Russia Work Permits & the Highly Qualified Specialist (HQS) Visa: The 2024 Employer’s Complete Guide
Hiring foreign nationals in Russia means working through one of the more paperwork-heavy immigration systems among major economies. For international businesses bringing in expatriate staff or hiring foreign talent locally, Russia offers two primary pathways: the standard Work Permit (разрешение на работу) and the Highly Qualified Specialist (HQS / ВКС Высококвалифицированный специалист) regime. The HQS […]
Russia vs. BRICS Nations: Comparing Business Environments for International Companies in 2024
The BRICS grouping expanded in 2024 to include the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Egypt, and Ethiopia alongside the original five has become the central reference frame for international businesses recalibrating their global footprint away from Western-centric supply chains. For international companies evaluating where to deploy capital, Russia’s business environment needs to be benchmarked honestly against […]
The Real Cost of Operating a Business in Russia in 2024: A Full Breakdown for Foreign Companies
One of the most common mistakes international businesses make when evaluating Russia market entry is building a cost model from outdated benchmarks or romanticised assumptions about low Russian operating costs. The reality in 2024 is nuanced: some costs are genuinely lower than comparable Western markets, while others particularly compliance, banking, and talent in specialised sectors […]
FEMA & RBI Rules for Indians Working in Russia 2025: Remittances, Sanctions & Compliance Guide
India’s position on Russia is unusual. When Western countries imposed sweeping sanctions after February 2022, India kept to its policy of strategic autonomy: it kept trading with Russia, kept importing Russian energy and did not join the sanctions coalition. For Indian nationals working in Russia, that opens doors, but it also means two sets of […]
Banking in Russia for Foreigners 2025: Sberbank, VTB, Sanctions & Your Real Options
Opening a bank account in Russia as a foreign national was already a multi-step process before 2022. Since then, sweeping Western sanctions have cut many of Russia’s largest banks off from SWIFT and from Western correspondent banks, made transfers to most Western countries slow or impossible, and left Russia-issued Visa and Mastercard cards unusable outside […]
FNS Registration for Foreign Workers in Russia 2025: Complete Tax & Compliance Guide
If you are moving to Russia for work, one of the most critical administrative steps you must complete is registering with the Federal Tax Service of Russia known in Russian as the Federalnaya Nalogovaya Sluzhba, or FNS. Without proper FNS registration, you cannot legally receive a salary, open a bank account in many institutions, or comply with Russian tax […]
Russia Tax Guide 25% CIT (Raised 2025!), SEZ, IT Incentives 0–5%, Sanctions & India DTAA (2026)
Russia’s tax system went through dramatic changes in 2025, with the corporate income tax (CIT) rate raised from 20% to 25% the highest in the past decade. Yet for foreign investors, particularly from India, incentives remain: accredited IT companies pay 5% CIT for 2025–2030 (the 0% rate ended in 2024; source: Interfax), Skolkovo and Special […]
How to Register a Company in Russia from India OOO, FNS & Step-by-Step (2026)
You can register a company in Russia from India in 2026 with 100% foreign ownership allowed in most sectors, a minimum capital of just RUB 10,000 (~$110 USD), and a digital process through the FNS (Federal Tax Service). This guide covers registering an OOO (Общество с ограниченной ответственностью, or LLC), the most popular company type […]