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Russia Country Profile

Passport
For more details visit Russia Passport Ranking
  • Passport Grade
    C
  • Passport Ranking
    97/198
  • Passport Score
    71.5/198
  • Visa-free Countries
    111
  • Visa-required Countries
    87
  • Access to the World's GDP
    20%
  • Access to the World's Surface Area
    50%
  • Access to the World's Population
    36%
  • Access to the Unesco Sites
    39%
Citizenship and Naturalization
Birthright citizenship (Jus Soli)
  • Birthright citizenship (Jus Soli)
    No
    No provisions
Naturalization - Standard Conditions
  • Minimum residency period
    5 years
  • Physical presence requirement
    At least 9 months a year
  • Language test
    Yes, Russian
  • Need to renounce original citizenship?
    No
  • Can minor children naturalize?
    Yes
  • Can naturalized parents pass citizenship to a child born abroad?
    Yes
  • Can you lose naturalization due to prolonged absence/ naturalization elsewhere?
    –
Naturalization - Your Spouse is a Citizen
  • Living IN the country: Residency/marriage requirement
    1 year / 3 years
    Must be married for 3 years and hold permanent residency, which married people can obtain after residing in Russia for about 1 year. In case of a common child, can apply immediately after obtaining temporary residency and without obligatory marriage period.
  • Living ABROAD: Marriage requirement
    Partial
    Can marry and live for 2 years abroad, then move to Russia for the last year and apply for the required permanent residency. And in case of a common child, residency abroad becomes redundant.
  • Language test
    Yes, Russian
  • Need to renounce original citizenship?
    No
Naturalization - Other Beneficial Provisions
  • Your child is a citizen
    6 months
    May apply immediately in case of a common child with a Russian citizen. But still must obtain temporary residency first, which takes ~6 months.
  • Citizens of specific countries
    Immediately
    Immediately for citizens of Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Belarus and Moldova.
"–": The provision has not been analysed.
Taxation
For more details visit Cost of Living
  • Taxation Type
    Residence-based
A tax resident of a country with a RESIDENCE-BASED tax system pays taxes on their WORLDWIDE income. However, if you lose tax residency status there (e.g., by moving out), the country will generally stop taxing you.
Schiff Sovereign's Take on Russia
Europe is a combination of dozens of nation states with various languages and customs.

But Russia has always been different… removed, if you will, from the rest of Europe. Russia has always been a bit unwieldy… just too big, too populated, and too powerful. 

And it was never exactly shy about flexing its muscles, getting involved in every major European conflict, including in the 21st century. 

More recently, Russia’s war on Ukraine has shocked the world, and led to Western countries imposing severe economic sanctions on the country.

But none of this is new. The rest of Europe has never trusted the Russians, and probably never will.

Frankly, it is hard to call Russia Europe, anyway, since about 70% of its territory is located in Asia (although the bulk of its population does live on the smaller European side).

Huge stretches of land east of the Ural Mountains remain largely unpopulated. And the Chinese, without a doubt, are eyeing these unused lands.

National identity remains a challenge for Russians – they don’t quite know what they are.

The collapse of the Soviet Union caused a bit of an identity crisis in people’s minds. But it seems that they are on the way to redefining themselves as an “alternative Europe” – a Europe that’s much more traditional, conservative, and family oriented.

To this day, for example, there has never been even a single gay parade in Moscow. In 2012, a Moscow court actually enacted a 100-year ban on gay parades in the city.

Russia probably won’t work well as a retirement destination, either. Most of the country suffers long and harsh winters.

It can be a fantastic place to visit, however. Moscow and Saint Petersburg are amazingly beautiful cities. 

And considering the periodic troubles with the West, and subsequent sanctions and ruble devaluations, Russia remains cheap.

One of the biggest unknowns for Russia is its leadership. The country is largely held together by the indisputable authority of Vladimir Putin, who has been in power since 2000.

What will happen to Russia after he is finally gone, remains to be seen.

But while Putin is still at the helm, you definitely wouldn’t want to be living in Russia while vocally opposing his policies.

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Russia Overview
  • Region
    Europe
  • Capital City
    Moscow
  • Largest City
    Moscow
  • Currency
    Russian rouble
  • Languages
    Russian, local languages
  • Population
    145.1 million (9th)
  • Life Expectancy
    72.4 years (154th)
  • GDP (Nominal)
    $2.1 trillion (9th)
  • GDP/Capita
    $14,701 (72nd)
Useful Data
For more details visit Cost of Living
  • Cost of Living
    Very cheap (2/7)
  • Climate
    Bearable (4/5)
  • Safety
    Average (4/7)
  • Pollution
    Average (3/5)
  • English Proficiency
    Moderate (3/5)

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PREMIUM REPORTS
Russia inside Schiff Sovereign resources

Articles featuring Russia

Palladium
Trends & News

Guess which precious metal is controlled by the Russians...

March 24, 2014 Bali, Indonesia Palladium is like the Rodney Dangerfield of precious metals. It never gets any respect. If you ask someone about precious metals, in fact, just about everyone has heard of gold and silver. And occasionally platinum. But palladium is one of those obscure precious metals that few people think about, or […]
Trends & News

Us To Bring Back Pirates To Seize Russian Yachts

Here’s our Friday roll-up of the most ridiculous stories from around the world that are threats to your liberty, risks to your prosperity… and on occasion, inspiring poetic justice. US “Privateers” Could Soon Pirate Russian Yachts Centuries ago, whenever Kings and Queens wanted to quietly wage an unofficial war against their enemies, they issued something […]
Trends & News

Valuable Lessons From Bad Planning: Russia and Ukraine Edition

[Editor’s Note: The below article was written by our team member, Marat, who is from Russia originally ] To say that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is turning people’s lives upside down would be a massive understatement. Here’s one example: A few years ago, after Russia’s annexation of Crimea, one Ukrainian businessman we know saw the […]
We see you!
Trends & News

Fact or Fiction: US Treasury agents go undercover posing as Russian businessmen

August 22, 2014 Addis Ababa, Ethiopia This one is almost too sensational to be real. Almost. I’ve written to you before about the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN), an agency of the US Treasury Department that chases around people they suspect of committing financial crimes. Unfortunately, their definition of ‘financial crime’ is not the same […]

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