Digital Nomad Visa for Russia

Foreign citizens who want to work as digital nomads in Russia must know that there is no specific visa they can obtain. The main alternatives are the tourist visa or the temporary residence permit, based on the period they want to spend in the country. If you want to apply for the equivalent of the digital nomad visa in Russia, we invite you to discuss all the legal aspects with our Russian lawyers.

Formalities to obtain a replacement for a digital nomad visa in Russia

Those interested in becoming digital nomads in Russia must prove that they are employees of a company in their country of origin or that they have a business on their own. Moscow, the country’s capital, is among the cities preferred by foreigners who want to work remotely and enjoy the advantages offered by the digital nomad community.

There are a number of formalities to take into account in order to be able to work remotely from Russia. We list some of them, mentioning that all legal aspects related to documents can be successfully managed by our attorneys in Russia:

• to obtain a replacement for a digital nomad visa in Russia, you need to apply for a tourist visa for Russia;
• first of all, you must present an officially authorized travel company or an invitation letter from a Russian citizen. This document must be approved by the Russian authorities in order to apply for a visa;
• it is necessary to present a valid passport on the date of application;
• once the documents have been accepted and the visa for Russia has been issued, you must register with the nearest police station to your residence;
• you must also prove that you have a constant income to be able to live in Russia.

Given these formalities, we remind you that our lawyers in Russia can take care of them if you call on our legal services. We can help you obtain apermit that replaces a digital nomad visa.

Visa-free options for certain digital nomads in Russia

While the tourist visa is the main type of travel authorization one can obtain when seeking an alternative to the digital nomad visa in Russia, it is important to note that there are also countries whose citizens are exempt from such permits for various periods of time. Among them, we present the following:

• Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Israel, Panama, Peru, and United Arab Emirates whose citizens can enter and stay in Russia for 90 days free of visa;
• Mauritius, Samoan, and South Korean citizens can also work as digital nomads in Russia for up to 60 days based on their valid passports;
• Thailand, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Mongolia, Montenegro, Northern Macedonia, Serbia, and Palau are other countries whose citizens can stay a maximum of 30 days in Russia without visas.

For those who cannot enter Russia based on such simplified formalities, the tourist visa is the most appropriate. However, please note that its validity depends on its entries. This means that digital nomads must enter, leave, and re-enter the country periodically.

If you are interested in a more practical relocation option as a digital nomad, our immigration lawyers in Russia can offer personalized solutions.

The standard visa or the tourist visa in Russia?

If you are wondering whether to choose to come to Russia as a digital nomad or not because of the lack of a dedicated visa, let us present you some of the upsides of a tourist visa instead of a specific permit:

• in some countries, digital nomads are required to perform their activities from certain areas or cities only (such is the case of Norway);
• in other states, the validity period of the visas may be shorter than those of the tourist visas in Russia (for American citizens, for example, the tourist visa has a validity period of 3 years);
• most digital nomad visa programs require applicants to have a specific minimum income, while in Russia you will not be conditioned from this point of view.

Please note that even if there is no minimum income requirement, you will still need sufficient money to sustain your living in Russia. According to recent information, the avarage living costs for a single person in Russia are approximately USD 450 per month, rent not included.

What is a digital nomad?

A digital nomad in Russia or any other country is a person who can work remotely for a foreign employer. The last part is important, as when being employed in Russia, for example, the respective individual will be liable for taxation in this country.

A digital nomad can also be:

• a self-employed person;
• a business owner who can work from another country;
• a freelancer.

As a matter of fact, freelancing is one of the most suitable activities for those interested in alternatives to digital nomad visas in Russia or other countries.

If you want to become a digital nomad, our Russian lawyers can explain the types of visas you can apply for.

Taxation for digital nomads in Russia

Those who become digital nomads in Russia may owe Russian income tax (pay for work physically performed in Russia is Russian-source income, and stays of 183+ days in 12 months create tax residence) even if they are employees of a company in the country they come from. If things change and the digital nomad works for a company with establishments in Russia, then he/she will pay social contributions, alongside the new employer. But in order to better understand the taxation system in Russia, we invite you to discuss these aspects with one of our lawyers in Russia.

Choosing our local experts to relocate to Russia

As we mentioned above, Russia receives digital nomads from any country in the world, applying for a tourist visa or an e-visa (stays of up to 30 days). As foreigners, you may encounter barriers in terms of communication in Russian, plus the legal aspects that you must take into account. Therefore, if you want to eliminate these problems from the start, you can discuss all the details of your relocation with our local specialists.

So, if you want to apply for an alternative to the digital nomad visa in Russia, please do not hesitate to contact our law firm in Russia. We are here to take care of the legal formalities, in close collaboration with the relevant authorities.