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If a foreign company wants to open a representative office in Russia, it must first obtain an approval certificate from the Russian approval agency. If necessary, the foreign company representative office can also open a regional branch based on the approval of the Russian approval agency.
The time limit for the establishment of a representative office is generally one year, two years and three years, and an extension can be applied for when necessary. Approval of the establishment of a representative office and the issuance of approvals are required to charge a fee based on the approved period of establishment. The fee is 1,000 USD for 1 year, USD 2,000 for 2 years, and USD 2,500 for 3 years.
Regardless of the approval authority of the foreign company representative office, and regardless of the opening time, in addition to obtaining the approval certificate, the foreign company representative office must be registered in the “National Register of Foreign Companies Representative Offices in Russia” and obtain the registration certificate. The certificate of registration in the National Register is a certificate to prove the official establishment of a representative office of a foreign company. The certificate is required for bank account opening, tax registration, Russian visa and Russian customs procedures. The “National Unified Register of Representative Offices of Foreign Companies in Russia” is in charge of the State Registration Bureau of the Russian Ministry of Justice. Therefore, if you go through the approval procedures at the State Registration Bureau of the Russian Ministry of Justice, you can register in the National Register of Legal Persons at the same time. The approval certificate and registration certificate can greatly save the time and cost of opening.
According to regulations, it takes 21 days to process the approval to open a representative office of a foreign company at the Russian State Registration Agency, counting from the date the applicant submits all the documents. If necessary, and when an expedited fee of US$500 is paid, the approval time can be shortened to 7 days.
Approving authority:
Representative offices of foreign financial institutions shall be approved by the Central Bank of Russia;
Representative offices of foreign mass media agencies are approved by the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs;
Representative offices of foreign religious organizations shall be approved by the Ministry of Justice;
Representative offices of foreign airlines, organizations and institutions are approved by the Russian Federal Aviation Administration;
Representative offices of foreign chambers of commerce, business federations, business associations, and foreign companies and organizations that members of the Russian Federation Chamber of Commerce and Industry wish to cooperate with are subject to the approval of the Russian Federation Chamber of Commerce and Industry;
The representative office of a foreign company is approved by the National Registration Bureau of the Ministry of Justice.
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