Guidelines
Guideline "LLC FOUNDATION IN RUSSIA"
Russia has been and continues to be attractive and promising for foreign business. And although, in the current political situation, only a few companies from "unfriendly" states are investing in Russia, the number of, in particular, Chinese and Indian investment projects has increased.
In 2025, about 9,000 companies with foreign participation were established, which is 17% more than in 2024. This demonstrates that the Russian market still possesses enormous potential. There are numerous tax incentives for investors. Overall, the legal framework is of quite high quality. As soon as the political situation permits and sanctions are gradually lifted, sooner or later Western companies will return to Russia. It also remains a fact that a large number of Western companies continue to operate in Russia.
Below, we would like to update our guide to the LLC, as there have been practically relevant changes since 2020.
The LLC ("OOO") is the most widespread legal form in Russia, preferred by most foreign and domestic investors. Joint stock companies are also common but are subject to more heavy regulation.
A limited liability company is a legal entity under Russian law. The relevant laws are found in particular in the Russian Civil Code ("CC RF") as well as in the Russian LLC Law ("LLC Law"). The LLC Law has been continuously adapted and improved over the past 15 years and is quite similar to German LLC law, although there are, of course, important differences.