Russia

Russia

Eastern Europe / Eurasia

EuropeNon-EU
65
Overall score
Strong overall
Language
Russian
Currency
RUB
Citizenship
5 years (fast-tracks exist)
Personal tax
Progressive 13%–22%
Cost of living
$800 / mo (single)

Very low living costs and a flat personal-tax system, but international sanctions, banking isolation and political risk make Russia a difficult and high-risk relocation choice in 2026.

Pros

  • Flat 13–15% personal income tax
  • Very low cost of living
  • Affordable universities

Cons

  • Heavy sanctions & banking isolation
  • Political/legal risk; conscription concerns
  • Limited international mobility (weak passport access)

Best for

Russian-speakers with regional tiesSpecific niche relocations

Score profile

Status & mobility
Passport
59
Citizenship
70
Residence
33
Money & business
Taxes
72
Corporate tax
29
Business
44
Investment
35
Economy
78
Wealth building
57
Living, study & work
Education
73
Salary & work
72
Cost of living
94
Buying power
82
Quality of life
Safety
43
Healthcare
88
Infrastructure
68
HDI
83

Status & mobility

Passport

Rules change often and depend on your situation. Confirm any travel or visa decision with a qualified professional, or do your own research, before acting.

Passport power
Moderate
59

Passport-index style mobility for the Russia passport. The score above is its world reach: the share of 198 destinations reachable without a prior visa.

116 / 198
Mobility
#48
Global rank
Yes
Biometric
  • Visa-free64
  • On arrival49
  • eTA3
  • Visa required82

Passport Index style mobility data (2024–2025 estimate). Placeholder figures; verify current entry rules with each destination’s authority before travelling.

Citizenship

Rules change often and depend on your situation. Confirm any citizenship decision with a qualified professional, or do your own research, before acting.

Citizenship accessibility
Good
70
Years required5 years of permanent residence (fast-tracks for some categories)
Dual allowedtrue
LanguageRussian language exam + history/law test
ResidencePermanent residence with continuous stay
NotesSanctions and exit/financial restrictions materially complicate relocation; seek up-to-date advice.
Residence

Rules change often and depend on your situation. Confirm any residence / visa decision with a qualified professional, or do your own research, before acting.

Openness to residents
Limited
33
How this score is calculated

Our 0–100 score combines how international the population already is (migrant stock at 45%), governance quality (regulatory quality at 25%), and the curated residence-pathway signal (30%). Available indicators are reweighted; the published values are shown below.

Migrant stock5.3% of population (2024)
Regulatory quality-1.07 (−2.5 to 2.5) (2024)

Source: World Bank World Development Indicators

Main pathways
Temporary residence permit (RVP)Permanent residence (VNZh)Highly Qualified SpecialistInvestment-based residence
StudentStudent visa; work allowed with permit.
WorkWork permit / HQS route for skilled foreign hires.
Self-employedSelf-employed ('samozanyatyy') 4–6% regime; company formation possible.
PermanentPermanent residence (VNZh) after a temporary permit period.

Money & business

Taxes

Rules change often and depend on your situation. Confirm any tax decision with a qualified professional, or do your own research, before acting.

Tax friendliness
Good
72
PersonalProgressive resident rates of 13%–22%
Corporate25%
Capital gains13%
Dividends13%
Exit taxNone standard; capital controls in force
Foreign cosCFC rules apply
Personal tax

Rules change often and depend on your situation. Confirm any tax decision with a qualified professional, or do your own research, before acting.

Personal tax
Moderate
60
PersonalProgressive resident rates of 13%–22%
FreelanceSelf-employed regime: 4% (individuals) / 6% (businesses) on turnover
Capital gains13%
Dividends13%
Exit taxNone standard; capital controls in force
Corporate tax

Rules change often and depend on your situation. Confirm any tax decision with a qualified professional, or do your own research, before acting.

Corporate tax
Low
29
Corporate25%
Capital gains13%
Dividends13%
Foreign cosCFC rules apply
Business
Business friendliness
Limited
44
How this score is calculated

Our 0–100 score leans on the two things founders ask about most: the tax burden (headline corporate rate at 20%, broader tax friendliness at 15%, and freedom from exit-tax / CFC rules at 10%) plus the regulatory and bureaucratic environment (regulatory quality 15%, government effectiveness 15%), on top of the curated company-rules signal (25%). Available indicators are reweighted; the values are shown below.

Regulation & bureaucracy
Regulatory quality-1.07 (−2.5 to 2.5) (2024)
Government effectiveness-0.32 (−2.5 to 2.5) (2024)

Source: World Bank World Development Indicators

Rules & taxes
Foreign co.Permitted in law, but sanctions heavily restrict cross-border activity
Local co.OOO formation possible; banking access is the practical hurdle
FreelanceSelf-employed regime: 4% (individuals) / 6% (businesses) on turnover
Corporate tax25%
Capital gains13%
Exit taxNone standard; capital controls in force
Foreign cosCFC rules apply
Investment

Rules change often and depend on your situation. Confirm any investment / tax decision with a qualified professional, or do your own research, before acting.

Investing environment
Limited
35
How this score is calculated

Our 0–100 score is mostly the investor-tax signal (capital-gains treatment, broker access, wealth tax, and ETF or other taxes on investment, 70%), lightly contextualised by equity-market depth (market cap / GDP at 18%) and credit depth (domestic credit to the private sector / GDP at 12%). Available indicators are reweighted.

Market cap31% of GDP (2023)
Private credit55% of GDP (2021)

Source: World Bank World Development Indicators

Capital gains13% on gains; foreign-market access severely limited by sanctions
DividendsData not available yet
ETFs & fundsData not available yet
Wealth taxNone
BrokersDomestic brokers only; foreign assets largely inaccessible
Foreign accessData not available yet
Tax-advantagedData not available yet
Economy
Economic strength
Good
78
How this score is calculated

Our 0–100 score combines income level (GDP and GNI per capita, output per worker), growth momentum (real GDP growth), price stability (inflation) and labour utilisation (unemployment). Available indicators are reweighted; the sector split and industry profile below are descriptive, not scored.

Output & income
GDP$2.2T (2024)
GDP / person$14,889 (2024)
GNI / person$46,780 PPP (2024)
GDP growth4.3% / yr (2024)

Source: World Bank World Development Indicators

Stability & labour
Inflation8.4% / yr (2024)
Unemployment2.1% (2025)
Output per worker$85,015 PPP (2024)

Source: World Bank World Development Indicators

Sector composition
Agriculture2.7% of GDP (2024)
Industry30.7% of GDP (2024)
Services57.5% of GDP (2024)

Source: World Bank World Development Indicators

Main industries
Oil & gasMetals & miningDefence & armsAgricultureNuclear energy
Top exports
Crude oil & gasMetalsWheatFertilisersArms
TypeUpper-middle-income, hydrocarbon- and resources-driven
Key sectorsEnergy (oil, gas, nuclear), Metals & mining, Grain agriculture
SummaryA large resource-driven economy reliant on oil, gas and metals, reshaped by sanctions since 2022.
CurrencyRussian ruble (subject to sanctions and capital controls)
Wealth building

Rules change often and depend on your situation. Confirm any tax / investment decision with a qualified professional, or do your own research, before acting.

Wealth accumulation
Moderate
57
How this score is calculated

How favourable Russia is for building wealth: earnings and business/investment upside, tax drag, and how much a typical income keeps after living costs. Estimated from the factors below.

Salary & work
Moderate
48
Business
Moderate
45
Investment
Limited
38
Tax friendliness
Good
72
Cost of living
Excellent
94

Living, study & work

Education
Education score
Good
73
How this score is calculated

Our 0–100 score combines attainment (expected schooling at 30% and mean schooling at 25%) with participation (tertiary enrolment at 25%) and public investment (government education spending at 20%). Available indicators are reweighted; tuition and study rules remain separate profile fields below.

Attainment
Expected schooling13.2 years (2023)
Mean schooling12.4 years (2023)

Source: UNDP Human Development Report 2025

Participation & investment
Tertiary enrolment60% gross (2024)
Education spending4.2% of GDP (2023)

Source: World Bank World Development Indicators

Tuition$3,000–7,000 / yr
Public uniLow; government quota scholarships for some foreigners
LanguagesRussian, English (limited programs)
Student workWork permitted with appropriate permit
Salary & work
Labour-market strength
Good
72
How this score is calculated

Our 0–100 score combines output per worker (a proxy for wage potential at 40%), unemployment (35%) and labour-force participation (25%). Available indicators are reweighted; the curated profile fields remain below.

Output per worker$85,015 PPP (2024)
Unemployment2.1% (2025)
Participation61.1% of 15+ (2025)

Source: World Bank World Development Indicators

Tech salary (estimate)$15,000–35,000 (constrained by sanctions)
FreelanceCross-border payments difficult under sanctions
Job marketStrong domestic IT talent; international engagement curtailed.
Cost of living
Affordability
Excellent
94

Our 0–100 affordability score is derived from the local consumer price level (World Bank, US = 100): the cheaper everyday prices are, the higher it scores. Lower price level means your money goes further here.

Price level31 (US = 100) (2024)

Source: World Bank World Development Indicators

Rent$400–800 (1BR Moscow)
Monthly$800
CitiesMoscow, Saint Petersburg, Kazan
Buying power
Purchasing power score
Excellent
82
How this score is calculated

Our 0–100 score estimates how far money goes for the typical person here. It combines GNI per capita at PPP (30%) and actual household consumption per person at PPP (15%) with a price-advantage term from the local price level (25%) that rewards lower prices, then adjusts for income equality via the Gini index (20%), so unequal economies don't ride a high average, plus price stability via consumer inflation (10%). Available indicators are reweighted; it is a comparison, not a personal budget estimate.

GNI / person$46,780 PPP (2024)
Consumption / person$23,817 PPP (2024)
Price level31 (US = 100) (2024)
Income inequality33.0 Gini (2023)
Inflation8.4% / yr (2024)

Source: World Bank World Development Indicators

Quality of life

Safety
Safety & stability
Limited
43
How this score is calculated

Our 0–100 score combines personal safety (intentional homicide rate at 35%), institutional quality (rule of law at 25% and control of corruption at 20%), and political stability and absence of violence (20%). Available indicators are reweighted; the published values are shown below. Always check current government travel and security advice before relocating.

Personal safety
Homicide rate6.8 per 100,000 (2021)

Source: World Bank World Development Indicators

Institutions & stability
Rule of law-1.16 (−2.5 to 2.5) (2024)
Control of corruption-0.89 (−2.5 to 2.5) (2024)
Political stability-0.90 (−2.5 to 2.5) (2024)

Source: World Bank World Development Indicators

Healthcare
Healthcare score
Excellent
88
How this score is calculated

Our 0–100 score combines health outcomes (life expectancy at 25% and under-5 mortality at 20%) with system capacity (physicians at 20% and hospital beds at 15% per 1,000 people) and health spending per capita (20%). Available indicators are reweighted; the published values are shown below.

Outcomes
Life expectancy73.4 years (2024)
Under-5 mortality5.2 per 1,000 births (2024)

Source: World Bank World Development Indicators

Capacity & resourcing
Physicians5.11 per 1,000 (2022)
Hospital beds6.81 per 1,000 (2023)
Health spending$3,204 PPP / person (2023)

Source: World Bank World Development Indicators

System & costs
SystemUniversal public (OMS) + private
InsuranceOMS for insured residents; private clinics in cities
Avg costLow; private cover inexpensive locally
Infrastructure
Infrastructure score
Good
68
How this score is calculated

The score combines digital access, resilience and download performance (30%), electricity access and network losses (30%), and transport infrastructure covering rail, logistics and aviation (40%). Available inputs are reweighted, but a country needs both digital and transport data to receive a score.

Digital infrastructure
Internet use94.4% (2024)
Internet resilience60 / 100 (2026)
Fixed speed74 / 100 download index (2026)
Mobile speed57 / 100 download index (2026)

Sources: World Bank World Development Indicators · Internet Society Pulse Internet Resilience Index

Utilities
Electricity access100.0% (2023)
Grid losses8.4% of output (2023)

Source: World Bank World Development Indicators

Transport
Transport quality2.70 / 5 (2022)
Rail density5.2 km / 1,000 km² (2021)
Air connectivity5,461 departures / million people (2023)

Source: World Bank World Development Indicators

HDI
Human development score
Excellent
83
How this score is calculated

The UN Human Development Index is the geometric mean of three dimension indices (a long and healthy life, knowledge, and a decent standard of living), shown on a 0–100 map scale (HDI × 100). The 2023 UNDP inputs behind each dimension are listed below.

HDI0.832 (2023)

Source: UNDP Human Development Report 2025

Long & healthy life
Life expectancy73.2 years (2023)

Source: UNDP Human Development Report 2025

Knowledge
Expected schooling13.2 years (2023)
Mean schooling12.4 years (2023)

Source: UNDP Human Development Report 2025

Standard of living
GNI / person$39,222 PPP (2023)

Source: UNDP Human Development Report 2025

Resources

Official references and quick links for Russia. Always confirm against the primary source before acting.

Official references
Quick links

Rules change often and depend on your situation. Confirm any immigration, tax or legal decision with a qualified professional, or do your own research, before acting.

Mock data for demonstration only. Not legal or tax advice.