What Company registration covers
We register Russian companies for foreign owners and take them all the way to operational — entity, tax registration, bank account and first filings. An LLC is registered in 3–5 working days once the documents are in order; being genuinely able to trade, bank and pay people takes six to eight weeks. We plan for the second number, not the first.
There are two numbers in Russian company registration, and confusing them is the most expensive mistake foreign investors make. A limited liability company — an OOO, what everyone calls an LLC — is registered by the Federal Tax Service in 3–5 working days once the documents are in order. That is the number most providers quote. But a company that can actually trade, bank, hire and pay people takes six to eight weeks end to end. The gap between the two is document preparation and bank onboarding, and it is where market-entry timelines quietly slip.
The first decision is the vehicle, and it shapes your tax position and liability for years. An LLC is a separate Russian legal entity: it can be 100% foreign-owned, it can trade, invoice, hire and bank in its own name, and its obligations stay with the company rather than the foreign shareholder. A branch can also trade, but it is legally an extension of the parent, so the parent carries the liability, and it requires accreditation rather than incorporation — a longer route. A representative office cannot trade at all; it exists for marketing, liaison and market research. If you will sell, hire or invoice in Russia, you almost certainly need an LLC. The wrong vehicle is expensive to unwind, so it is worth settling before you file.
The direct cost of forming an LLC is genuinely modest, and it surprises people in the other direction.
What actually costs is the surrounding work — notarisation, apostille or legalisation and translation of the foreign shareholder's corporate documents, which vary by country — and then the first year of compliance. Companies are cheap to create in Russia and more meaningful to run properly. Budgeting only for the first part is the common error.
Most of the process can be handled remotely. Incorporation runs under a scoped power of attorney, with documents executed and notarised abroad, so nobody from your team needs to fly to Moscow.
Most foreign investors register in Moscow, which is where we are based and where the tax authority, the banks and the notaries you will deal with are concentrated. There is no legal requirement to do so — an LLC is registered at its legal address, wherever in Russia that is, and we register companies in other regions where it makes sense. But if your operation has no particular reason to sit elsewhere, Moscow is the path of least friction.
We run the whole sequence as one engagement rather than handing you off between specialists: vehicle choice, incorporation, tax registration, banking, and the corporate secretarial work that keeps the register accurate afterwards — statutory registers, minutes, resolutions and change filings. For groups going through restructuring, share transfers or charter-capital changes, we coordinate the corporate, tax and employment consequences together, because in Russia they are rarely separable. Our advisers trained at the Big Four and work in English, Russian, Chinese and Turkish.
What we handle
Company registration (LLC)
Full incorporation of a Russian LLC for foreign owners — charter and founding documents, activity codes, legal address, director appointment and tax registration. Handled remotely under a scoped power of attorney; your team does not travel.
Details +
Company registration (LLC)
Full incorporation of a Russian LLC for foreign owners — charter and founding documents, activity codes, legal address, director appointment and tax registration. Handled remotely under a scoped power of attorney; your team does not travel.
Branch & representative office
Accreditation of branches and representative offices where direct parent presence is preferable to a subsidiary — with an honest view first of whether it actually is.
Details +
Branch & representative office
Accreditation of branches and representative offices where direct parent presence is preferable to a subsidiary — with an honest view first of whether it actually is.
Bank account opening
Bank selection and account opening for the new entity, including the KYC pack on the foreign shareholders and beneficial owners. Started in parallel with incorporation, not after it.
Details +
Bank account opening
Bank selection and account opening for the new entity, including the KYC pack on the foreign shareholders and beneficial owners. Started in parallel with incorporation, not after it.
Legal address & activity codes
A legal address that withstands FTS scrutiny, and OKVED activity codes that match what you will actually do — both fixed before filing, because changing them later is a filing exercise of its own.
Details +
Legal address & activity codes
A legal address that withstands FTS scrutiny, and OKVED activity codes that match what you will actually do — both fixed before filing, because changing them later is a filing exercise of its own.
Corporate secretarial
Ongoing maintenance of the corporate record — statutory registers, minutes and resolutions, change filings and the corporate calendar — so the register matches reality when someone checks.
Details +
Corporate secretarial
Ongoing maintenance of the corporate record — statutory registers, minutes and resolutions, change filings and the corporate calendar — so the register matches reality when someone checks.
What’s included
When clients come to us
“You need a Russian LLC registered and genuinely operational to a board deadline.”
“You are not sure whether an LLC, a branch or a representative office is the right vehicle.”
“The entity is registered but the bank account has stalled in KYC.”
“A foreign director needs to be appointed and legally in post from day one.”
“Ownership or governance needs restructuring after a group change.”
European industrial group, market entry
The board had signed off a six-week timeline based on a competitor's quote of 'one week to register'. We reset the plan to seven weeks against the real constraint — apostilled parent documents and bank KYC — started both on day one, and brought the LLC to operational status with banking, tax registration and governance in place, ready for the first invoice. The date the board had been given was the one thing that could not move, and it did not.
How the work runs
Vehicle & parameters
LLC, branch or rep office — then charter capital, legal address, OKVED codes and tax regime fixed before filing.
Documents
Founding documents prepared; foreign corporate documents notarised, apostilled or legalised and translated. This is where delays live.
Incorporation & banking
Filed with the FTS — 3–5 working days. INN and OGRN issued. Bank KYC runs in parallel, not after.
Operational & ongoing
Tax registration, payroll and permits sequenced; then corporate secretarial keeps the register accurate.
Russia Starter (First 90 Days)
LLC vs branch / representative office
Tools for this service
Questions about Company registration
How long does company registration in Russia take?+
The LLC itself is registered in 3–5 working days once the documents are in order. A fully operational entity — banked, tax-registered and able to pay staff — usually takes six to eight weeks. The difference is document preparation and bank onboarding, and any timeline that quotes only the first number is quoting the easy part.
Can I register a company in Russia remotely?+
Yes. Incorporation is handled under a scoped power of attorney, with documents executed and notarised abroad. Nobody from your team needs to travel to Russia.
How much does it cost to register a company in Russia?+
The direct cost is low: ₽4,000 state duty, nil for electronic filing with a qualified e-signature, plus ₽10,000 minimum charter capital — which is deposited into the company's own account rather than spent. The meaningful costs are document legalisation, professional setup and the first year of compliance.
Can a foreign company own 100% of a Russian LLC?+
Yes. A wholly foreign-owned LLC is permitted and is the most common structure for foreign investors. It can hire, bank and invoice in its own name.
Do I have to register the company in Moscow?+
No. An LLC is registered at its legal address, wherever in Russia that is, and we register companies in other regions where there is a reason to. But most foreign investors register in Moscow, where the tax authority, the banks and the notaries are concentrated — and if your operation has no particular reason to sit elsewhere, it is the path of least friction.
Can a foreign director be appointed?+
Yes. We coordinate the appointment with the required HQS work permit, sequenced alongside incorporation so the director is legally in post as the company starts trading rather than weeks afterwards.
LLC, branch or representative office — which do we need?+
If you will sell, hire or invoice in Russia, almost certainly an LLC. Consider a branch only where a specific commercial or contractual reason makes direct parent operation preferable and you accept that the parent carries the liability. A representative office cannot trade at all — it suits a company genuinely testing the market before committing.
Do you provide corporate secretarial support?+
We maintain registers, minutes and filings on an ongoing basis.
What documents does the foreign parent need to provide?+
Certificate of incorporation (or equivalent), evidence of current legal status (certificate of good standing, extract from company register), authorised signatory document, and a board resolution or decision authorising the Russian subsidiary and appointing the director. All documents must be apostilled and translated into Russian.
Do you work with Chinese companies specifically?+
Yes. Chinese companies account for a significant part of our market entry practice — we have specific experience with Chinese parent documents (营业执照, 章程), CNY bank account setup, HQS work permits for Chinese directors and managers, and the Russia-China DTT structuring. See our guide for Chinese companies in Russia.
What is the minimum charter capital?+
RUB 10,000 — approximately USD 110 at current rates. This is a nominal requirement. For practical purposes, the actual working capital contributed by the foreign parent will be much larger. Charter capital can be contributed in foreign currency and converted to rubles at the time of contribution.