Digital Nomad & Residency - Russia

Russia offers no remote-work/digital-nomad visa. People working online for a foreign employer have no tailored category and generally enter on tourist or business visas; staying long-term requires fitting one of the general residency routes or registering as an individual entrepreneur (IP).

Foreigners with an employment contract from a Russian-registered entity paying roughly 2 million roubles+/year can obtain a quota-free HQS work permit valid up to three years, the main fast-track for skilled foreign workers (but it requires a Russian employer, not foreign remote work).

Presidential Decree No. 702 (19 Aug 2024), effective 1 Sept 2024, lets nationals of ~47 'unfriendly/neoliberal' countries (per Govt Directive No. 2560-r) obtain a quota-free temporary residence permit with no Russian language/history/law exam, on grounds of sharing Russia's traditional values.

Government Decree No. 2573 (Dec 2022, in force from Jan 2023) grants permanent residence to investors deploying capital (commonly cited thresholds from ~15–30 million roubles) into Russian companies, real estate, or socially significant projects.

A new simplified route, signed by President Putin, is reported to take effect 15 April 2026: qualified specialists in science, business, industry, education, culture or sport can get a one-year business visa, then 3-year temporary or permanent residency, with no language test and no separate work permit.

Spending 183+ days in Russia in a 12-month period triggers tax residency. Since 2024, remote employees on contracts with a Russian entity or a foreign company's Russian subdivision are taxed at 13% (15% over 5 million roubles), regardless of tax-residency status.