (approximately USD 1 400 000). Besides, the applicant must reside in the Russian territory for at least three years as a resident. It is important to note that an applicant for Russian citizenship must renounce other nationalities.

Therefore, obtaining Russian citizenship through investment is impossible. However, many foreigners live and do business in Russia for many years without any difficulty while maintaining their foreign citizenship.

If you´re a skilled worker and legally working in Russia with an annual income of about 30 000 USD, the residence and work permit can be easily granted at the request of your employer. Such authorization can be requested from the administration by the owners of the company issuing the invitation.

Foreign citizens enjoy the same rights during their stay as Russians, thus, to take part in trade negotiations a simple visa will suffice. To undertake a serious project, you may need a business visa, issued for 1 year at the request of your shareholder. Before applying for a Russian visa, find out about the conditions of residence according to your nationality; this country has signed visa waiver agreements with 27 countries.

It´s important to note that the absence of legal residence in Russia does not limit the rights of foreigners regarding ownership and management of the property.

If you decide to become fully legal in Russia, the procedures to be completed will be the following: first, obtaining a temporary residence permit for 3 years, which will allow you to live, work or do business as a self-employed person on the territory specified in the permit (you will be prohibited from leaving the region and the country for more than 6 months); second, gaining a residence permit that will give you the right to move freely in the country and will allow you unrestricted entry and exit; third, after 5 years of permanent residence, applying for Russian citizenship.

At present, there is an intense debate in society about the fact that such rules for the legalization of foreigners in Russia do not correspond with the country's openness, and even hinder the economy and the attraction of investment. However, this area is very sensitive and traditionally conservative, so the liberalization of Russian legislation in this field is proceeding very slowly. Nonetheless, every year certain legislative measures are taken in this direction.

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