Start-up
Establishing a business in Russia
Sole ownership
Stages of registration of a Russian legal entity
List of documents required from a company –
List of documents required from a foreign individual
Representative and Branch office accreditation
ESTABLISHING A BUSINESS IN RUSSIA
The form of legal presence in Russia influences all aspects of activity including possibility for making deals and tax consequences of the deals, financial and tax accounting and reporting, possibilities under customs, currency control legislation, ability to employ foreign nationals, repatriation of income, application of international treaties and many others. Therefore, particular attention must be paid to Russian business modeling to be made PRIOR setting up legal presence in Russia.
There are several forms for a foreign investor to start business in the Russian Federation. Foreign investor may set up (or register) a Russian legal entity in the form of limited liability company,
Sole ownership
As it was mentioned before Limited Liability Company or Private Joint Stock Company can be founded by an individual (Russian or foreign) or by a legal entity.
The founding document at Sole ownership company is a Charter. Such company doesn’t have some management bodies such as General Meeting of the Founders. There is no Board of Directors. All the decisions are taken by the sole founder. Accordingly legislative requirements on calling of the general meetings, and other procedural requirements do not apply to such company. The management of the company is done by issue of written decisions of the fonder. If the fonder is also a General Director in the company the decisions are made by issuance of orders.
At the same time such company is a separate legal entity, its assets are legally isolated from the assets of the founder.
Formation of a Russian legal entity. General information.
Stages of registration of a Russian legal entity:
1. Registration at the Tax authority
2. Registration at the State Committee for Statistics.
3. Making of the seal of the Company.
4. Registration at
5. Opening of the bank account depends on the bank
6. Registration of the shares issue with the Federal Services for Financial Markets
Is applicable only to Private and Public Joint Stock Companies.
List of documents required from a company –
1. Certificate of Incorporation or extract from the Trade Register of the country of origin.
2. Memorandum and Articles of Association.
3. Resolution of the Company’s executive (managing) body upon the appointing of the Head of the new company or Power of Attorney to the person authorized by the Company.
Documents mentioned above require Consulate legalization or apostille with notarized translation to the Russian language.
List of documents required from a foreign individual:
1. Passport
2. Russian visa (if any)
Representative and Branch office accreditation. General information.
Stages of accreditation:
1. Accreditation with the accreditation authority
2. Producing the seal
3. Registration at the State Committee for Statistics
4. Registration at the State Tax Inspectorate
5. Registration at
6. Opening of a bank account depends on the bank
List of documents required from a foreign legal entity:
1. Memorandum and Articles of association of a foreign legal entity (charter, bylaw).
2. Certificate of Incorporation of a foreign legal entity or Extract from the Trade Register.
3. Letter of introduction provided by a Bank that serves for a foreign legal entity in the country of incorporation that proves its solvency.
4. Resolution of a foreign legal entity about opening of the Representative or Branch Office and appointing of the Head.
5. Power of Attorney given to the Head of the Representative or Branch Office.
6. Certificate of registration with Tax authorities with Tax Code of a foreign company (or its analogue in the country of its establishment).
Documents mentioned above require Consulate legalization or apostille with notarized translation to the Russian language.
You can also read Establishing a Legal Presence in Russia
