ATTENTION! IT'S IMPORTANT for all representative and branch offices in Russia! Starting January 1st, 2015 new amendments to 160-FZ "On foreign investment" law and linked acts on accreditation of representative offices and branches of foreign companies came into effect.

The rules changed considerably. The accreditation/registration function was taken from the Ministry of Justice (State Regidtration Chamber (GRP)) to the Tax Ministry. Before April 1st, 2015 all branches and repoffices must provide information to the Russian Tax Office for the State Registry data entry.

The information is required in hard copies. All repoffices&branches must submit the new portion of documents before April 1st 2015

If your office accreditation will expire between Jan 1st and April 1st - you have to go through the accreditation process again according to the new accreditation rules. The re-accreditation process may start 30 days prior to accreditation expiry. Some of the needed documents have to be provided by head offices.

In the new procedure repoffices&branches, in their accreditation process, must go via Russian Chamber of Commerce in order to 'verify the number of foreign employees'. Starting April 01st 2015 accreditation of offices that failed to comply with the new law will be terminated.

New law prescribes a number of items that must be included in the rep office&branch regulations.

According to the new law, in case of changes of any information reflected in the state registry, a repoffice or branch must notify the Tax Office in max 15 calendar days.