From September 1, 2026, foreign companies will no longer be required to submit an application directly to the Federal Tax Service for tax registration in connection with opening a bank account in Russia. Once the required verification has been completed, the bank itself will electronically submit the tax registration application to the tax authority.
The Federal Tax Service must register the foreign organization within five days of receiving the application and send the bank an extract from the Unified State Register of Taxpayers (EGRN) containing the INN and KPP assigned to the company. Accordingly, interaction with the tax authority as part of this procedure will be handled through the Russian bank, reducing the number of actions that the foreign company needs to take independently.
Documents Required to Open a Bank Account for a Foreign Legal Entity
- Licenses (permits) issued to the legal entity, where such licenses (permits) are directly relevant to the client's legal capacity to enter into the agreement under which the bank account is being opened
- Signature specimen and company seal card
- Copies of the passports of the company's beneficial owners and directors
- Documents confirming the authority of the persons specified on the signature card to manage the funds held in the account. If the agreement provides for the use of an equivalent of a handwritten signature to authorize transactions involving funds held in the account, documents confirming the authority of the persons entitled to use such an equivalent of a handwritten signature must also be provided
- Documents confirming the authority of the legal entity's sole executive body
- Documents confirming the legal status of the legal entity under the laws of the country in which it was incorporated, including, in particular, documents confirming its state registration
- Certificate of tax registration, where applicable
If the bank account is to be opened not by the head of the company personally but by another employee, a power of attorney issued to that employee, the order appointing the employee to their position and a copy of their passport will need to be notarized.
Documents drawn up in a foreign language must be accompanied by a Russian translation certified by a notary.
Documents submitted for the purpose of opening a bank account must be duly legalized. An apostille may be affixed either directly to the document or to a separate sheet attached to the document.
Head of the Legal Entity Registration Department at the Legal Bridge Group of Companies.
Over 25 years of experience in company registration and liquidation.
