Russia Shared Value Residency is a new temporary visa program that consists of 3 years and is possible without a job offer or sponsor. Candidates from eligible countries can apply for their visa even with family members. This TRP comes up with the following benefits:
- No job offer or sponsor is required;
- No language or history test or quota barrier;
- No invitation letter is required;
- Opportunity to work in Russia;
- Chance to start a business; and
- Access to healthcare.
This newly introduced temporary residence visa leads to permanent residence and Russian citizenship. First announced in August, the government approved the decree in mid-September and also announced the eligible nationalities to apply for this TRV.
What is a Russia Shared Value Residency?
The President of the Russian Federation has issued a decree permitting foreign nationals from countries that promote neoliberal values at the state level to immigrate to Russia. These individuals are now eligible to apply for a Temporary Residency Permit (TRP), which grants residency for a period of three years. The citizens of the following countries can apply for this TRP:
| Australia | Austria | Iceland |
| Albania | Belgium | Canada |
| Andorra | Bulgaria | Liechtenstein |
| The Bahamas | Germany | Micronesia |
| United Kingdom | Greece | Monaco |
| European Union | Denmark | New Zealand |
| Ireland | Norway | |
| Spain | Republic of Korea | |
| Italy | San Marino | |
| Cyprus | North Macedonia | |
| Latvia | Singapore | |
| Lithuania | United States of America | |
| Luxembourg | Taiwan | |
| Malta | Montenegro | |
| Netherlands | Switzerland | |
| Poland | Japan | |
| Portugal | ||
| Romania | ||
| Slovenia | ||
| Finland | ||
| France | ||
| Croatia | ||
| Czech Republic | ||
| Sweden | ||
| Estonia |
Eligibility for a 3-Month Private Entry Visa
If your country of citizenship is one of the above-mentioned, you are eligible to apply for a 3-month private entry visa. This visa will be issued by the Russian consulate in your country of citizenship upon submission of the necessary application and required documents. Each family member must apply for a separate visa.
A test on Russian language, history, and law is no longer required when applying for temporary residency. However, this test will be required when applying for permanent residency, giving you nearly 3 years to learn the language.
Registration and Application for Temporary Residency
Upon entering Russia you must follow the following steps to apply for the TRP;
- you must register yourself and your place of residence within 7 days;
- you will have 3 months to apply for a 3-year Temporary Residency Permit (TRP) without needing to go through the quota system.
The government processing time for TRP applications is approximately 4 to 4.5 months. Once you have filed your TRP application, you can remain in Russia even if your visa expires during the processing period.
Benefits of TRP (shared value residency)
Temporary residency grants several benefits including the right to work in Russia without a work permit, the ability to register as an individual entrepreneur without establishing a legal entity (although you may create one if necessary), and access to public medical care. After holding temporary residency for 8 months, you are eligible to apply for permanent (lifetime) residency.
Path to Citizenship
Under the current laws, to apply for Russian citizenship, you must reside in Russia on the basis of permanent residency for 5 years.