Liaison (Representative) Office in Russia

Our company formation agents can provide assistance for the incorporation of a liaison office in Russia.

Quick Facts
The purpose of a liaison office in Russia	The activities of companies from abroad can be represented and promoted with the help of a liaison office in Russia.
What activities can you undertake with a liaison office in Russia?	– acting as a contact point between the foreign company and potential customers in Russia, – promoting the activities of the specific business, – developing marketing campaigns
How can a representative office be registered in Russia?	– an accreditation issued by the Federal Tax Service (FNS) is required, – tax registration (automatic on accreditation) and registration with the Social Fund of Russia, – a decision stating the appointment of liaison office director
Can a liaison office in Russia have commercial activities? (YES/NO)	No
Contracting potential clients and partners (YES/NO)	Yes
Local agent required (YES/NO)	Yes
Attributes of a liaison officer	– promoting the business operations, services and products of the foreign company, – developing constant communication with the parent company, – good negotiation skills, – representing the interests of the firm from abroad
Bank account for a liaison office in Russia	Necessary for the financial operations of a liaison office in Russia
Minimum deposit	Not solicited
The institution that authorizes the liaison office in Russia	Federal Tax Service (FNS)
The costs of opening a representative office in Russia	The expenses of a representative office in Russia are supported by the foreign company.
Other formalities for opening a liaison office in Russia	Presenting a bank reference from the foreign company’s bank
Accreditation fee (approx.)	Around RUB 120,000 paid to the Russian tax authority
Time frame for opening a liaison office in Russia	Around 30 business days, if all the approvals are issued by the relevant authorities
Why choose our company formation agents in Russia?	We offer: – support for registration procedures of a liaison office in Russia, – reparation of solicited documents, – collaboration with the local authorities, – complete serices at affordable costs

In what ways will your Russian company formation agents be able to help?

Our specialists will provide foreign companies with:

Requirements for opening a representative office in Russia;
Preparation and verification of required company documents;
Preparation of certified translations of documents into Russian language and document legalization;
Filing of the application for accreditation with Federal Tax Service;
Assistance in registering in State Register of Accredited Branches and Representative Offices;
Assistance in tax registration of the representative office;
Advice on the nomination and registration of head of the representative office;
Assistance in changing the registered information about the representative office;
Assistance in closing down the representative office.

What are the characteristics of a Russian liaison office?

Foreign investors who want to open a liaison office in Russia can perform a limited number of activities, which have the purpose of promoting the parent company on the Russian market. As such, a liaison office can conduct the following activities:

market research;
participate in seminars;
offering promotions.

Also, we suggest you discover the following infographic we have prepared for you:

What is the procedure for opening a representative office of a foreign business in Russia?

It consists mainly of the following steps:

adopting the decision to open a representative office;
naming the representative office manager;
drawing up and legalization of the documents of the foreign firm;
preparation of the application and other documentation;
sending an accreditation application to the Federal Taxation Service;
accreditation and state registration in the appropriate registry;
carrying out tax registration procedures.

What are the documents needed for establishing a representative office in Russia?

Along with the accreditation application, the following documentation will usually be provided:

constitutive documents of the foreign company;
entry from the commercial register of the foreign company;
certificate of tax registration of the company at home;
resolution on opening the representative office;
data about the representative office and its manager;
power of attorney, if any;
translation into Russian and certification of the documents.

At what authorities should a liaison office be registered?

The liaison office is entered in the FNS register of accredited offices and registered for tax automatically; as an employer it also deals with Rosstat and the Social Fund of Russia (the Pension, Social Insurance and Medical Insurance Funds listed below no longer exist as separate registration bodies since 2023):

State Tax Authority;
State Committee for Statistics;
Medical Insurance Fund;
Pension Fund;
Social Insurance Fund

We invite you to watch a video presentation with information about liaison offices in Russia:

What are the responsibilities of a liaison officer in Russia?

A liaison officer has a series of attributions when it is delegated to a representative office in Russia. Among them, we mention:

It must maintain jointly beneficial connections;
He/she enables communication between the parent company and potential customers in Russia;
It can coordinate all the activities related to the representative office in Russia;
Can manage public communications on behalf of a liaison office in Russia;
Brand perception purposes and promotional events also fall under the responsibilities of the liaison officer in Russia.

Is it possible to engage in commercial operations?

No, activities must be analyzed prior to the opening of a Russian representative office. This is meant to represent the interests of the foreign company, but commercial operations are not allowed.

Is it possible to establish several representative offices for a foreign enterprise in Russia?

Yes, several offices of a foreign enterprise may be set up in Russia if allowed, however, each of the intended offices needs to be evaluated individually regarding its location, functions, registration, etc.

If you need further information on the liaison office in Russia, please contact our Russian company formation agents, who can assist you in registering a company here.