Russia

1. Russia

2. Federal State Institution State Registration Chamber with the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation http://www.palata.ru

3. Organizational Structure Administration • Accreditation and Visa Support Department • Administration and General Services Department • Organization and Supervision Department • Offices of the FSI SRC with the Russian Ministry of Justice for Federal Districts • Office of the FSI SRC with the Russian Ministry of Justice for the Northwestern Federal District (Kaliningrad) • Office of the FSI SRC with the Russian Ministry of Justice for the North-Caucasian and Southern Federal Districts (Pyatigorsk) • Office of the FSI SRC with the Russian Ministry of Justice for the Volga and Ural Federal Districts (Kazan)

4. Chamber’s Offices in Federal Districts Volga Federal District Northwestern Federal District Ural Federal District Southern Federal District North-Caucasian Federal District 4

5. Functions of the Chamber • Accreditation of branches and representative offices of foreign legal entities and keeping relevant registers • Keeping the Uniform Register of Russian investment registered abroad • Keeping the Uniform State Register of registered agreements on international and foreign economic relations signed by public bodies of the Russian Federation constituent entities • Publishing, carrying out reference, analytical, informational, methodological and research activities

6. Accreditation of representative offices A foreign legal entity’s representative office in Russia may be established only upon approval of an accrediting authority. Accreditation is provided for 1, 2 or 3 years and may be extended, if necessary. A representative office receives a permit for establishment. A representative office may be accredited and simultaneously included into the Uniform State Register of foreign companies’ representative offices accredited in the Russian Federation in the FSI SRC with the Russian Ministry of Justice only. Inclusion into the Register is obligatory for all representative offices irrespective of the time and accrediting organization..

7. Accreditation of branches Procedure for accreditation of a foreign legal entity’s branch is provided for by the federal law on foreign investment in the Russian Federation. In keeping with RF Government Decree no. 1419 of December 21, 1999, since January, 2000 the Chamber is responsible for the accreditation and keeping the State Register of foreign legal entities’ branches accredited in the Russian Federation. Accreditation is provided for 1, 2, 3 or 5 years and, if necessary, may be subsequently extended. A branch receives a certificate on accreditation and inclusion in the State Register of branches of foreign legal entities accredited in the Russian Federation. Accreditation of foreign legal entities’ branches in the Russian Federation is carried out exclusively by the Chamber.

8. List of documents for representative offices for branches • Written application • Extract from the Trade Register • Articles of Incorporation • Resolution on establishment • Representative office regulations • Letter of reference from a foreign bank • Letters of reference from Russian business partners • Power of attorney issued to the representative office’s head • Power of attorney issued to the authorized person • Document certifying the address of the representative office • Data card of the representative office • http://palata.ru/recep/docs/ap02.php • Written application • Extract from the Trade Register • of a country of origin • Articles of Incorporation • Resolution on establishment of a branch • Branch regulations • Letter of reference from a foreign bank • Power of attorney issued to the branch’s head • Power of attorney issued to the authorized person • Data card of the branch • http://palata.ru/recep/docs3/01.php

9. Receiving accreditation • Registering with the Department of the Federal Tax Service • Receiving codes from the Federal State Statistics Service • Registering with the following extra-budgetary funds: Steps for starting operations Compulsory Health Insurance Fund Social Insurance Fund Russian Federation Pension Fund

10. Federal executive agencies issuing permits for establishment of representative offices based on their fields of operation

11. Lending institutions receive permits for establishment of representative offices in the Russian Federation at the Bank of Russia

12. The Chamber provides personal accreditation and visa support to accredited employees of representative offices and branches and their family members Accredited foreign employees of branches and foreign representative offices of foreign legal entities accredited by the Chamber. Accreditation of foreign nationals proves their official status as employees of a representative office/branch. The personal accreditation term is limited by the accreditation term of a separate subdivision. Upon expiration of personal accreditation, accreditation card is to be returned to the Chamber.

13. Visa support is provided to the following categories of employees of separate subdivisions and their family members • Foreign employees of branches and representative offices of international organizations and foreign non-for-profit nongovernmental organizations included into the Register of the Russian Ministry of Justice. • Foreign employees of foreign companies’ representative offices accredited by other authorized bodies and included into the Uniform State Register.

14. Ordinary working visa • Ordinary private visa • Ordinary business visa • Transit visa Categories and types of Russian visas

15. is a basis for issue of a Russian visa by Russian diplomatic missions or consulates. • Visas are issued for a term of up to: • 3 months (single-entry and double-entry visas) • 12 months (multi-entry visas) • Total duration of stay with multiple businessvisa cannot exceed 90 days within each 180days period. Invitation for entry to the Russian Federation

16. To engage foreign workers, a permit to engage foreign labor is required. Work permit is a document certifying a foreign national’s right to temporary employment in Russia. The above papers are issued by the Federal Migration Service. Work permits in Russia

17. The quota on issue of invitations to foreigners to enter the Russian Federation for employment purposes and quota on issue of work permits to foreigners does not apply to highly-skilled professionals. An employer independently evaluates expertise of foreigner nationals engaged as highly-skilled professionals and bears relevant risks. Highly-skilled professionals could be engaged by foreign companies’ branches accredited in the Russian Federation in keeping with the established procedure. RE Requirement on work permit does not apply to foreign employees of accredited representative offices based on a reciprocity principle under the international agreements of the Russian Federation. Russian Law on Accreditation

18. BULLETIN of the FSI SRC with the Russian Ministry of Justice Publishing activities The journal is on the Supreme Attestation Committee List (list of top peer-reviewed academic journals and periodicals where top line academic findings of dissertations for degree of candidate or doctor should be published). The main theme that runs through the journal is direct investment and its legal regulation. The articles deal with various economic and legal aspects of the problem in issue and contain expert advice. Leading law and economy scholars are among the journal’s authors. Considerable part of the title is devoted to information material which gives an overview of the Chamber’s operations

19. Address:3/5 Smolensky bulvar, Moscow,119121, Russia Phones:+7 499 246-72-00, +7 499 246-86-49 Fax: +7 499 246-04-22, +7 499 255-36-44 Federal State InstitutionState Registration Chamber with the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation

20. www.palata.ruinfo@palata.ru