Company registration in Russia

You can register your company online with 1C-WiseAdvice. Please contact us for more details.

The standard process of company registration in Russia is:

• Choosing the suitable legal form (LLC, Foreign Subsidiary, Branch, Representative Office) for the company registration
• Preparing documents that are needed to start a business
• Translating all the necessary documents into Russian language by certified translators
• Documents legalisation
• Preparing documents for a notary
• Documents certification by a Russian notary
• Submitting the documents received at the notary to the tax authority
• Registration confirmation by the tax authority (or refusal of register)
• Making a stamp
• Opening a bank account

The standard process for LLC (Limited Liability Company) in Russia is:

• Documents legalisation
• Preparing documents for a notary
• Documents certification by a Russian notary
• Submitting the documents received at the notary to the tax authority
• Registration confirmation by the tax authority (or refusal of register)
• Making a stamp
• Opening a bank account

Based on your individual needs there are also several alternative registration formats like multiple-step registrations, notary visits abroad, and others to register your company in Russia without a visit. 

Please contact our specialist and we will find the suitable decision for you!

Accreditation of foreign branches and representative offices includes several important stages:

• collecting the foreign documents from the parent company and their legalisation (consular legalisation or apostil)
• translating the foreign documents and their notarisation
• preparing and submitting the package of documents to the accreditation of a representative office/branch

You can establish your company online with 1C-WiseAdvice without coming to Russia. Please contact us for more details.

Cost of a company registration in Russia starts from 90 000 roubles (about 1000 Euro). 

Accreditation of Branch or Representative Office in Russia costs from 180 000 rubles, or about 2000 Euro. 

How long it takes to register a company?

Company registration in Russia takes around 1,5-3 months.

Representative office is a business unit of a foreign legal company which located away from its principal place of business and representing its interests. The representative office is controlled by the parent organisation. Cannot import and sale. Representative office is easier from the view of currency control, migration laws and easy way to entry the market with no sale function. The cost of the representative office registration is higher than the LLC registration due to state duties. BUT: If you plan to hire only one Russian citizen then there are more suitable structures to achieving the same result at a much lower cost and overhead basis. Find an information below.

Branch is a subdivision of a foreign company which performs all functions, including receiving income from commercial activity. Branches can only provide services - not import and sale products. That is why for importers it is better to open a LLC. The branch is controlled by the foreign enterprise. You need to find out if your clients are ready to work with this legal format. Some aspects of obtaining a visa are easier. You should understand that buyers of products and services will sign a contract with the parent company. Thus, for warranties and contracts, all the contracts will be cross-border and affected by the host country’s laws. Russian buyers might want more clarity and work only according to Russian law, buy in Russia, under the standard Russian contract, and have delivery according to Russian rules.

Subsidiary (LLC) is an independent legal entity that owns separate assets and is fully liable for the debts of its property. Its operations are designed to receive profit. Shareholders control the subsidiary. General Director is the head of the company. Risk is enclosed in the LLC. Subsidiary is standard format to have a functioning business in Russia. The company can perform all aspects of business. If the license and certificates are needed to run the business, then LLC most of the time is the only organisation form that suitable to get those documents. The rights of the General Director cannot be limited.

• First consultation to define the precise needs of the client
• We will give all the information about company registration in Russia
• Preparation and agreement on commercial offer: In both languages English/Russian
• Issuing and singing the contract of company registration services
• Consultation about preparing the documents needed, as well as all other questions about company registration
• Preparing all documents needed to register the company
• Documents assuring by the notary, visit in Moscow during the registration process
• Coordination of the foreign CEO visit to the tax authority
• Submitting the documents received at the notary to the tax authority
• Confirmation of the registration by the tax authority (or refusal to register)
• Receiving all the documents from the tax authority
• Making a stamp
• Opening a bank account
• What is the standard process of registering a company in Russia step-by-step?
• Limited support with the bank in opening a bank account
• Company registration with the pension and social fund

• Articles of Association (Memorandum of Association) of the foreign company
• Reference from the trade register from the country of origin of the foreign legal entity
• Document, that confirm the decision of an appointment of the General Director of the foreign company
• Certificate of state register of the foreign company
• Certificate from the tax authority of a foreign state about registration of the foreign organisation as a taxpayer in the country of company specifying the taxpayer's identification number
• Letter of a foreign bank that serve the foreign legal entity with confirmation of its financial solvency
• Passport copy of the director of a foreign company and his living address in a foreign state
• Passport copy of the ultimate beneficiary owner. This document might be needed when opening a bank account, also bank has the rights to ask for this document every year.

If the customer will decide to register the company outside of Moscow or Saint Petersburg, we can provide all the registration services for you and organise the entire process of registration.

A foreigner cannot register private entrepreneur in Russia. Any other legal formats such as foreign subsidiary (LLC), branch, representative office are possible.